WELCOMEINDEXCOOKIESCAKES, mixes & layersCHOCOLATEcreams mousses puddingsDOUGHSIce Creams Sorbets ..Sauces SyrupsSAVORIESDRINKS

 

B

E

V

E

R

A

G

E

S

 CHEFS/gid_barman.gif

 BAR BASICS

 

when BOOZE gets frozen

 

  NEWSLETTERS

 

 <<< back to ALL liquids

 TEQUILA

   Tequila is named after the town of the same name located about forty miles west of Guadalajara in the state of Jalisco, Mexico.

   In the language of the local Nahuati tribe, the word ‘tequila’ means volcano.

   Despite its lethal reputation, tequila is no stronger than other spirits. Another common misconception is that tequila sometimes has a worm in the bottle.

   It is tequila’s relation, mescal, which comes with the worm, which is in any case, not a worm but a moth larva.

   Mezcal is a very different spirit with different production methods and an entirely different flavour.

   Tequila has a strong, herbal flavor with a slightly oily consistency. 

   The best wood-aged Tequilas also have complex subtle flavors such as vanilla, a result of ageing process.

 DRINKS/tequilas.jpg

 
 
ProductionCategories
 Tequila History

    Around 250-300 AD the Aztec Indians first fermented the juice of the Agave Azul plant to produce their ceremonial wine,pulque.

   In 1519, when the Spaniards conquered Mexico, Cortes’ soldiers discovered that this juice could be distilled.

   The Spanish introduced distillation to Mexico, and were probably distilling a proto-tequila within a decade of arrival.

 

 
 
HistoryCategories
 Tequila Production

   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.

 DRINKS/tequila_shots.jpg

 
 
HistoryProduction
 Tequila Categories

 

    Tequila is categorized according to percentage of agave spirit and ageing period.

 

DRINKS/tequila_mixto.jpg
 Mixto 

   - A Tequila that is a blend of not less than 51% agave spirit and sugar cane spirit.

   Sugar may be added during the fermentation , or sugar cane spirit added after distillation.

 

DRINKS/tequila_100_agave.jpg 100% agave 

    - A pure agave Tequila, where no sugar has been added during production and no other spirit blended in after distillation.

 

  

   Blanco 

   - Also known as white, silver or plata, this is clear tequila which has not been oak aged, or has been aged for less than sixty days.

 

   Reposado 

   - Means ‘rested’. A Reposado Tequila must be matured in oak tanks for a minimum of sixty days and a maximum of one year.

 DRINKS/tequila_Reposado.jpg

   Anejo 

   - Used on some quality gold Tequilas. Mexican law states that Tequila bearing this title must be aged in government sealed oak barrels no larger than 450 litres for at least a year.

 

 DRINKS/tequila_Anejo.jpg

DRINKS/tequila_Curados.jpg  Curados 

   - Tequilas flavored with natural ingredients.

DRINKS/tequila_Gold.jpg

  Gold 

   - is produced in the same manner as blanco Tequila, but with the addition of flavoring and coloring, usually caramel.


 
 
 Some Tequilas 

 Cazadores,  Chinaco,  Corazon,  Corralejo, Don Julio,     Gran_Centenario,  Herradura,  El_Jimador,  Jose_Cuervo,  Patron,  Sauza.

 
 back to top ▲