Introduction
When the name of a country is attached to an alcoholic beverage, it says a lot about its origins and specialty that sets it apart from other liquor. For example, we have French Cognac, American Bourbon, Indian Feni, Russian Vodka, English Gin and finally, Mexican Tequila. We do have other national drinks too, but these are the most popular of the lot. Every alcohol is its own manufacturing and distillation process, but few are as meticulous as Mexican Tequila. The best tequilas in Mexico are made from 100% blue agave extract without any extra additions, for there are strict laws that govern tequila production in Mexico.
The Real Meaning of ‘Alcohol’
Alcoholic beverages are called such due to the presence of ethyl alcohol in them. During the distillation process of spirits and other beverages, alcohol is produced, and depending on their level of distillation, the alcohol content in them can be increased or decreased. Chemists will see alcohol as any chemical compound that has –OH group bound to the main structure, but the rest of the world views alcohol as drinking beverages available in bars and alcohol stores.
Why is Tequila Unique?
However, irrespective of major differences between alcohol variants, Mexican Tequila is on a different plane as compared to other alcoholic beverages. That is because unlike other alcohols whose production is unregulated, tequila follows strict production laws to ensure its legacy and historical accuracy. In fact, the Mexican government has a law in place that only allows a few states in Mexico to legally produce tequila. Any kind of tequila distilled outside of these designated areas and outside Mexico is officially illegal and is a bootleg version that is uncertified by the Mexican government.
Why is Tequila Production Regulated?
Many might think that the Mexican government is being hard on other distilleries worldwide by regulating tequila production only to Mexico, and wants to direct all tequila profits to Mexico only. This is a fact far from the truth; the real reason lies between the limitations that arise from making tequila in other countries, and most importantly, its source: the blue agave plant. 100% of the tequila available worldwide is made from the blue agave plant.
The blue agave plant is a cactus-like plant that is native to a few regions of Mexico. This plant is very specific in its growth needs; it needs an altitude of 5000 ft., along with rich and sandy soils. At first glance, it may look like an overgrown aloe vera plant, but it takes a keen eye to detect blue agave, and more so to pick a blue agave among a sea of the regular agave plant. Because it cannot sustain anywhere else, any tequila if made in other countries would use a different kind of agave, completely negating the original tequila quality and taste. That is why the Mexican government, to protect the quality and originality of Tequila, provided legal licenses to produce Tequila only in those areas where blue agave grows natively, which amounts to a few regions inside Mexico and zero regions outside Mexico.
Not All Tequila is Bottled in Mexico
It is true that Tequila can be distilled only in Mexico, but that does not mean that it has to be bottled in there too. While many Mexican distilleries bottle and ship their products directly from the country, many other tequila manufacturers have deals with retailers and re-packers outside Mexico for Tequila sales worldwide. This draws in more profit for distilleries and lowers the cost of import for those outside Mexico. These importers buy up tequila barrels in bulk from tequila distilleries in Mexico, which is shipped to their factories in places such as the USA or Europe. There, those imported tequila barrels are redistributed and repacked into branded bottles and then shipped across the country or internationally. Tequilas obtained internationally via this method costs less than a whole bottle imported directly from Mexico.
Agave is Also Good for Other Drinks
While we do know now that blue agave is extremely essential for producing tequila, what many don’t know is that blue agave is just a species of the main agave plant. There are a lot of agave species, and all of them are used for making different drinks or put to use in industrial settings. For example, some agave plants produce edible fruits and sugar-producing extracts. Some agave variants are used to make other Mexican origin drinks such as pulque and mezcal, which are two other alcoholic beverages that are not very well known outside Mexico. Some species are used for industrial research and in biotechnology for producing dietary fibers, fructants and climate change research.
However, one thing that is common to all agave plants is their growth period; agave plants including blue agave take a long time to mature, ranging up to 5-10 years depending on the species, giving them the name; century plant’. Once they are harvested, they die, needing to sow a fresh batch of seeds.
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