What are tequila made from - the favorite drink of the Mexican gods?

Tequila is one of many alcoholic beverages. But only in Mexico it has long been a heroine of various legends and myths, telling about the past of the country, its people and culture. The history of the drink began about 400 years ago, when the Mexicans learned how to prepare it. Do you know what tequila is made of?

Historical digression

Many have the misconception that the plant for tequila is cactus. In fact, this is not so. Juice for a future drink is obtained from the blue agave "pulque". In ancient times, he played a very important role in the life of the Indians. His parent, agave, even identified with the goddess. And one of her 400 sons was named "Pulka".

The first beverage factory was built in 1600. It processed raw materials for tequila, from here it went on sale. In 1795, an alcoholic drink, which enjoyed a huge export demand, was given the first license. It belonged to the brand Jose Cuervo, which exists to this day. The world became famous for tequila during the Olympic Games in Mexico. Now every year the popularity of this drink is growing.

The plant that gives birth to tequila

The question of what tequila is made from, you can not give a simple answer - they say, from the agave. This will not be accurate. The fact is that there are a lot of varieties of agave. They serve as raw materials for beverages such as mezcal, baknora, pulque (mentioned earlier) and others. A blue agave with thick, fleshy leaves and a short stalk - that's what tequila, known all over the world, is made of.

The best grade of this alcoholic beverage is obtained from a plant that can only be found in the state of Jalisco. This is an alpine area - more than two kilometers from sea level. Before you can get the cherished juice from the plant, it must ripen. Typically, the age of the agave used as raw material for the production of the drink reaches 5-6 years, or even all 8 (so much is kept the popular tequila Olmeca).

How do they produce tequila?

Production begins in the period before the bloom of the agave, when it accumulates the maximum amount of sugar. From the plant, the leaves are cut off and the core of the stem is removed. After heat treatment, the raw material is crushed, and the juice is extracted under the press. Some "cunning" producers add sugar to it (about 12%). Then they leave the drink to wander for 4 days or more. This tequila with sugar is considered worse in quality and is called mixto. Herradura is the only producer that uses natural yeast from the leaves of the agave itself for fermentation. Others add a cultural starter.

Such different tequila

The alcohol obtained after double distillation has a strength of about 55%. It is diluted with spring water to about 40%. A ready-made drink is bottled and sent for aging. Depending on it, it can be of different colors: from white and pale yellow to caramel. Tequila can have a frutic aroma with bright notes of citrus, honey flavor, woody aftertaste.

The most popular of the available and sufficiently high-quality brands of this alcoholic beverage is Olmeca. In her line-up, there are many different types of tequila with different degrees of aging. By the way, the name received the name in honor of the god Olmek, who, according to legend, admired the taste of blue agave nectar.

Now you know what tequila is made of. And the plant is not a cactus at all!