A spirit born from the agave
Tequila and mezcal are the best-known drinks of Mexico, and tequila is often called the country's official spirit, the drink that identifies Mexico around the world. Both have the same origin: the agave, a plant that has been part of Mexican tradition since pre-Hispanic times.
What is agave?
Agave is the name by which the maguey is also known. It is a plant that needs between 8 and 12 years to mature, and once it has been harvested it dies. The blue agave, with its long pointed leaves, is a familiar sight in the Mexican countryside; in ancient times the native peoples used its leaves as paper.
There are many species of agave, and the juice of several of them can be fermented and distilled to make alcoholic drinks. However, only one is used for tequila: the blue agave, Agave tequilana Weber. For mezcal, different varieties can be used; in Oaxaca, for example, the most common one is the espadín agave.
Tequila and mezcal: what is the difference?
The word mezcal comes from the Nahuatl words metl and ixcalli, which together mean "oven-cooked agave". The official Mexican standard for mezcal defines it as an alcoholic beverage obtained by distilling and rectifying juices prepared directly from the sugars of mature agave heads, which have first been cooked and then fermented.
- The plant: tequila is made only from blue agave, while mezcal can be made from different varieties of agave.
- The agave content: tequila can be made with as little as 51% agave, whereas mezcal must be made with 100% agave.
- The relationship: strictly speaking, tequila is a type of mezcal; its proper name would be "mezcal of Tequila".
How tequila is made
When the agave is ready, its leaves are cut away from the body of the plant, leaving a large heart that looks like a pineapple and is therefore called the piña. The process then follows these steps:
- Cooking: the piña is baked until its starches turn into sugar.
- Extraction: the cooked piña is crushed and washed with water, which carries away a sweet, sticky juice called aguamiel ("honey water").
- Fermentation: the aguamiel is fermented with selected yeasts.
- Distillation: the fermented liquid is distilled, and the result is tequila.
The agave takes about ten years to grow, and producing the tequila itself can take up to three more years.
How mezcal is made
Traditional mezcal production follows a similar logic, with its own character:
- After 8 to 12 years of growth, the leaves (pencas) are trimmed off with a blade, leaving only the piñas.
- The piñas are cooked in a steam-heated oven for about three days, until they turn a deep brown. The juice that drips from them during cooking is collected and stored.
- The cooked piñas are taken to a stone mill, the tahona, where they are cut and ground. The juice runs into fermentation vats and the fibres (bagazo) are separated.
- The juices from the cooking and the grinding are mixed and ferments are added.
- The fermented liquid is distilled in pot stills. The distillate passes through a condenser into a vat where its alcohol content is checked, and it is filtered to remove any impurities.
Types of tequila
There are three main types of tequila:
- Blanco (white): the clear spirit, straight from distillation.
- Reposado ("rested"): blanco tequila kept for two to three months in oak barrels.
- Añejo ("aged"): tequila that rests for up to a year longer in the barrel, until it takes on the amber colour of the wood.
Tequila usually has between 38 and 41 degrees of alcohol. Mezcal is commonly bottled at 36 or 40 degrees.
A history of four centuries
Tequila has been part of Mexican tradition since the ancient pre-Hispanic cultures. It takes its name from the town of Tequila, in the state of Jalisco, where most of it is still distilled, in what is known as the Tequila region; blue agave is also grown in some other parts of Mexico.
Four centuries of history stand behind the production process that is exclusive to this area. In 1873 three barrels of tequila were sent to El Paso, Texas, the first step in the export of this remarkable spirit. Today there are more than 1,200 brands of Mexican tequila.
The agave region of Jalisco has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO under the name "Agave Landscape and Ancient Industrial Facilities of Tequila", a landscape where a wide variety of agave is concentrated.
Designation of origin
Like Cognac, Champagne or Port, mezcal can only come from specific regions. Its designation of origin covers the states of Guerrero, Oaxaca, Durango, San Luis Potosí and Zacatecas, and it was later extended by the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) to the municipality of San Felipe in Guanajuato and to eleven municipalities in Tamaulipas.
How to taste it
Each type of tequila offers something different. A blanco shows the pure flavour of the agave. A reposado gains softness from its months in oak. A good añejo, aged in French and American oak barrels, develops complex aromas and flavours of chocolate and caramel, with notes of vanilla and cinnamon. Look at the colour, which goes from clear to amber with age, take in the aroma, and sip slowly to appreciate the agave behind every glass.