Popular brands: Jose Cuervo, Montezuma, Sauza
Popular brands: Jose Cuervo, Montezuma, Sauza.
Tequila is one of the rising stars of the liquor industry, helped by the margarita and super-premium brands.
Tequila is not made from cactus. It is made from the agave plant. By Mexican government standards, tequila must use a minimum of 51% blue agave. Agave plants typically grow 8–12 years before harvest. The core—the piña—is baked, compressed for sweet juice, fermented, and distilled in copper pot stills, often a second or third time. Water reduces proof; U.S. bottles are typically 80 to 86 proof.
Mezcal is the broader category; tequila is a superior mezcal produced in or around the town of Tequila and the area of Tepatitlán in Mexico. Mezcal began when Spanish conquistadors distilled an Aztec drink called pulque (fermented agave juice).
Types of Tequila
- White (blanco): clear, usually unaged.
- Gold: no Mexican government aging requirement; color from caramel or six+ months in casks.
- Reposado: aged in oak from two months to a year.
- Añejo: aged one year or more; two to four years may be called “muy añejo.”
- 100% Blue Agave: made solely from blue agave.
- Mixto: distilled from about 51% agave juice and 49% other sugars.
Mezcals may contain a worm in the bottle; tequilas do not.
Margarita
A classic margarita combines tequila, triple sec (or premium orange liqueur), and lime juice (or margarita mix). Super-premium tequilas are excellent in margaritas or neat in a snifter.