Tequila

For other uses, see Tequila (disambiguation).

File:Tequila-sunny-window.jpg

Various brands of tequila

Tequila is an agave-based spirit made primarily in the area surrounding Tequila, 65 kilometres (40 mi) in the northwest of Guadalajara and in the highlands (Los Altos) of the western Mexican state of Jalisco. The volcanic soil in the region surrounding Tequila is particularly well suited to the growing of the cactus-like blue agave, and more than 300 million of the plants are harvested there each year. However, U.S. and Mexican laws state that tequila can be produced anywhere in Mexico, and the country boasts several other tequila-producing regions.

Tequila is most often made at a 38–40% alcohol content (76–80 proof), but there are also several varieties of tequila produced with 43–46% alcohol content (86–92 proof).

History

A distillery oven loaded with agave "piñas" or "pineapples", the first step in the production of tequila.

Tequila was first produced in the 16th century near the location of the city of Tequila, which was not officially established until 1656. The Aztec people had previously made a fermented beverage from the agave plant, which they called octli (later, and more popularly called pulque), long before the Spanish arrived in 1521. When the Spanish conquistadors ran out of their own brandy, they began to distill this agave drink to produce North America's first indigenous distilled spirit.

Some 80 years later, around 1600, Don Pedro Sánchez de Tagle, the Marquis of Altamira, began mass-producing tequila at the first factory in the territory of modern-day Jalisco. By 1608, the colonial governor of Nueva Galicia had begun to tax his products.

The tequila that is popular today was first mass-produced in the early 1800s in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Don Cenobio Sauza, founder of Sauza Tequila and Municipal President of the Village of Tequila from 1884-1885, was the first to export tequila to the United States. Don Cenobio's grandson Dan Javier gained international attention for insisting that "there cannot be tequila where there are no agaves!" His efforts led to the practice that real tequila can only come from the State of Jalisco.

Recent history

Blue agave fields and ancient distilleries near Tequila are recognized as part of the World Heritage List.

Since 2002, sales of ultra-premium and super-premium tequilas have grown at a rate of 28 percent. That is an average growth rate of 8.6 percent per year, as reported by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. With tequila sales last year projected to fall just short of 10 million cases, sales actually exceeded expectations by reaching well over 10 million cases as shown in the 2007 report by IWSR based on Adams Liquor Handbook. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, increasing worldwide popularity of tequila drove corporate interest in the drink. Notable developments as a result included:

• The purchase of Herradura by Brown-Forman for $776 million in September 2006.
• A new NOM (Norma Oficial Mexicana) for tequila (NOM-006-SCFI-2005) was issued in 2006, and among other changes, introduced a category of tequila called "extra añejo" or "ultra-aged" which must be aged a minimum of 3 years.
• The purchase of the Sauza and El Tesoro brands by massive holding company Fortune Brands.

Although some tequilas have remained as family owned brands, most well-known tequila brands are owned by large multinational corporations. However, there are over 100 distilleries making over six hundred brands of tequila in Mexico and over 2,000 brand names have been registered. Due to this, each bottle of tequila contains a serial number depicting which distillery the tequila was brewed and bottled in. Because there are only so many distilleries, multiple brands of tequila come from the same place.

The Tequila Regulatory Council of Mexico originally did not permit flavored tequila to carry the tequila name. In 2004, the Council decided to allow flavored tequila to be called tequila, with the exception of pure agave tequila, which still could not be flavored.

A one-liter bottle of limited-edition premium tequila was sold for $225,000 in July 2006 in Tequila, Jalisco, by the company Tequila Ley .925. The bottle which contains the tequila is a two-kilo display of platinum and gold. The manufacturer has received the Certificate from Guinness World Records for the most expensive bottle of liquor ever sold.

