about TEQUILA
Tequila is one of the most known and famous Appellations of Origin, and Mexico possess this magnificent tradition. Tequila is a beverage of ancestral origins, that has been produced since the XVI century (Approx. 1538) and that gets its name from the region it was born, Tequila, same town in the estate of Jalisco that up to today is the birthplace of this beverage and where you can find great number of distilleries.
On July 12, 2006 the town of Tequila, Jalisco was named World Heritage by UNESCO. As mentioned before, Tequila is an Appellation of Origin product, what gives the beverage the characteristic of exclusiveness to be produced only in certain regions that are within the Appellation of Origin area. For Tequila this regions are: Jalisco, part of Nayarit, part of Michoacan, part of Guanajuato and part of Tamaulipas.
Among the legends that explain the origin of the beverage, there is one that says that Tequila was discovered during a thunder storm, when a lightning stroke an agave field, given its intensity, this originated a fire, where afterwards the vapours heated the agave pines, causing that from them emerged some sweet honey with a nice aroma that caught the attention of the natives, who discovered that once fermented had relaxing powers and euphoric effects when drinking it. They thought it was a gift from the gods. ​
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Even though the distillation and fermentation of the cooked agaves already was done in Oaxaca before the arrival of the Spanish, the Spanish colonisation brought along the distillation process on stills. For many years it was known as mezcal wine or Tequila mezcal, due to the fact that it was the name of the region where it was produced.
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Tequila is one of the most protected beverages in the world, there have been established several regulations around the world to protect and ensure that the Tequila comes from Mexico, as well as its quality.
An important rule to know if the Tequila is of good quality and comes from Mexico is to check the quantity of agave in the bottle. A good Tequila must be 100% agave. 100% agave Tequilas are Tequilas exclusively distilled and bottled in Mexico, regulated, supervised and complying with the Oficial Mexican Norm (NOM) and certified by the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT).
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These are the Tequilas you must look for in order to enjoy them.
Tequila is obtained specifically from a plant of the family of the agavaceas, known as agave tequilana Weber or blue agave, and even tough exist around of 295 different species of agave, only this type can be used to produce Tequila. If this specific type of agave is not used, it is not Tequila, but aguardiente, sotol or mezcal.
There are 5 types of Tequila:
Blanco or Plata: They are transparent and unlike other Tequilas they do not go through ageing in wooden barrels, these are the purest.
Jóvenes or Oro: They are the result of mixing white with rested tequila, aged or extra aged and have a golden color.
Reposado: They are aged in oak barrels for a minimum period of 2 months and 12 maximum.
Añejo: They are kept to age for more than a year, usually 3 years and have a strong taste of wood with soft notes.
Extra añejo: Has a dark amber color and is aged in the barrels for more than 3 years.
It is really important to point out that Tequila will not give you a hangover, this is because it is only elaborated with agave and does not go through chemical processes.
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With all this information we are sure that now you will be able to choose and enjoy a good Tequila, and what a better Tequila to enjoy than Tequila Reserva De Icaza. Here are some Tequila curiosities for you to read.
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Every bottle of quality Tequila must contain on their label the following information in order to assure that it complies with the official rules and standards and that they are regulated by the CRT.
Brand Name
Tequila
100% Agave
NOM
Made in Mexico
