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Tequila has a very rich history, full of myths and stories. Its roots reach back into pre-Hispanic times when the indigenous Aztec people of Mexico, also called Nahuatl, fermented sap from the local maguey (agave) plants into a drink called 'pulque'.
For the Náhuatl culture, the maguey plant was a divine creation that represented Mayáhuel, a goddess who had 400 breasts that fed her 400 children. The goddess Mayáhuel was married to Petácatl, who represented certain plants that helped in the fermentation of pulque, causing the drink to acquire magical powers.
The indigenous people found different uses for agave and its sub-products: food, threads, needles, shoes, rooftops, clothes, nails, weapons and paper among them.
When the Spanish conquistadors came to the states of Jalisco, Colima, Nayarit and Aguascalientes in approximately 1520, they ran short of the alcohol they had brought with them from Spain, being mainly brandy and wine. As the Spanish were accustomed to drinking alcoholic beverages with their meals (water was dangerous due to the bacteria and parasites), they started the distillation of pulque, tequila’s distant ancestor.
Following the ‘Conquest’, the area which today makes up Jalisco state was named New Galicia by the Spaniards. The community which we now know as Tequila officially became a village in 1656. In the 1700s, mezcal wines became an important product for export because the town of Tequila lay on the route to the newly opened Pacific port of San Blas.
Tequila gained national importance during the Revolution in the early part of this century, when it became a symbol of national pride. The passion for French products was replaced by patriotic favour for Mexican goods. Prohibition in the USA further boosted tequila’s popularity when it was smuggled across the border. Then, during World War II, the demand for the Mexican spirit rose again in the USA after spirits from Europe became hard to obtain.
Efforts to regulate the industry also grew in this period, with two groups created between the two world wars, eventually evolving into today’s regulatory organisations. In 1944, the Mexican government decided that any product called ‘tequila’ had to be made by distilling agave in the state of Jalisco. The first standards for tequila were documented in 1947 and have been upgraded and revised ever since. No tequila may be made from less than 51% agave tequiliana Weber (blue variety). Most top-of-the-line tequilas are made from 100% blue agave, a fact that is always shown on the label. There is also a non-profit council called the Chamber of Tequila Producers, which regulates the industry.

There are two types of tequila: 100% blue agave; and mixto. The 100% blue agave tequilas are distilled entirely from the fermented juice of the agave. If 100% blue agave is not stated on the bottle, the tequila is mixto and may have been distilled from as little as 51% agave juice, complemented with other sugars.
The following grades of tequila exist:

  • Blanco: 100% agave (tequila that is unaged and untreated with additives)
  • Blanco: Mixto
  • Reposado: 100% agave (stored in oak casks for between two months and one year)
  • Reposado: Mixto (stored in oak casks for between two months and one year)
  • Añejo: 100% agave (aged in oak casks for at least one year)
  • Añejo: Mixto (aged in oak casks for at least one year)
  • Joven abocado: Mixto tequila that has been treated with additives to achieve an effect similar to ageing

As the tequila is aged in wooden casks/barrels, usually oak, it becomes smoother, with a woody taste and golden colour. The casks are imported mainly from the USA, Canada and France.

Many people do not realise that there is a difference between tequila and mezcal. Traditionally, all tequilas were called mezcal wines. Nowadays, tequila and mezcal are two very distinct products, differentiated by the production process, the agave plant used and, therefore, the taste. Most mezcals are produced in the state of Oaxaca, although some also are produced in the state of Guerrero. Tequila is produced in the northwestern state of Jalisco. They both derive from varieties of the agave plant. Tequila is made from only one species of agave, the agave tequilana Weber (blue variety). Mezcal, on the other hand, can be made from five (!) different varieties of agave. The production processes also vary, tequila being distilled twice and mezcal being distilled only once.
There is actually no ‘correct’ way to drink a tequila. However, if you want to discover the different treasures that tequila contains we suggest using a cognac glass or the Riedel 6 3/4 oz tequila glass, a glass designed by the famous Riedel Glass company. The effect of the shape of a glass is extremely important on the perception and drinking pleasure of wines and alcoholic beverages such as tequila.
Pour some tequila in the cognac or Riedel glass and fill it about 2/3.  Place your nose about two to three inches away from the glass and try to find fruity and spicy notes. It is important to keep this two to three-inch distance because any closer and the tequila will quickly saturate your sense of smell (due to the high alcohol content). After your first experience we suggest slightly rotating the glass so that you will begin to perceive other treasures, such as cooked agave and herbal notes.
The Añejo tequila is preferably served in a snifter so that its aroma is fully appreciated.
Note: The tequila shot (in the famous caballito glass), usually taken with a pinch of salt on one hand and a bite of lime, was actually invented by Hollywood, and is considered a trait used mostly by tourists. Mexicans rarely drink it this way.