Did you know that Tequila can only be legally produced in a small area in Mexico that covers mainly the state of Jalisco? Even if the spirit is made from the same plant in the same way in another region, it cannot be called tequila; it would be called mezcal, even though mezcal can also include the distilled spirits of other plants. Tequila is made only from the blue agave plant, and only in a designated region of Mexico that is mainly the state of Jalisco. Mezcal can be made from a variety of agaves, and can be made anywhere in Mexico.

The blue agave have to mature from 8 to 10 years before their parts are ready for harvesting for tequila production. The planting and care of the plants is managed by agave farmers who know what parts of the agave to cut off so the plant grows properly for later harvesting. The cutting off of the stalk of the agave plant causes a bulbous growth in the plant that is the main harvested plant segment for tequila. After proper cooking, the fermentation stage is where pure tequila is separated from mixed tequila. Pure tequila is fermented with just blue agave plant components and perhaps some added water, whereas a mixed tequila has other sugars added for fermentation. All 100% tequila must be bottled in Mexico. The mixed tequilas can be bottled anywhere; some of these mixed fermentations are shipped to the U.S. for bottling.

After fermentation, the solid particles are removed to leave a liquid that is then distilled. The distilled tequilas are categorized depending how they are aged. Silver tequilas are usually clear and have not been aged. Gold tequila is the same as silver, except a color additive or flavor additive like caramel gives it a gold color. A wonderfully smooth tequila is called reposado (rested or reposed). This tequila is aged usually in wooden casks – often oak. Usually the aging is for between two to nine months. This aging especially in oaken casks, gives reposado a very smooth, slightly more complex taste. Anejo (old) tequila is aged for a minimum of one year, and usually in wooden casks or barrels that he some other spirit aged in them beforehand. Bourbon or whisky might have been in the casks, and so anejo tequila can have hints of other spirits that make it more complex.

What about the “worm”? The worm is not really a worm, and is only in certain brands of mezcal, not in tequila. The worm is actually one of two types of insect, either the agave snout weevil or the larva of a type of moth that lives on the agave plant. There is not official history of why the worm is added to a bottle of mezcal. Some have said that the worm shows a purchaser that the alcohol content is high enough to keep the worm preserved, indicating perhaps many generations ago that was a way to prove that the alcohol content of the mezcal was high. The higher quality mezcals tend not to have the worm in the bottle.

The gold and silver tequilas are good for mixed drinks, while reposado tequilas are smooth enough to drink straight or on the rocks. A nice Mexico drink is the paloma (dove), which is tequila and fresca or sprite over ice, with some salt added. With reposado tequila, it is a nice drink for any hot day in Mexico.