Agave: not a cactus but a treasure of Mesoamerica
Many people mistakenly think of tequila as “cactus vodka”, but its true base is blue agave (Agave tequilana Weber), a plant of the asparagus family. Contrary to myth, agave has nothing to do with cacti. Only the blue variety, growing on the volcanic soils of the highlands of the state of Jalisco, is suitable for tequila. Mezcal, the “father of tequila”, can be made from 30+ species of agave, but wild-growing ones are especially valued.
The sacred plant of the ancients
Agave served the people of Mesoamerica for more than 9 thousand years: its fibers were made into fabric, paper and rope, and the juicy parts were eaten. Even the larvae of the skipper butterfly (Hypopta agavis), living on the leaves, were fried as a delicacy. But most importantly, agave became the basis of the fermented drink pulque, which later turned into mezcal.
The goddess with 400 breasts
In Aztec mythology agave was deified. The goddess Mayahuel, patroness of fertility, was depicted with 400 breasts, nursing 400 “rabbits”, the spirits of drunkenness. According to legend, it was she who discovered the secret of pulque after noticing a rabbit chewing agave. The fermented juice became a ritual drink, available only to priests and nobles.
From pulque to tequila: the evolution of a drink
In the 16th century Spanish conquistadors brought distillation technology, turning pulque into vino de mezcal, “mezcal wine”. However, the colonial authorities restricted its production to protect the import of European wines.
The birth of tequila
In 1758 the Cuervo family founded the first large distillery in Jalisco, launching production of Mezcal Vino de Tequila. The name was shortened to “tequila”, after the town of Tequila, where blue agave grew. By the 19th century the drink had gained worldwide recognition, winning an award at an exhibition in Chicago (1836), but the real boom began in the mid-20th century thanks to marketing moves, for example putting a “caterpillar” (actually a moth larva) into bottles of mezcal as a sign of quality.
Modern standards
In 1974 tequila received Denominación de Origen status (protected designation of origin), and since 1978 its production has been governed by strict standards (NOM). Today tequila is divided into two types:
- 100% agave: made only from blue agave.
- Mixto — at least 51% agave, the rest is additives (most often cane sugar).
The production process: from field to bottle
- Harvesting the agave: Jimadores (harvesters) cut off the leaves, leaving the heart (piña), which accumulates sugars before flowering.
- Cooking: The piñas are slow-cooked in stone ovens, autoclaves or earth pits (the traditional method for mezcal).
- Fermentation: The juice ferments in wooden vats, acquiring its characteristic aroma.
- Distillation: Double distillation in copper stills.
- Aging:
- Blanco (up to 2 months).
- Reposado (2–12 months).
- Añejo (1–3 years).
- Extra Añejo (3+ years).
Mezcal is often aged in clay vessels, which adds smoky notes.
Cocktails: from Margarita to Paloma
The most popular is recognized to be the “Margarita“.
It is believed that the drink was mixed by Margarita Sames from tequila, Cointreau orange liqueur and lime juice.
However, in Mexico Damiana, a herbal liqueur considered an aphrodisiac, is sometimes added instead of Cointreau.
The classic recipe looks like this:
35 ml tequila
20 ml Cointreau
15 ml freshly squeezed lime juice
Everything is shaken in a shaker with ice, strained and poured into a glass whose rim is coated with salt.
Tequila Sunrise
Sometime in the 1930s-40s Gene Sulit, a hotel bartender, mixed tequila, blackcurrant liqueur, soda and lime juice. The dense liqueur slowly settling to the bottom creates a gradation of colors, like the sky at dawn. Like the Margarita, it is among the official cocktails of the International Bartenders Association. But in a slightly different form:
45 ml tequila
15 ml Grenadine, a pomegranate liqueur
90 ml orange juice
It is made in a highball, a tall glass. The rim, of course, is coated with salt. The highball is filled with ice, with tequila and juice on top. The Grenadine is poured in carefully. Do not stir.
There is a variation, Tequila Sunset, which uses dark blueberry brandy.
Batanga
Simpler to make. Tequila is poured into a highball with ice, then cola, slowly. Garnish with lime or orange. Do not forget the salt.
Paloma
Tequila, grapefruit and lime juice and soda are mixed in a highball. Stir, garnish with strawberry and mint. And salt, of course.
Salt and lime: why?
The tradition of chasing tequila with salt and lime has several theories of origin:
- Masking the taste of low-quality alcohol.
- A “medicine” during the flu epidemic (1918–1920).
- A balance of acidity and bitterness that reveals the aroma.
Interestingly, in Mexico tequila is more often drunk neat, and salt and lime became popular outside the country.
Tequila today: culture and ecology
Mexico exports tequila to 120 countries, but growing demand has led to environmental problems: the monoculture of blue agave depletes the soil. Producers are introducing sustainable methods, for example restoring biodiversity.
National Tequila Day (the third Saturday of March) is a holiday with tastings, master classes and mariachi music. And in bottles of mezcal you can still find a “gusano”, a symbol of authenticity, although today it is more a tribute to tradition than a necessity.
Tequila is not just a drink but the history of Mexico in a glass, where ancient rituals, colonial passions and modern art are intertwined.