A field of blue agave plants in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico.
Tequila is a spirit made from the blue agave plant. It usually contains 38-40% alcoholic content (or 76-80 proof).
The blue agave plant is grown, harvested, and distilled into tequila in Mexico, and the Mexican government has strict rules about where the agave must be grown and where spirit can be made. A pure blue agave tequila can only be produced in the state of Jalisco and in limited regions in the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas.
The agave plants are grown and harvested by hand by "jimadores," skilled farmers who possess an in-depth knowledge of the agave and know when a plant is ready for harvesting. It takes a whopping 8 to 14 years for the agave to grow to a point where it is ready to be harvested.'
During harvesting, the leaves of the agave are cut off and the heart of the plant (the piña) is removed and baked. It is then crushed to extract the plant's juices from the fibers. The agave juice - called the wort (or mosto) - is then fermented for several days until it contains about 4 to 7% alcohol. The fermentation process can take as little as two days and as long as twelve days, depending on yeast, sugar content of the harvested piña, and environmental conditions. The fermented wort (or musto) is distilled a first time, producing ordinario (or tequila primero) and then a second time to produce clear, raw tequila that is about 55-60% alcohol. It is then diluted with de-mineralized water to get the tequila to the desired proof.
After distillation, the tequila is ready for bottling (blanco), mixing (joven, oro), or aging (reposado, añejo and extra añejo). A joven (oro, or "gold") tequila gets flavor and color by mixing the tequila with caramel coloring or other additives. For reposado and añejo, the distilled tequila is pumped into oak barrels where the tequila begins to take on some of the flavors from the wood.
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Comments
Caramel coloring can also end up in reposado and anejo tequilas, even those certified organic. In fact, there are five additives allowed in tequilas of all stripes.
You might also clarify that there are other agaves besides the Blue Weber, and it's *only* the Blue Weber agave that can be used in tequila (otherwise it's on its way to becoming mezcal). Also It only need be 51% Blue Weber distillate, the rest can be vodka, tomato juice or what have you, but it *can't* be other forms of agave (which is a shame, it would add a lot of complexity).
Gotta be watchful when you're buying tequila not to get crap!
well robert, if you're letting onto the use of other agave plants, you should also say there was a shortage of blue weber in mexico within the last decade or so.
How can you tell your not wasting money on some cheap tequila? To work in the tequila industry is their any specific materials you need to study in college?? Do you even need to go to college to work in the tequila business??
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