RSS
Home
Spirits 101: What is tequila?
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Source: Wikipedia.org
Tequila is a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant. It is named for the town of Tequila (located in Jalisco, Mexico) where production of this alcoholic beverage started more than 200 years ago. Tequila is considered the national drink of Mexico.
When agave plants are harvested, the long leaves are cut off, leaving the piñas or the heart of the plant, ready for tequila production. The piñas are shredded so the juice can be squeezed out into fermentation tanks and vats. This juice yielded from the pinas is called musto. The musto ferments in wood or stainless steel vats.
There are two types of tequila, mixtos and 100 percent agave. Mixtos contain at least 51 percent agave and use glucose and fructose for the remainder of the sugars necessary for the fermentaion process.
From here, there are five categories of bottled tequila. Blanco or plata (white or sliver) tequilas are either bottled immediately after distillation or are aged for less than two months. Joven or oro (young or gold) tequilas are typically un-aged white tequilas blended with aged tequilas. Resposado or "rested" tequilas age in oak barrels anywhere between two months and a year. Anejo tequilas are aged between one and three years in oak barrels. Finally, Extra Anejo tequilas are aged for at least three years in oak barrels.
Tequila is usually drunk neat (without ice or other liquids) in Mexico. However, outside of Mexico, it is often served with salt and a slice of lime. It is used drinks like the Margarita, the Pina Colada and the Tequila Sunrise.
For more information on tequila, click here.
Related Articles:
Comments
