Tequila

Tequila is a distilled spirit made from the blue agave plant, produced primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila and in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico.

To make tequila, the heart of the blue agave plant called the piña is roasted to convert starches to fermentable sugars. The roasted piña is then juiced and fermented, with the resulting alcohol distilled and sometimes aged in oak barrels.

There are two primary varieties of tequila:

• Mixtos can contain up to 49% other sugars besides agave. They are the most common, inexpensive tequilas.
• 100% Agave tequilas contain only blue agave sugars. They are considered premium and marketed as 'true' tequilas.

Within these two categories, there are blanco (unaged), reposado (aged under 12 months), and añejo (aged 1-3 years) styles. Top-shelf extra añejo tequilas are aged over 3 years.

Tequila likely originated with the Aztecs in the 14th century. It became commercialized in the early 19th century near Tequila, Jalisco. Today, tequila has protected status and can only be made in certain regions of Mexico. When sipped, good tequila has complex fruit and spice notes from the agave.