Jalisco (Tequila, Arandas, Los Altos) and 4 other designated states — colonial-era distillation, commercialised in the 19th century
Tequila is made exclusively from blue Weber agave (Agave tequilana) grown in designated Mexican states (primarily Jalisco). The agave piñas are cooked in above-ground ovens (hornos) or autoclaves, shredded by a tahona (stone wheel) or mechanical shredder, fermented with commercial yeast in stainless tanks, then double-distilled in column or pot stills. Unlike mezcal's earthen pit roasting, tequila's oven cooking produces no smoke — creating a cleaner, more spirit-forward product.
Agave-sweet, floral, peppery (blanco) — caramel-vanilla-spice develops with ageing; much cleaner and lighter than mezcal
{"Blue Weber agave (tequilana) only — other agave species cannot produce tequila legally","Cooking in hornos (brick oven) vs autoclave: hornos produce more complex, slightly caramel agave flavour; autoclaves are faster and more industrial","Tahona grinding (stone wheel) vs mechanical roller: tahona preserves more fibre in the must, producing more textured fermentation","100% agave tequila vs mixto: mixto allows up to 49% non-agave sugar — significant quality difference","Blanco, reposado, añejo, extra añejo: these are ageing categories — blanco has purest agave expression"}
{"For cooking: blanco or reposado tequila in cooking; extra añejo is too expensive to cook with","Tequila cocktail rule: quality tequila (100% agave) shows in cocktails — mixto produces harsh margaritas","Serve in a caballito glass (narrow shot glass) — designed for sipping, not shooting","The NOM number on the bottle identifies the distillery — useful for tracking quality producers"}
{"Confusing tequila and mezcal — tequila is a regulated subset of mezcal, but all tequila is mezcal, not vice versa","Shooting blanco tequila — sipping respects the flavour; shooting destroys the aromatic complexity","Assuming dark colour means quality — caramel colouring is legally permitted in aged tequila","Freezing tequila — reduces the aromatic complexity significantly"}
Tequila: A Natural and Cultural History — Gary Paul Nabhan; Mezcal and Tequila — Emma Janzen