2006 Tequila Trade Agreement

In 2003, Mexico issued proposal that would require all Mexican-made tequila be bottled in Mexico before being exported to other countries. The Mexican government said that bottling tequila in Mexico would guarantee its quality. Liquor companies in the United States said that Mexico just wanted to create bottling jobs in their own country. Liquor companies in the United States also claimed this rule would violate international trade agreements and was in discord with usual exporting practices worldwide. The proposal may have resulted in the loss of jobs at plants in California, Arkansas, Missouri, and Kentucky, because Mexican tequila exported in bulk to the United States is bottled in those plants. On January 17, 2006, the United States and Mexico signed an agreement allowing the continued bulk import of tequila into the United States. The agreement also created a "tequila bottlers registry" to identify approved bottlers of tequila and created an agency to monitor the registry.

TMA

For more detail on TMA, see the entry in Tequila agave

TMA ("tristeza y muerte de agave") is a blight that has reduced the production of the agave grown to produce tequila. This has resulted in lower production and higher prices throughout the early 2000s, and due to the long maturation of the plant, will likely continue to affect prices for years to come.

Production

Harvesting the agave plant remains a manual effort, unchanged by modern farming technologies, and stretching back hundreds of years. The agave is planted, tended, and harvested by hand. The men who harvest it, the "jimadors", contain generations of knowledge about the plants and the ways in which they need to be harvested. The Jimadors must be able to work swiftly in the tight rows, pull out the pups without damaging the mother plant, clear the pinas (spanish word for pineapple), and decide when and if each plant is ready to be harvested . Too soon and there are not enough sugars, too late and the plant will have used its sugars to grow a quiote (20-40 foot high stem), with seeds on the top that are then scattered by the wind . The pinas, weighing 40 to 70 pounds, are cut away with a special knife called a coa. They are then shredded, their juices pressed out and put into fermentation tanks and vats. Some tequila companies still use the traditional method (artesian tequila) in which the pinas are crushed with a stone wheel. The final process is to add a yeast to the vats to convert the sugars into alcohol. Each company keeps their own yeast a tight secret.

There is a clear difference in taste between tequila that is made from lowland or highland agave plants. Agave plants that are grown in the highlands often have more fruit tastes due to the growing process. The plants are grown on the western side of the hills, allowing the plants to receive the most amount of sunlight throughout the day. These plants are taller, wider, and juicier. Agave that are grown in the lowlands have more earth tastes, and are typically on the smaller side.

Types of Tequila

There are two basic categories of tequila: mixtos and 100% Agave. Mixtos use up to 49% of other sugars in the fermentation process, with Agave taking up the remainder. Agave sugar is fructose-based, and is easier for the human body to break down. Mixtos use both glucose and fructose sugars.

With 100% agave tequila, blanco or plata is harsher with the bold flavors of the distilled agave up front, while reposado and añejo are smoother, subtler, and more complex. As with other spirits that are aged in casks, tequila takes on the flavors of the wood, while the harshness of the alcohol mellows. The major flavor distinction with 100% agave tequila is the base ingredient, which is more vegetal than grain spirits (and often more complex).

Tequila is usually bottled in one of five categories:

• blanco ("white") or plata ("silver") – white spirit, un-aged and bottled or stored immediately after distillation, or aged less than two months in oak barrels;
• oro ("gold") – un-aged "blanco" tequila, blended with rested or aged tequilas, and often with caramel coloring, sugar-based syrup, glycerin, and/or oak extract added so as to resemble aged tequila;
• reposado ("rested") – aged a minimum of two months, but less than a year in oak barrels;
• añejo ("aged" or "vintage") – aged a minimum of one year, but less than 3 years in oak barrels;
• extra añejo ("extra aged" or "ultra aged") – aged a minimum of three years in oak barrels. This category was established in March 2006.

A note on the aging process

Reposado may be rested in barrels or casks as large as 20,000 liters, allowing for richer and more complex flavors. The preferred oak comes from America, France or Canada, and while they are ususally white oak, some companies choose to char the wood for a smokey flavor, or use barrels that were previously used to hold a different kind of alcohol ( i.e. whiskey, scotch, or wine in the case of Asombroso). Some reposados can also be aged in new wood barrels to achieve the same wood flavor and smoothness, but in less time.

