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Tres Agaves
Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Lounge
Millennia prior to the arrival of the Spanish, Mexico’s native people cultivated agave plants. They were used to produce fiber for ropes, mats and clothing. Also, the sweet juices from the core of the plant were fermented to produce agave wine, or pulque. This intoxicating brew was used in religious ceremonies and it is often cited as the earliest alcoholic drink on the American continent.
The arrival of the Spanish introduced European distillation techniques to Mexico. Just as brandy is produced by distilling grape wine, the distillation process was soon employed to turn agave wine (pulque) into a strong spirit called mezcal.
The term Tequila comes from the native language of the region surrounding the town of Tequila, in the state of Jalisco, where mezcal was first mass-produced in the 16th century. Mezcal from this region soon gained a reputation for exceptional quality, owing to that region’s rich volcanic soil. Mezcal from Tequila eventually came to be called simply “Tequila,” just as brandy from the region of Cognac is now referred to simply as Cognac.
Today, there are a number of restrictions governing Tequila production. First, the plants must be Agave Tequilana Weber, blue variety. The plants must be grown in the state of Jalisco or approved districts of Michoacan, Guanajuato, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. Agave-based spirits that do not follow all these rules are called mezcal.
The first Tequilas were imported into the United States in the late 19th century. Since then, the spirit has grown tremendously in popularity, although American consumers have only recently developed a taste for premium, 100% agave Tequilas.