Tequila, Mezcal
         and Sotol   are all produced from kinds of agave.     There are said to be over 400   varieties. Despite
         the plant appearance is not a cactus, Botanist are   still debating the agave’s actual classification.     A commonly accepted   answer
         is that the agave plant is a member of the lily family.         The   variety used in tequila production is known
         as the blue agave.   
         The  blue  agave takes 8-12 years to reach maturity.     At maturity, a tall  flower  stalk begins to sprout from the center of the agave, the
         farmers  the cut  the stalk, forcing the sap to be diverted to heart of the  plant, or  ‘pina’.         Tequila
           can only originate within five designated regions of Mexico, being the   entire state of Jalisco and specific areas in the
         four states of   Guanajuanto, Michoacan, Nayarit, Tamaulipas.      To  make  Tequila, harvested pinas of the blue
         agave plant are traditionally   sliced into four pieces before being steam-baked in a stone oven.     This   converts the starchy sap contained in the
         pina into sugars.   
         The sugary   sap from the cooked pina is squeezed out of the pina and transferred   with some of the agave fibres to white
         oak vats, where water is added.      
         The higher proportion of agave, the better the flavor and aroma.     |