Añejos are often rested in barrels that have been previously used to rest reposados. The barrels cannot be more than 600 liters, although most are stored in barrels of about 200 liters. Many of the barrels used are from whiskey or bourbon distilleries in America, France, or Canada (the most popular being Jack Daniels), resulting in the dark color and more complex flavors of the añejo tequila. Since most people agree that after 4 years of aging the tequila is at it's best, the añejo can be removed from the wood barrels and placed in stainless steel tanks to reduce the amount of evaporation that can occur in the barrels.

It is a common misconception that some tequilas contain a 'worm' in the bottle. Only certain mezcals, usually from the state of Oaxaca, are ever sold con gusano, and that only began as a marketing gimmick in the 1940s. The worm is actually the larval form of the moth Hypopta agavis that lives on the agave plant. Finding one in the plant during processing indicates an infestation and, correspondingly, a lower quality product. (Note: for more information on how tequila is made, see mezcal.) However this misconception continues, and even with all the effort and marketing to represent tequila as a premium—similar to the way Cognac is viewed in relation to brandy—there are some opportunist producers for the shooters and fun market who blur these boundaries.

Brands

There are many brands of tequila; the Consejo Regulador del Tequila reports 900 registered brands of tequila for the year 2008.

1800 Tequila - Named in commemoration of the year in which the first expertly aged tequila was unveiled. Downloadable drink recipes. www.1800tequila.com 1921 Tequila - Agave Tequilana Prod. y Comercializadores, SA CV. www.tequila1921.com 4 Copas Tequila - Certified organic tequila. Tequilera La Quemada. www.4copas.com Acumbaro - NOM 1454 - Destiladora Mexicana, S. A. de C. V., Ing. David Partida Zuniga. Amatitan. Agabe Tequilana Productores Y Comercializadores - NOM 1079 - DOT 118 - Jalisco, Mexico. Agave Dos Mil - Arandas, Jalisco. www.agavedosmil.com Agavia Tequila - NOM 1111 - DOT 83; Pernod Ricard México Aficionado, Tequila - NOM 1416, DOT 138 - Distillery: Productos Finos de Agave. Aha Toro - Destilados Olé. NOM 1079 - DOT 118 - Agabe Tequilana Productores Y Comercializadores www.ahatoro.com Alcatraz Tequila - NOM 1110 - Distillery: Tequila Orendain de Jalisco, S.A. de C.V.

