Tequila

Tequila is an alcoholic beverage. It is made from the agave plant (also called maguey), a succulent similar to the lily which is native to Mexico.

Tequila is a strong distilled alcoholic beverage made in an area near Tequila, a town in the western Mexican state of Jalisco, 50 km away from Guadalajara. It is the name of one type of mezcal, which is the name of any distilled alcohol made from the agave plant. What makes tequila different from other mezcals is the region it is made in – and the Denominación de Origen protection afforded to that region – and the fact that tequila is made from Agave tequilana Weber, also called blue agave or agave azul. Tequila is required to be at least 51% agave; the remainder is usually maize or sugarcane. There are, however, premium tequilas made from 100% blue agave. If it is not made from 100% agave, tequila is called mixto.

Tequila made only from agave sugars must be made in Mexico, and is marked Hecho en México (made in Mexico). Bulk agave syrup, usually derived from wild agave, may be exported, and often has other sugars added, and caramel for colouring. Agave syrup or nectar is about 90% fructose, and is often used as a sweetener and safe substitute for table sugar. It is marketed as a natural sweetener with a low Glycemic index.

Tequila is usually bottled in one of three categories: plata or blanca ("silver" – aged no more than a couple of months), reposado ("rested" – aged about a year), and añejo ("aged" or "vintage" – aged from 1 to 3 years). The aging process changes the color of tequila, but the liquid can sometimes be colored with caramel to show a darker color, indicative of a longer aging process; añejos tend to be darker, the reposados slightly less dark, while the platas are not colored at all.

It is a common misconception that some tequilas contain a 'worm' in the bottle. Only certain mezcals, usually from the Oaxaca region of Mexico, are ever sold con gusano. The worm is actually the larval form of the moth Hipopta agavis that lives on the agave plant.

Note: for more information on how tequila is made, see mezcal.

Drinks

Tequila may be drunk straight, as with Scotch whisky, or as an ingredient in other drinks.

• Margarita
• Sangrita is served mixed with tequila, or accompanying it
• Tequila martini, substituting tequila for gin
• Tequila Slammer is a popular tequila based shooter
• Tequila Sunrise
• Brave Bull is a potent coctail combining tequila with coffee liqueur
• El desierto is a long drink made of tequila, tomato juice, salt and tabasco sauce
• Tequila Macho is a shot of tequila with a sliced, roasted serrano chile

A single shot of tequila is often served with salt and a slice of lemon or lime. This is referred to as "training wheels". The drinker moistens the back of their hand below the index finger (usually by licking) and pours on the salt. Then the salt is licked off the hand, tequila is drank and the fruit slice is quickly bitten. It is common for groups of drinkers to do this simultaneously. The salt lessens the "burn" of the tequila and the sour fruit balances and enhances the flavor. This is rarely done with high quality tequilas as it is unnecessary.

A variation on training wheels is the "body shot", a fun and arousing activity between two people. One participant licks the neck of the other, applies salt, and licks it off. Then they take the shot from the other person's body by either sucking it from their navel, or without using hands from a glass in the lap or between the breasts. Finally biting the fruit from out of the other's mouth or licking juice from somewhere on their body.

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In addition to Tequila, Jalisco, there is another municipality called Tequila in the Mexican state of Veracruz.

External link

• Tequila: Culture and Myths (http://www.ianchadwick.com/tequila/index.html)
• Tequila Jones Tavern: The Place for Everything Tequila! (http://www.tequilajones.com)

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