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| Don't Leave the Land of Tequila Without a Taste! |
| Puerto Vallarta is right in the heart of tequila country. This beautiful old town is in the Mexican state of Jalisco, where the subtropical climate and the right terrain have come together to create the perfect growing conditions for the blue agave (ah GAH vay) from which the renowned drink is made.
The Mexican government has designated this area as the only place in Mexico where authentic tequila can be produced. You can see for yourself Mexico's golden nectar being created! For a unique fun and educational activity try taking a Tequila Tour. Tours often include visits to famous blue agave plantations, sampling the celebrated drink, tours of the tequila distilleries, seminars, and theme nights which include dinner and, of course, drinks. |
| Tequila has existed in Mexico since the early 1700's when Spanish conquistadors learned to distill the Indian beverage pulque. And the local native tribes were drinking a form of the beverage long before that. During the prehispanic era, the Tiquila tribe developed the essential process of boiling and fermenting the agave plant in order to obtain a ritualistic spirit consumed at religious ceremonies.
Today, tequila has rapidly gained in popularity. Once only known as (just) an ingredient for margaritas, tequila and mezcal are now being sipped and savored. They are drinks to be appreciated for their rich distinct flavor like a glass of fine wine or an expensive cigar. Due to the increased demand, and slow maturity of the blue agave plant the length of time (seven years!) it takes for the agave plant to mature, tequila prices have (recently) risen worldwide, making tequila a highly sought after spirit.
In the town of Tequila, the oldest distillery that still runs today, was founded in 1795 by José Cuervo. Another familiar name in the world of tequila, the Sauza family established their distillery in 1805. |
| Mezcal is to tequila what sparkling wine is to champagne. Tequila and related mezcal are both made by distilling the fermented juice of agave plants. But tequila can only be made from the blue agave plant, the rights to produce tequila have been given to the state of Jalisco, the official producer and manufacturer of the Tequila Weber Azul. and can be produced only in Jalisco.
Mezcal is made from the fermented juice of other species of the agave plant, and is produced throughout most of Mexico, especially the southern state of Oaxaca. Try a taste of the surprising apricot mezcal! |
| Variety (Kinds) of Tequilas........ | |
| There are two kinds of tequila, pure agave and mixto. The highest-quality tequilas are made from fermenting and then distilling only agave juice mixed with some water. Mixto is made by distilling a mix of agave juice with other sugars, most often cane sugar with water. Mixtos can contain up to 40% alcohol derived from other sugars.
Aside from agave and mixto, there are four categories of tequilas:
Blanco (Silver or White) Tequilas are clear, aged less than 60 days in stainless steel tanks. They can be either 100% agave or mixto. Silver tequilas are chiefly used for mixed drinks.
Gold Tequila is silver tequila that has not been aged; it is colored and flavored with caramel. It is almost always a mixto.
Reposado Tequila is aged ("rested" as the name translates) in wooden tanks or barrels for a legal minimum period of at least sixty days. More expensive brands are often stored from three to nine months in wood. Reposado tequilas are the most popular tequilas in Mexico, and can be either 100% agave or mixto.
Anejo ("old") Tequila is aged in wooden barrels (not tanks) for at least 12 months. The best-quality anejos are aged from 18 months to three years for mixtos, and up to four years for 100% agaves.
Tequila ages quickly and even the finest varieties are seldom older than five or six years. These tequilas are known as "muy anejo" or very old. Tequila aficionados would sip one of these as one might enjoy a single-malt scotch. |
| The worm found in some bottles of mezcal is actually the larva of a species of moths that live in the agave plant. It is added to the mezcal as a proof of quality. If the worm remains perfectly preserved in the bottle, it means that the drink has a high enough percentage of alcohol. Top (Higher) quality mezcals usually do not have the worm. Consuming the worm has often served as both the reward for winning, and conversely, the punishment for losing, a number of bar games. Don't worry, either way, it's harmless. |
The Classic Margarita
Wet the rim of a short glass with lime or lemon juice. Put the glass upside down in coarse salt so that the salt coats the rim. In a cocktail shaker mix:
1-1/2 oz. tequila 3/4 oz. triple sec 3/4 oz. lime juice Ice to the top Shake and strain into the salt-rimmed glass and decorate with a slice of lemon or lime.
Tequila Sunrise
Fill a tall glass with ice. Then add: 1-1/2 oz. silver tequila Orange juice almost to the top. Slowly pour 1/2 oz. grenadine syrup over the top. (As it slowly trickles down it create the "sunrise" effect.)
Tequila Popper
Ingredients: ˝ tequila ˝ 7up. Pour the ingredients into a shot glass, cover the top with the palm of your hand, and slam the glass down on the bar. Drink it while it's foaming. |
| Between a two and three hour drive from Puerto Vallarta is the ancient town of Tequila. Walking Tequila's rustic, winding, unpaved streets, lined with classic adobe houses, gives the authentic taste of Old Mexico. The town was founded in 1530 by Spanish Conquistador, Cristobal de Onate. Its name translates to the rock that cuts; a phrase that comes from the fact that the town is surrounded by black obsidian, the sharp rock that was created by lava flows from the nearby Tequila volcano.
The city is surrounded for miles around by thousands of acres of the blue agave cactus from which tequila is distilled. More than 100 million plants cover the dry foothills. Almost every building in town displays tequila brand names, and most of the town's 17,000 inhabitants work in some form of the tequila industry. The horizon is dominated by the now dormant enormous volcano.
The town holds an annual Tequila Fair, which takes place from November 30th to December 12th every year. |
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