Amate - NOM 1137 - DOT 111 - Distillery: La Cofradia, S. A. de C. V., Tequila, Jalisco. www.amate.com Alteño - NOM 1111 - DOT 83 - Pernod Ricard México, S. A. de C. V. Arette Tequila - Produced and bottled by Eduardo and Jaime Orendain, in the distillery “El Llano" in Tequila, Jalisco. Destiladora Azteca de Jalisco, S. A. de C. V. Asombroso Tequila - 100% de Agave, ultra premium. www.asombrosotequila.com Buen Amigo - Industrializadora Intergral, del Agave, S. A. de C. V. www.buenamigo.com Cabo Uno - Tequila Añejo Reserva - "Cabo Uno ~ Un Perfecto Tequila!" Cabo Wabo Tequila - Sammy Hagar's special tequila. Campanario - Arandas, Jalisco. www.tequilacampanario.com Campo Azul - Productos Finos de Agave, S. A. de C. V. www.tequilacampoazul.com Casa Noble Tequila - Superior Tequilas are all made from 100% Blue Agave. Produced and Bottled in Mexico. 40% Alc/Vol (80 Proof). Casa Reyes Barajas - NOM 1507 - DOT 223 - Carretera Internacional N°. 100, Colonia Obrera, Tequila, Jalisco, México C.P. 46400 | Tel. (374) 742-0447 Cascahuin Distillery - www.cascahuin.com Cazadores Tequila - www.cazadores.com Centinela - Arandas, Jalisco. 100% Agave Tequila - www.tequilacentinela.com.mx Chamucos - NOM 1433 - DOT 148 - Tequila Quiote, S. A. de C. V. www.tequilachamucos.com Chinaco - 100% Agave Tequila made in Tamaulipas, Mexico - www.chinacotequila.com Clase Azul - Premium Reposado Tequila and Clase Azul Ultra - Extra Añejo Tequila - 100% Agave. www.tequilaspremium.com Compañia Tequilera de Arandas - Arandas, Jalisco corporate offices for the El Charro, Hacienda de Tepa, 3 Caballos, Tres Reyes, Antiqua Cruz, Codorniz, Maximo, Chilango, Ranchero and Tepa tequila brands. www.tequileradearandas.com Corazón de Agave - Arandas, Jalisco. www.tequilacorazon.com Corazón Maya - Distillery: NOM 1109 - DOT 98, Destiladora Azteca de Jalisco SA de CV Corralejo - www.tequilacorralejo.com Corzo Tequila - with a modern distinctive bottle. www.corzo.com Cuervo Reserva de la Familia - Created in 1995 to celebrate the family’s 200th anniversary, Cuervo Reserva de la Familia is the ‘cognac of tequilas’. Cuervo Tequila - Started by Don Jose Antonio de Cuervo in 1758. www.cuervo.com Cuestion - NOM: 1479 - DOT 195 - Hacienda La Capilla, S.A. de C.V., Tepatitlan De Morelos, Jalisco. www.tequilacuestion.com/ Del Mio - Produced at the fabrica El Ranchito - Feliciano Vivanco y Asociados, S. A. de C. V., Arandas, Jalisco Mexico Don Abraham - NOM 1480 - Dot 204 - Distillery: Tequila Las Americas, S. A. de C. V., Amatitan, Jalisco Don Jose Lopez Portillo - The Presidents Tequila - NOM 1137 - DOT 111 - Distillery: La Cofradia,S. A. de C. V. http://www.thepresidentstequila.com/ Don Julio Tequila - photographs of bottles and information and a link to Diageo Brands. Don Nacho - Fabrica de Tequila Don Nacho, S. A. de C. V. www.tequiladonnacho.com Don Tacho - www.dontacho.com Dos Amigos - NOM 1456 - DOT 171 - Tequila Supremo, S. A. de C. V. Dos Lunas Tequila - produces a line of award-winning ultra-premium tequila made from 100% estate grown Blue Agave. NOM 1124 | DOT 97. www.doslunas.com D'Reyes Tequila - Tequila D'Reyes, S. A. de C. V. Carretera Internacional N°. 100, Tequila, Jalisco, México C.P. 46400 | See Casa Reyes Barajas, S. A. de C. V. - NOM 1507 - DOT 223

	El Agave Artesanal - Industrializadora de Agave San Isidro, S. A. de C. V., NOM 1420 - DOT 134 | http://www.elagaveartesanal.com/

El Amo Tequila - NOM 1479 - DOT 195 - Distillery: Hacienda La Capilla, S. A. de C. V. El Charro Tequila - Arandas, Jalisco. www.elcharrotequila.com El Conquistador - NOM 1488 - DOT 208 - Cavas Vamer, S. A. de C. V. El Diamante del Cielo (Diamond of the Sky) - a handcrafted, ultra-premium tequila. Fabrica de Tequilas Finos, S.A. De C.V. NOM 1472, DOT 187. Diamante Spirits, LLC. 381 Mallory Station Road, Suite 211, Franklin, TN 37067. Phone: (615) 771-9111; FAx: (615) 771-9273. http://www.handcraftedtequila.com El Duende de Don Felipe - name changed in 2008 to El Perdido Tequila. El Perdido Tequila - originally known as El Duende de Don Felipe El Tequileno - Tequila, Jalisco - www.tequileno.com El Tesoro de Don Felipe - The wonderful flavors of El Tesoro de Don Felipe® are created by using only 100% Blue Agave in a time-honored, handcrafted process that dates back to the early 1900s. La Alteña distillery is located in the mountains of Jalisco, Mexico. www.eltesorotequila.com

