Celebrating National Tequila Day: A History of Tequila

Tequila.  The liquor usually conjures up images of white sand beaches in Mexico, or that one night in college where you swore you would never drink tequila again.  But here you are, coming back for more.

Technically speaking, Tequila is a type of Mezcal.  Mezcal is any type of distilled beverage made from maguey (the more traditional Mexican name for the Agave plant).  It is only Tequila when it is made with 100% Blue Agave.  Per Mexican law, Tequila is only able to be produced in the state of Jalisco, as well as a few other small municipalities.

Production for both Mezcal and Tequila is virtually the same, but the main differentiator is that Mezcal is made in traditional ways passed down from generation to generation, where Tequila has been mostly industrialized.

Before these liquors can even begin to be distilled, Agave plants are monitored, pruned, and harvested for optimal production by the jimadores out in the fields.  When a plant is ready to be harvested, the jimadores cut away the massive pointed leaves to get to the heart of the plant, called piñas, as they resemble pineapples once trimmed.  The piñas are then roasted in ovens to break down their complex sugars into simpler, easily fermented fructose sugars.  The liquids are then extracted from the starchy plant material, leaving behind a sugary wort.  Since Mezcal is made in a more hand-crafted way, the ovens are typically simple underground earthen pits, which impart a smokier flavor to the wort compared to most Tequilas.  These process steps are similar to the mashing and sparging of malted barley to make wort ready to be fermented into beer.

The wort is then transferred to wooden barrels or stainless-steel tanks where it is then fermented into a low-alcohol solution.  It is then distilled twice, as required by law.  For both Mezcal and Tequila, the first distillation is called the ordinario.  The second distillation is where things start to diverge between the two liquors.

For the Tequila, the second distillation is referred to as Silver or White Tequila, and is often sold as is.  Further aging in oak barrels is required to create Reposado (2 months) or Añejo (12 months) classifications of Tequila.  Extra Añejo requires three years in oak barrels.

The second distillation of Mezcal is called Joven, which means young.  Mezcal is typically aged anywhere between one month to four years, but some variations can be aged up to 12 years.  Many Mezcals also add herbs and fruits during fermentation to create more unique flavor combinations.  Even a variety called pechuga uses cinnamon, apples, plum, cloves, and other spices during fermentation and is then distilled through a chicken, duck, or turkey breast.  Dorado is an unaged gold Mezcal.  Similar to Tequila, Añejo requires a minimum of twelve months in oak barrels and Reposado requires two to nine months.

This National Tequila Day, Sunday, July 25th, sit back and sip on your favorite Mezcal or Tequila, or maybe even try something new.  Maybe a duck, chicken, or turkey distilled Mezcal?  While we might not have pechuga at Funky Picnic, we will have some fun specials and a variety of Tequila for you to come try.

Cheers!

Author: Colin Zreet

Collin is a native Texan and is a founding member and co-owner of Funky Picnic Brewery and Café. He is a Certified Cicerone and Certified BJCP Beer Judge, specializing in beer and food pairings. When he is not thinking about beer, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Taylor, son, Alder, and dog, Rocco.