About Tequila

• Tequila is a spirit made primarily in the area surrounding Tequila, a town in the western Mexican state of Jalisco, 65 km northwest of Guadalajara and in the highlands of Jalisco, 65 km east of Guadalajara. It is made from the blue agave (also known as Agave tequilana azul, Weber's blue agave, and also called Maguey by the local people), part of the lily and amaryllis families, which is native to Mexico. Tequila is most often made at a 38–40% alcohol content (76–80 proof), but there are also several varieties of Tequila produced with 43–46% alcohol content (86–92 proof).

• Types of tequila

  Tequila is usually bottled in one of five categories:

  • blanco ("white") or plata ("silver") – un-aged white spirit bottled or stored immediately after distillation
  • oro ("gold") – un-aged "blanco" tequila with caramel coloring, sugar-based syrup, glycerin, and/or oak extract can be added so as to resemble aged tequila
  • reposado ("rested") – aged a minimum of two months, but less than a year in oak barrels
  • añejo ("aged" or "vintage") – aged a minimum of one year, but less than 3 years in oak barrels
  • maduro ("extra añejo", "extra aged" or "ultra aged") – aged a minimum of three years in oak barrels. This category was established in March 2006.

  The aging process changes the color of tequila, but the liquid can sometimes be colored with caramel to show a darker color, indicative of a longer aging process; añejos tend to be darker, the reposados slightly less dark, while the platas are not colored at all.

  It is a common misconception that some tequilas contain a 'worm' in the bottle. Only certain mezcals, usually from the state of Oaxaca, are ever sold con gusano, and that only began as a marketing gimmick in the 1940s. The worm is actually the larval form of the moth Hypopta agavis that lives on the agave plant. Finding one in the plant during processing indicates an infestation and, correspondingly, a lower quality product. (Note: for more information on how tequila is made, see mezcal.) However this misconception continues, and even with all the effort and marking to represent Tequila as a premium—similar to the way Cognac is viewed in relation to brandy—there are some opportunist producers for the shooters and fun market who blur these boundaries.

  In the 2000s, a distributor known for their Tequilas, launched Villa Lobos, a vodka which had the unique selling point that it too featured the "agave worm". The marketing of this product highlighted the drink's links with Tequilas and said that it was developed in reaction to the Tequila crisis of the previous years

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