El Viejito - Tequila El Viejito, S. A. de C. V. NOM 1107 - DOT 94, Atotonilco, Jalisco. http://www.tequilaviejito.com/ Espanta Suegras - Tequila Liqueur - A blend of aged tequila reposado and 10 Mexican herbs. Espolon - Destiladora San Nicolas, S. A. de C. V. www.tequilaespolon.com Faro Viejo Tequila - 100% Agave from the Los Altos Regions - Coming Soon! Fina Estampa - 100% Agave - Un Tequila Artesanal. www.finaestampatequila.com Fortaleza - the USA market label name of Tequila Los Abuelos. Frida Kahlo Tequila - 100% Agave - NOM 1079 - DOT 118 - Agave Tequilana Prod. y Comercializadores, SA CV. http://www.doradopizzorniandsons.com/tequila/ Gran Centenario Tequila - http://www.grancentenario.com/ Gran Passion Suprema - NOM 1456 - DOT 171 - Distillery: Tequila Supremo, S. A. de C. V. Gran Tulum Tequila - NOM 1459 | DOT 173 - Distillery: Tequila Selecto de Amatitán, S. A. De C. V. 100% de Agave Tequila - a product of fine and delicate processes. Hacienda La Capilla - www.haciendalacapilla.com Hacienda Vieja - NOM 1412 - DOT 185 - Distillery: Destiladora de Los Altos, S.A. de C.V. Herencia de Plata - 100% Agave Tequila produced by Tequilas del Señor, S.A. de C.V., Guadalajara, Jalisco - www.sailingstar.com Herradura - Casa Herradura Tequila is just 17 miles from Guadalajara. www.herradura.com Honorable - NOM 1360 - DOT -126. Corporacion Ansan, S. A. de C. V., Tequila, Jalisco Hotel California Tequila - A hand crafted premium tequila with time honored traditions. NOM 1079 - DOT 118 Agave Tequilana Prod. y Comercializadores, S. A. de C. V. - 38% Alc. Vol. Idustrializadora Integral del Agave S.A. de C.V. - Tequila Buen Amigo and Tequila Don Alvaro. Dirección: Périferico Sur 7750, Col. Santa Maria Tequepexan, Tlaquepaque, Jalisco, México, C.P. 45160 | Tel: +52 33 3134-4050 | Fax: +52 33 3134-4051 | http://www.iideaweb.com/ Impulsora Rombo, S. A. de C. V. - Tequila distillery in Amatitan, Jalisco, Mexico Jarro Viejo - Destiladora La Barranca, S. A. de C. V. Tepatitlán, Jalisco. www.jarroviejo.com.mx JB Wagoner's Ultra Premium 100% Blue Agave Spirits - produced in Temecula, California. Latest web site is found at http://www.drinkjbw.com/ | Original web site http://www.jbwagoners.com José Cuervo Reserva de la Familia - Photographs of the collectible boxes. José Cuervo Tequila - Started by Don Jose Antonio de Cuervo in 1758 with a land grant from Spain. In 1795 Jose Maria Guadalupe Cuervo was granted an exclusive permit to produce mezcal wine from the town of Tequila. www.cuervo.com La Cofradia Tequila - Producing and bottling Tequila for more than 50 years. Currently the 7th largest exporter of Tequila in Mexico. www.tequilacofradia.com La Cofradia Tequila Distillery - Photographs from the distillery in Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico. La Cofradia Store - Distillery store located in Cabo San Lucas - full line of products Ley 925 - NOM 1479 - DOT 195 - Hacienda La Capilla, S.A. De C.V. http://www.ley925.com Leyenda del Milagro - 100% Agave, triple distrilled. www.milagrotequila.com Los Abuelos - Artisan hand-crafted, stone-crushed tequila. Jalisco, Mexico. www.losabuelos.com Los Azulejos - Agaves Procesados S.A. de C.V. http://www.tequilalosazulejos.com/ Los Generales - Cia. Tequilera Los Generales, S. A. de C. V. http://www.losgenerales.com.mx/

