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Best known as the spirit used in margaritas, in recent years tequila has expanded its appeal—inexpensive tequilas are great for mixed drinks, while premium brands can be sipped like brandy. Discover the secrets of this spirit through:

A brief history of tequila and the basics of how tequila is made
A rundown of different types of tequila, so you’ll know what you’re buying
Tequila cocktail recipes from the Four Seasons restaurant

Tequila Basics

Tequila is thought of as Mexico’s national spirit. Just as Scotch and bourbon are particular types of whiskey, tequila is actually a particular type of a liquor called mezcal. Mezcal is the name given to any alcohol made from the agave plant; tequila is made only from a particular species of agave—the blue agave.

Tequila has long been popular for making mixed drinks such as the margarita, and in recent years it has become increasingly popular as a high-end sipping alcohol as well. It’s often described as tasting both slightly sugary and like fresh-ground peppercorns.

A Short History of Tequila

Tequila descended from pulque, which was fermented blue agave juice imbibed ceremonially in Aztec and other South American cultures. Europeans first partook of the mildly intoxicating pulque after gold-hungry Spanish conquistadores invaded Mexico in 1519 and proceeded to colonize much of the continent. The Spaniards called agave mezcal, and the plant’s fermented and distilled liquor came to be known as mezcal wine.

In 1600, in the region that would later become the Mexican state of Jalisco, a Mexican marquis began to cultivate blue agave and set up the first of many fábricas (factories) to produce mezcal wine. The government soon set rules for production of the spirit in 1636, and in 1795 required all new mezcal fábricas to register. King Ferdinand IV of Spain issued the first of these registration licenses to Don José Cuervo, who staked his claim in the rich volcanic soils of Jalisco, choosing a site near the town of Tequila.

By the mid-19th century, scores of mezcal wine fábricas operated in the vicinity of Tequila. In 1873, one of the distillers—Don Cenobio Sauza—became the first to export the spirit to the United States. Americans fancied the new drink, and what would soon be known as tequila even won an award at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. Large-scale production of tequila began with the modernization of distilling equipment, and more refined tequilas were exported worldwide. With the coming of World War II, the export of European spirits slowed to a trickle, giving tequila sales still another boost. Then, in the mid-1940s, persons unknown invented a tequila-based cocktail called the margarita—and the rest, as they say, is history.

How Tequila Is Made

The blue agave plants used to make tequila are harvested by workers called jimadores, experts at judging when the piña—the juicy heart of the agave, which on average weighs 40–70 pounds—has reached its prime. Turning the juice of the piña into tequila involves seven steps:

Cooking: The piñas are chopped and then tightly packed into huge concrete or brick furnaces called hornos. As the piña sections slow-bake at 140–185°F for two or three days, the starch in the fruit converts into fermentable sugars, and plant tissues are softened to facilitate juice extraction. (Today, many modern tequila producers cook the piña using autoclaves, steam ovens that cut cooking time to 7–14 hours.)
Juicing: Once cooled, the cooked piñas are crushed or shredded to separate the pulp from the juice, which is called aguamiel (honeywater). Some tequila distilleries use modern juicing machines for the purpose, while others still use the traditional stone mill.
Fermentation: The strained aguamiel is transferred to large wooden or stainless steel fermentation vats, where it’s mixed with water and yeast. This mosto (must) is left to ferment for 7–12 days. Once foam begins to form on the surface of the liquid, the brew—which at this point is 5–7% alcohol by volume (ABV)— is ready for distillation.
Distillation: Tequila is distilled twice, either in tradi-tional pot stills or modern column stills. The first distillation brings the liquid to about 20% ABV. During the longer second distillation, only the liquid gleaned in the middle of the process is saved for production. This liquid is 55% ABV; after distillation, it is diluted with distilled water. Tequila ranges from 37–50% ABV, with most tequilas in the range of about 40% ABV (80 proof).
Aging: Tequila may not be aged at all, or it may be aged for up to six years. The longer it’s aged, the darker its color becomes and the smoother it tastes.
Blending: After aging, tequilas are often blended with tequilas of similar age from other barrels, then strained through charcoal or celluloid filters to remove sediment and impurities. Some tequila is also mixed with a neutral spirit to produce a cheaper variety of tequila called tequila mixto (mixed tequila).
Bottling: After it’s blended, the tequila is bottled.

At one time, Mexican law dictated that commercial tequila could be made only in the state of Jalisco, the native ground of the blue agave. In recent years, though, the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas have been granted the privilege of growing blue agave and producing commercial tequila as well.

Acknowledgments & Disclaimer

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Types of Tequila

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