Tequila is held in high regard for its unique taste and stringent production standards that ensure its quality remains largely unchanged. We have shots tequila, best-sipping tequilas in form of Añejo variants, ultra-premium tequilas and many more. With tequilas available in all price ranges, their popularity is at an all-time high.
But not many of those outside Mexico know about the interesting origins of tequila or stories about how hard it is to make. Here are 6 things about tequilas that you didn’t know:
Tequilas Can Be Aged For Over a Decade
Yes, tequila can be aged for over a decade like champagnes or whiskeys. In fact, there is no upper limit on how long best sipping tequilas such as extra Añejo tequilas can be aged. Prices for one bottle of such tequilas start from $1000+ and can be as high as $5000 or more, depending on the age.
Making Tequila is Not Easy
Tequila production is a very long process. The blue agave plants need 6-10 years to mature and are just one-time use plants as they become useless after their cores are picked off for making tequila. Hence there is no scope for errors, as it can lead to a costly wastage of time that money cannot replace.
Tequila and Mezcal Are Not the Same
Many sellers advertise mezcal, another popular Mexican drink made of agave plants, like tequila. This is wrong and unethical; mezcal is not tequila. Tequila is made only from blue agave plants, whereas mezcal is made from other varieties of agave plants, amounting to over 30+ species of agave.
Tequilas can be Sold Unaged
Aged tequilas are a big deal for those who wish to have a premium drinking experience, but unaged tequilas like Blanco tequilas are very popular in bars all around the world, hence a lot of tequila is sold unaged or aged up to 2 months or so. These variants are usually used for making cocktails, margaritas, and drinking as shots.
Tequila can only be Made in Mexico
Many might have heard of the fact that the Mexican government won’t allow the manufacture of Tequila outside the country, with some thinking of it as a ploy by the government to keep all the profits to themselves. But in reality, that is far from the reason why tequila cannot be made anywhere else. Tequila is made from blue agave, a plant that is native only to a few regions of Mexico, and it cannot survive anywhere else if exported, unlike coffee plants that can be grown in many countries. Hence the government passed the law to keep the quality of tequila in check and prevent fake or adulterated tequilas from popping up worldwide.
100% Agave is Really Not Necessary
It is required by law that tequila manufacturers have at least 51% blue agave content in their product. This means they are allowed to put in up to 49% of anything else such as cane sugar or corn starch. These are usually of lower quality than 100% blue agave tequila, and cheaper too.
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