	Margaritaville Tequila - Drink recipes and links to the Margaritaville related sites. www.margaritavilletequila.com

MuchoTe Tequila - Premium reposado. Mundo Cuervo - 75 Calle José Cuervo, Tequila. Phone: 52 (374) 742-2170. www.mundocuervo.com Orendain - Jalisco, Mexico. www.tequila-orendain.com Oro Azul Tequila - Oro Azul's award winning tequilas, Anejo, Reposado and Blanco, have been known for years in select circles as one of Mexico's finest tequilas. http://www.oroazultequila.com/ Oro de Jalisco - 100% BLue Agave Extra Premium Tequilas - www.orodejalisco.com Oro y Plata - NOM 1459 - DOT 173 - Distillery: Tequila Selecto de Amatitan, S.A. de C.V. Para Mi Tequila - Produced only from 100% natural blue agave plants of Jalisco Partida Tequila - Estate grown 100% Blue Agave Tequilas. US office: Partida Tequila, 4 San Joaquin Plaza, Suite 320, Newport Beach, CA 92660. www.partidatequila.com Patrón Tequila - Premium tequilas - www.patronspirits.com

Penca Azul - NOM 1115 - DOT - Tequila Parreñita, S. A. de C. V. www.pencazul.com Prodigio - NOM 1431 - DOT 144 - Distillery: Destiladora Los Magos, S.A. de C.V. Pueblo Viejo - NOM 1103 - DOT 93 - Distillery: Tequila San Matias de Jalisco, SA CV Puerto Vallarta - A brand name that is produced by two different companies. Frank-Lin Distillers Products, Ltd. in San Jose, CA and Tequila Orendain de Jalisco, S.A. de C.V. Quiote Tequila - NOM 1433 - DOT 148 - Tequila Quiote, S. A. de C. V. Real Hacienda - NOM 1111- DOT 83 - Pernod Ricard México, S.A. De C.V. Reserva de Los González - NOM 1518 - DOT 234 - Tequila Casa de Los González, S. A. de C. V. Reserva del Señor - Tequilas Del Señor, S. A. de C. V., NOM 1124 | DOT 97, Guadalajara, Jalisco. Revolucion - Produced by Tequila Cascahuin, S.A. ,Guadalajara Jalisco. http://www.m3w3.com.mx/TequilaRevolucion/ salt&lemon Tequila - We offer gold and silver mixto tequilas as well as blanco, reposado and añjeo 100% Agave tequilas. México D.F. E-Mail: info@saltlemon.com Sangre Azteca - Cooperativa Tequilera La Magdalena, S. C. de R. L., Carretera Internancional Guadalajara - Nogales, Km. 85, Magdalena, Jalisco CP. 44670 San Matias - NOM 1103 - DOT 93 - Tequila San Matias de Jalisco, S. A. de C. V. Santa Fe Tequila - NOM 1112 - DOT 112 - 100% Agave - Guadalajara, Jalisco. www.tequila-santafe.com.mx Sauza Tequila - www.sauzatequila.com. Siembra Azul - NOM 1414 - DOT 129 - Feliciano Vivanco Y Asociados, S. A. de C. V., Arandas, Jalisco. Siete 7 Leguas Tequila - Since 1952. 360 Avenida Independencia, Atotonilco el Alto, Jalisco, Mexico. www.tequilasieteleguas.com.mx Silver Coin Tequila - NOM 1468 - DOT 182 - Grupo Tequilero Mexico, S.A. De C.V. - www.silvercointequila.com/ Sol Azul Tequila - NOM 1490 - DOT - 206 - Destiladora Arandas, S.A. de C.V. www.solazultequila.com/ Solo Mexico - NOM 1433 - DOT 148 - Tequila Quiote, S. A. de C. V., San Francisco de Asis, Atotonilco El Alto, Jalisco, Mexico. 