Most of us who have consumed some form of alcohol or watch
movies with Mexican characters already know about tequila. But what most of us
know is only the face of the most common tequila variant, the blanco tequila. A
few shots and complete blackout is what tequila associated with, but if we look
deeper into the history of tequila production, we shall find that there are
some other tequila variants too, that are not as wild or rough.
The Hardships
The only thing that one needs to have before starting
tequila production is time; it takes a lot of time and patience. The production
starts at the very beginning from the main blue agave plant itself. Now this
plant that has the outward appearance of a cactus is truly unique in itself; it
takes 6-10 years to fully mature. Yes, you heard that right: 6 to 10 years. A
kid who was born when the plant was sowed could actually have already passed
out of primary school into secondary school when the plant finally matures to
be able to make tequila from. This is why almost every distillery has a
contract farm where blue agave plants are carefully grown and taken care of
properly. One simple mistake and over half a decade of work will be wasted in
an instant. In a world where time is more valuable than money, tequila seems to
be very, very expensive.
Then comes the usage; each blue agave plant can only be used
once. Sure, most crops like wheat or rice are cut down and are sowed again, but
these take months to grow, not a decade. And in a plant that takes this long to
grow, one-time use is the last thing a cultivator could ever ask for. But facts
are facts, and these plants need to be fully trimmed and demolished down in
order to expose the main heart of the plant, which is a giant cone that looks
like a pineapple. To make matters even worse, these cones grow underground; the
only way to check if they are ripened enough or not is by completely uprooting
the plant or cutting it down. Hand it to the inexperienced, and a slight
overlook or misjudgment in the age of the cone can bring down a plant that took
years of investment. That is why blue agave plants have very experienced
spotters whose main task is to determine whether a plant is ripe enough to be
picked or not. Once everything goes
well, the cone is taken for crushing and extraction, which shall be a story for
another day.
The Benefits
Now one may wonder, why toil so hard for making limited
amounts of tequila after investing so much time? That is because tequila holds
its value as the elusive drink that is not available in every bar and pub
around the world. Sure, you’ll find a bottle of tequila in almost any Mexican
pub or bar, but trying to find one in England, or Florida or in Berlin may be
slightly difficult. It is because tequila is the national drink of Mexico; it
is actually a source of pride for Mexicans who are involved in the process of
making tequila all the way from harvesting blue agave plants to pumping out
barrels of tequila for export. Add to the fact that many tequila making
distilleries in Mexico are family owned since centuries, and it becomes a
matter of personal pride and satisfaction. After all, how many people you’ve
met can boast of being involved professionally in tequila production, or even
better, owning a tequila distillery?
The Drink is What Makes That All Worth It
Almost every Mexican chooses to relax with a glass of smooth
tequila rather than some other drink like beer or whiskey. This is acceptable
in most households, and tequila signifies a lot of things that Mexico stands
for. Add to the fact that tequilas are sold at slightly higher prices than your
usual alcoholic drinks, and tequila manufacturers make comfortable money from
all the hard work they put it in. It is a high-risk job that requires constant
supervision for 5-10 years until the batch is dispatched, and can be disastrous
if the crop were destroyed by some means. But as they say, higher risk comes
with high rewards, and such is the case with a typical tequila manufacturer.
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