Tequila – What is it & how is it made?

From the heart of Mexico comes one of the most recognizable drinking rituals in North America – tequila.

The rockstar ingredient in your margarita actually hails from the aptly-named town of Tequila in the west-central Mexican region of Jalisco. The area is covered in volcanic soil that serves as the ideal growing environment for blue agave – a thick, spiny-leafed plant that remains the only source of the world’s tequila.

The blue agave’s cactus-like leaves can grow up to two metres long, while its core – the source of the sap used in tequila – normally weighs between 75 and 200 pounds. After eight to 12 years of growth, a Mexican harvester called a “jimador” chops off the agave’s leaves to expose the core and assesses its ripeness before harvesting.

Just to give you an idea, it takes roughly 15 pounds of agave core to produce a single litre of tequila and between 200-300 million plants are harvested each year!

To be labeled “tequila” the final product must follow strict regulations set by the Mexican government. The core of the blue agave is chopped and roasted in massive furnaces or steam ovens to soften the pulpy centre. To squeeze out the juices, the pulp is then shredded and pressed. The juices are then mixed with yeast for fermentation, converting the agave’s sugars into alcohol giving tequila its kick.

The fermented tequila juice is distilled at least two – often three – times in copper or stainless steel stills. The multiple distillations serve to purify the tequila and give it a smooth finish – while still capturing the vegetal aroma of the blue agave.

North Americans generally take their tequila with a lick of salt and a slice of citrus – a tradition influenced by the lower-grade tequilas that traditionally made it to North American markets. But any Mexican tequila drinker will tell you that good tequila is best enjoyed like any other fine spirit – straight up.

So if you’re feeling up to it, ditch the lemon and salt and enjoy fine tequila the way it was meant to be enjoyed.