Derived from the ancient Aztec drink pulque, tequila was North America’s first original distilled spirit. Tequila is made from the blue agave plant, most of which grows in the volcanic soil of the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range in Jalisco state, which is also the home of Puerto Vallarta. Blue agave is still planted and harvested by hand, just as it has been for hundreds of years.
A blue agave plant takes roughly ten years to mature. At this point, workers called jimadores remove the leaves. The hearts of the plants are then cooked in an oven and crushed or shredded. The juice that is released (called aguamiel, or “honey water”) is strained, fermented, and then distilled two or three times.
There are five different classes of tequila, distinguished by how long it is aged after distillation:
Blanco (“White”) or Plata (“Silver”): White or silver tequila isn’t aged at all; it’s clear in color and is bottled immediately after distillation. This results in the purest agave flavor.
Oro (“Gold”) or Joven (“Young”): Gold tequila is simply white tequila mixed with an older tequila or with additives such as caramels or syrups.
Reposado (“Rested”): This is tequila that has been aged from two months to one year in oak barrels.
Añejo (“Aged”): Aged tequila has spent from one to three years in oak barrels.
Extra Añejo (“Extra Aged”): A relatively new class (it’s been recognized since 2006), this is tequila that has been aged for more than three years in oak barrels.
The best tequilas are made from 100% agave – look for “100% de Agave” or “100% de Puro Agave” on the bottle. In general, the longer a tequila has been aged, the more expensive it is. Older tequilas also have smoother and more complex flavors. Interestingly, though, there are purists who prefer white or silver tequilas for their agave flavor uninfluenced by barrel aging.
In Mexico, tequila is usually sipped straight and at room temperature from a two-ounce shot glass called a caballito (“little horse”).
