Blue Agave
To begin with, let’s set the record straight. You will NOT find a worm in a bottle of Tequila, unless you put it there yourself.
Now that this is out of the way, let’s dive a little deeper into what Tequila is, and isn’t.
Like all distilled spirits, Tequila starts out as a fermented product. Brandy starts out as fermented fruit juice, Rum as fermented sugar/molasses, and whiskey as fermented grains. Tequila begins its life as a fermentation of the sap of the agave plant (which is NOT a cactus), and it’s simply fermented state is called “Pulque”. Pulque was popularly used by the Aztecs for a wide variety of religious ceremonies, and its production dates back at least as far as 200 A.D.
When the Spanish invaded Mexico (1521), they brought with them knowledge of distillation, and pulque was soon being distilled into a beverage of much higher proof. In the beginning it went by a variety of names, with “Mezcal”, or variations thereof, being the most common. Gradually this evolved even further, and a particular version became known as “Tequila”, being named after a small town in the state of Jalisco where it was being made. Today, “Mezcal” is the general term used for spirits distilled from the maguey/agave plant (also known as the “Century Plant”), with “Tequila” only being used to refer to Mezcal made within a particular region of Mexico, and to a slightly tighter definition. Thus making the relationship of Mezcal to Tequila similar to that of Brandy to Cognac.
It is a fairly involved process to grow and harvest the agave used to make Tequila. For one thing it takes upward of seven or more years for the agave plant to grow to maturity. Once cut from its stalk, the tough outer leaves of the agave are hewn away to reveal the piña at its core. These piña are then roasted to convert the starches to sugar, and then they are shredded so that they can be pressed to release the juices.
The differences between Tequila and Mezcal isn’t just geographical, there are also a few extra hoops that Tequila has to jump through. Tequila has to be made from at least 51% blue agave, although most premium producers use 100% blue agave. If it doesn’t say “100% blue agave” somewhere on the label, then chances are that it is what is commonly referred to as a “mixto”, meaning that there has been additional products added, such as corn or sugar, to augment the fermentation.
For many years here in the US, Mezcal has had a bad name, mostly because the Mezcals that have been exported from Mexico have been the lower quality versions. Many Mexican Mezcals are quite good, often as good as, if not better than, many Tequilas. It is in Mezcal that you will sometimes find a worm, and is essentially just a marketing gimmick used by the lesser brands.
Besides the notion of “100% Blue Agave” and “Mixto”, there are several specific types of Tequila, based on production/aging:
Blanco/Silver: This is an unaged tequila. It will always be clear in color, and with a very distinctive tequila flavor. This is usually best used for mixing cocktails since the characteristic tequila flavor will still be able to stand out when properly mixed with other ingredients.
Reposado/Rested: If you age silver tequila in oak barrels for at least two months, but less than a year, it can be called “Reposado”. This short time in oak will impart a slightly golden hue, as well as begin to soften the taste a little. There is still enough characteristic tequila flavor in it for it to work well with some cocktails.
Añejo/Aged: This is tequila that has been aged in oak barrels for more than a year (and less than three). This extra time further deepens the color, as well as rounding the flavor out even more. Just as an extended aging in oak greatly changes the taste of whiskey and brandy, añejo tequila will have a much less “tequila” flavor to it, and almost taste like a fine brandy. It is not recommended that you use añejo for making cocktails, instead it is best enjoyed neat as you would a fine cognac.
Oro/Gold: This is also commonly referred to as “adulterated”. Essentially you take a silver tequila (almost always a mixto) and add coloring and flavoring components to it (often carmel, wood flavorings, and various others) in order to give it the “color” of a reposado or añejo, as well as a soften the flavor a little. These tequilas are frankly best avoided unless you are just wanting something cheap.
Maduro/Vintage: This is a new category that was established in 2006, and refers to a tequila that has been aged for a minimum of three years in oak. The color will be a lot darker, and the flavor will be much more refined, although I haven’t had one of these yet.