100% de Agave Tequila. Tapatio Tequila - 100% agave tequilas. Arandas, Jalsco Tequila Aficionado - NOM 1416, DOT 138 - Distillery: Productos Finos de Agave. Tequila Cuestion - NOM: 1479 - DOT 195 - Hacienda La Capilla, S.A. de C.V., Tepatitlan De Morelos, Jalisco. www.tequilacuestion.com/ Tequila Delicias - NOM 1476 - Roble No. 423, Colonia Tabachines, Tlajomulco de Zuñiga, Jalisco, Mexico | http://www.tequila-delicias.com Tequila Don Valente - http://www.tequiladonvalente.com/ Tequila Regional - Empresa Ejidal Tequilera De Amatitan, S. P. R. de R. L. de C. V., Amatitan, Jalisco Tequila Los Abuelos - Javier Sauza Musuem. Artisan hand-crafted, stone-crushed tequila. Jalisco, Mexico. www.losabuelos.com Tequila Miravalle - Amatitán, Jalisco, Mexico - tequilamiravalle.com.mx Tequila Supremo - NOM 1456 - DOT 171 - Tequila Supremo, S. A. de C. V., Zapopan, Jalisco Tequila 3 Hermanas - Produced by Tequila Delicias - NOM 1476 . Tequilera de Arandas - NOM 1460 - DOT 175 - Compañía Tequilera de Arandas, S.A. de C.V. http://www.tequileradearandas.com Tequilera La Quemada - distillers of "4 Copas". www.laquemada.com Tequilas del Señor - www.tequilasdelsenor.com.mx Tequilas Premium - Clase Azul Reposado Tequila - 100% Agave, Tequila El Teporocho, La Pinta Pomegranate Infused Tequila. www.tequilaspremium.com Tequilera Newton - NOM 1173 - DOT 115 - Tequilera Newton E Hijos, S. A. de C. V. Tierra Azteca - NOM 1173 - DOT 115 - Tequilera Newton E Hijos, S. A. de C. V. Tres Mujeres - 100% natural tequila made of 100% pure agave, through traditional processes. Amatitan, Jalisco. www.tequilatresmujeres.com.mx Tres Reyes - Arandas, Jalisco. www.tequileradearandas.com Vida Tequila - Casa Tequilera de Arandas, S.A. de C.V., Arandas, Jalisco. NOM 1499. http://www.vidatequila.com/ Voodoo Tiki Tequila - 100% Agave, Mixto and Flavored tequilas produced by Agroindustrial Guadalajara, SA CV. - NOM 1068 | Email: fiesta@voodootiki.com | http://www.voodootiki.com/ XXX Siglo Treinta Tequila - Produced and bottled at La Cofradia, S. A. de C. V. NOM 1137. Corporate Office, XXX Tequila, P. O. Box 6715, Beverly Hills, CA 90212 USA | Email: info@xxxtequila.com | http://www.xxxtequila.com/ Zafarrancho Tequila - Produced and bottled by Impulsora Rombo, S. A. de C. V., in Amatitan, Jalisco. www.tequilazafarrancho.com

Drinking tequila

See also: List of cocktails with tequila

In Mexico, tequila is drunk straight, without salt and lime. It is popular in some regions to drink fine tequila with a side of sangrita—a sweet, sour and spicy drink typically made from orange juice, grenadine (or tomato juice) and hot chilies. Equal-sized shots of tequila and sangrita are sipped alternately, without salt or lime.

