5 things you should know about Tequila.
Enjoying a glass of tequila can be a very pleasant multi-sensory experience, but have you ever wondered about the origin of this delicious elixir?
In this blog we share with you a little bit of the history of this traditional drink and some facts you may not have known, so be sure to read on!
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Where does tequila come from?
According to the ancient legend of tequila, this drink corresponds to a gift from the gods to mankind, because during a strong thunderstorm, lightning struck an agave plantation, causing a relentless fire that would cook the agave, releasing a sweet and intoxicating elixir that would be conceived as agave wine.
With the arrival of the Spaniards to Mexican territory, the makers of this beverage would begin to learn the distillation process, giving way to what we know today as tequila.
How is Tequila made in Mexico?
Tequila production in Mexico has been a practice that dates back to pre-Hispanic times, but with the arrival of the Spaniards it began to be optimized and changes were made in the process to improve its production. Here we explain in a more simplified way what tequila production consists of:
- Planting the Agave: This first step of the creation process is one of the most specific and time-consuming. First of all, since tequila has a denomination of origin, it can only be planted in five states of the Mexican Republic. Leaving this information aside, the plant begins to be planted and is cared for up to seven years before it is harvested.
- Harvesting the Agave: In this process, the mature agaves are chosen and the jimadores are in charge of removing the leaves until they leave the stalk, which is broken into several pieces.
- Baking of the Agave: In this third step, the stalks of the chosen agaves are baked for 36 to 38 hours to caramelize the sugar in the agave stalk.
- Milling and fermentation: In this process the caramelized pencas are ground in their entirety and the sweet liquid extracted from the agave is stored to begin the fermentation process, from which agave wine is obtained.
- Distillation: In this process all the water is extracted from the agave wine and all the alcohol is concentrated from it.
- Filtering: In this step the tequila is filtered to eliminate some impurities that may be present in the product and may give an undesired flavor or appearance to our tequila.
- Aging or maturation: In this part of the process our tequila is almost ready. It is stored in oak or oak barrels of 600 L in order to mature the tequila. The storage time may vary depending on the type of tequila to be handled.
- Bottling: This is the last step in the production of tequila. It is basically the process by which the tequila is bottled.
How many types of tequila are there in Mexico?
Due to the different processes of production, distillation and maturation of tequila, this product is divided into two categories: 100% agave and Tequila:
100% agave tequila.
This category of tequila corresponds to a product in which the sugars obtained from the Agave Tequilana Weber blue variety are used in their entirety.
Tequila.
Tequila is a beverage that, unlike 100% agave tequila, its composition corresponds to 51% of sugars obtained from the blue variety Agave Tequilana Weber, while the remaining 49% corresponds to cane sugars or corn syrup.
Based on the above categories into which tequila is classified, after distillation, it can be classified into the following categories:
Tequila Blanco
This first class of tequila corresponds to a product that after going through the distillation process does not receive any aging treatment, so it does not maintain contact with the wood, leaving as a result a transparent and colorless tequila.
Young or Gold Tequila.
Young tequila is obtained from the combination of a white tequila and a reposado, añejo or extra anejo tequila. This product also does not undergo a barrel aging process since it obtains properties from the combination of tequilas. Young tequila usually has a golden color.
Tequila Reposado.
This kind of tequila is susceptible to be an abocado and is subject to a maturation process in oak or oak barrels for a period of at least 2 months.
Tequila Añejo.
Añejo tequila is also a product susceptible to being an abocado and its maturation is carried out in oak or oak barrels with a capacity of 600 liters. The maturation time of this tequila ranges between 12 and 36 months, it maintains soft woody notes and usually has an amber color.
Extra Añejo Tequila.
Tequila Extra Añejo is the result of a tequila that is left to mature in oak or oak barrels for a period of at least three years. It has a characteristic dark amber color and is usually a drink with more accentuated wood notes.
5 facts you should know about Tequila.
- Although this drink has its origins in pre-Hispanic times, tequila owes part of its history to the Spaniards, who brought the distillation process to Mexico, the same process from which this drink is obtained.
- Tequila became illegal in Mexico. This is due to the fact that during the colonial period, the Spanish wanted to introduce into the Mexican market some beverages and liquors of European origin, but which competed directly with tequila.
- There is an International Tequila Day! Every July 24, the whole world celebrates this delicious drink because, on this same date in 2006, UNESCO recognized the agave landscapes as Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
- The “official” glass to enjoy a good tequila is the “caballito”, which gets its name from the old ranchers, who always carried a glass on the horse’s saddle to enjoy a good “tequila in the caballito” while they were on their horseback rides.
- Like champagne, tequila has a denomination of origin and can only be produced in Mexico, exactly in the states of Nayarit, Michoacán, Guanajuato, Tamaulipas and Jalisco, although the latter is the producer par excellence of tequila.
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