Outside Mexico, a single shot of tequila is often served with salt and a slice of lime. This is called "tequila cruda" and is sometimes referred to as "training wheels," "lick-sip-suck," or "lick-shoot-suck" (referring to the way in which the combination of ingredients is imbibed). The drinker moistens the back of their hand below the index finger (usually by licking) and pours on the salt. Then the salt is licked off the hand, the tequila is then drunk and the fruit slice is quickly bitten. It is common for groups of drinkers to do this simultaneously. Drinking tequila in this way is often erroneously called a Tequila Slammer, but this is a mixed tequila and carbonated drink. Though the traditional Mexican shot is straight tequila, lime is the fruit of choice when a chaser must be used. It is believed that the salt lessens the "burn" of the tequila and the sour fruit balances and enhances the flavor. In Germany and some other countries, tequila oro (gold) is often consumed with cinnamon before and slices of orange after, while tequila blanco (silver) is consumed with salt and lime. Finally, as with other popular liquors, there exist a number of shot-related drinking games and "stunt" drinks such as body shots and the tequila stuntman.

It should be noted that drinking higher-quality, 100% agave tequila with salt and lime is likely to remove much of the flavor.

Tequila glasses

A margarita glass

When served neat (without any additional ingredients), tequila is most often served in a narrow shot glass called a caballito ("Little Horse" in Spanish), but can often be found in anything from a snifter to a tumbler.

The Consejo Regulador del Tequila (Tequila Regulatory Council) approved an "official tequila glass" in 2002 called the Ouverture Tequila glass, made by Riedel.

The margarita glass, rimmed with salt, sugar, or plain, is a staple for the entire tequila/fruit mixed drink genre, including the margarita itself.

Other drinks

There are an endless variety of drinks that involve tequila, relying only on the imagination of the preparer. As with most of the hard liquors, there is a martini variant that involves tequila as well as a large number of tequila drinks made by adding a fruit juice such as the Tequila Sunrise and Matador. Sodas and other carbonated drinks are a common mixer, as in the Tequila Slammer.

Popular culture

It is a common misconception that tequila is fermented from cactus. Agaves and cacti are both types of succulents, but are members of different botanical classes (Liliopsida and Cactaceae, respectively).

Tequila is a common topic of popular culture, ranging from films that simply use the name, such as Tequila Sunrise (1988) to songs about the drink. According to Tom Robbins's book Still Life with Woodpecker tequila is the preferred drink of outlaws. Sandra Lee of the Food Network refers to tequila as "her friend." In song, tequila is diversely portrayed, ranging from Jimmy Buffett's semi-serious Margaritaville to The Eagles' maudlin Tequila Sunrise. The track "Mexican Cousin," off Phish's Round Room pays tribute to the drink stating "Oh tequila, I turn to you like a long lost friend. I wanna kiss my Mexican Cousin once again" and continues to refer to the drink as the band's "Mexican Cousin".

Tequila even enters the popular news media. For example, Mel Gibson's anti-Semitic outburst when arrested for drunk driving was attributed to tequila consumption. Sammy Hagar, rock star (singer of the bar anthem "Mas Tequila") and owner of Cabo Wabo Tequila described tequila's stigma as, "the stuff that you go, 'I will never drink that as long as I live,' and you have gotten sick in college on rot-gut tequila." This image of tequila as the instigator of particularly egregious intoxication and hangovers is pervasive in references to the drink in popular culture.

In music, singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette wrote an ode to tequila entitled "On The Tequila" for the Flavors of Entanglement sessions, and says tequila has helped her balance things out in her life. The English rock band Terrorvision had a UK No. 2 hit in 1999 with their song "Tequila".

Tequila plays a role in the climactic scene of "Funhouse", the season two finale of the HBO TV series The Sopranos. In this episode, the character Sal "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero asks several members of the crew if there is any good tequila available, knowing that he is about to be killed and wanting a final drink with his longtime friends.

In the United States, National Tequila Day is July 24.

In the Mexican telenovela, Destilando Amor, the production of Tequila, and how it is made, plays a role of the storyline. Part of the show takes place on agave fields.

External links

• National Chamber for the Tequila Industry
• Consejo Regulador del Tequila A.C.
• United States and Mexico Reach Agreement on Tequila (PDF)