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A simple man in the street knows three facts about tequila: the drink is made from cacti; this is ordinary moonshine, which any Mexican can drive; Tequila always tastes the same regardless of the manufacturer. All three are false. In fact, tequila is made from the core of blue agave, production technology is strictly regulated at the state level, and the taste depends on the region, raw materials and brand.
From the Aztecs to the Spanish Conquerors. The history of tequila begins in the XNUMXth century – it was then that the South American Indians discovered that fermented agave juice has a pleasant taste and an unexpectedly invigorating effect. According to legend, the gods themselves made such a gift to people: until lightning struck the agave, the Aztecs did not know that thick nectar was hidden in the plant, before that the agave was used only as a source of fibers for clothing and household items.
The ancestors of the Mexicans enjoyed drinking their weak alcohol (called “pulque” or “octli”) with a strength of 4-6 degrees, until the Spaniards arrived on their lands. The conquistadors brought with them stills and distillation technology. When the conquerors ran out of brandy, they began to distill pulque – this is how mezcal appeared, which is considered the forerunner of tequila. The official birth year of the new drink is 1521.
Tequila appeared a little later, and on an industrial scale it began to be produced only in the 1795th century, the pioneer was Pedro Sanchez de Tahle. Around this time, the state turned its attention to the promising direction of the economy, began to tax tequila producers and carefully control production. The first license was received by the Jose Cuervo company in XNUMX (it still works).
At the beginning of the 1968th century, tequila conquered all of America and began to conquer Europe. It was at that time that the original name Tequila Extract was shortened to just “tequila” to make it easier to sell the drink in the US market. One hundred years later, the Great Depression somewhat shook the position of tequila on the international market, but in XNUMX, after the Olympic Games in Mexico City, “agave vodka” became more popular than ever before.
In 1974, the Mexicans secured the status of a name controlled by origin for tequila – now only a drink consisting of at least 51% fermented blue agave juice distillate and made in the state of Jalisco, near the city of Tequila, can be called that.
At the beginning of the XNUMXst century, interest in Mexican alcohol increased so much that “tequila brands” began to be bought up by large corporations, and due to TMA – a disease that struck the blue agave and reduced the yield of the plant – the drink increased significantly in price and moved into the category of elite alcohol.
Tequila today
There are still small homemade tequila productions in Mexico, despite the fact that most of the big brands are owned by international organizations. In 2009, more than 2000 brands and about a hundred “tequila” factories were officially registered.
In 2003, an international scandal broke out: Mexico stated that real tequila should be bottled exclusively on the territory of production. The US responded that this demand was not dictated by concern for the quality of the drink, but by a desire to create more jobs. If the rule went into effect, many American tequila bottling workers would lose their jobs. After long discussions and agreements, the two states decided to maintain the status quo: tequila is still imported to the United States in barrels, and only there it is already “packaged” in bottles, but now under the supervision of a special authority.
Up until 2004, only agave distillate without fragrances and flavors could be considered tequila, but now the content of flavorings is allowed by the regulations.
Interesting Facts
In 2006, in the city of Tequila, they sold a liter bottle of the drink of the same name for 225 thousand dollars: it was Spluch brand tequila, triple distilled and subjected to 12 years of aging, and the Ley. 925″ of the limited edition series was decorated with platinum and gold. The buyer was a private collector. This case was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the most expensive tequila in the world.
Recently, the same LaCapilla distillery released a new bottle, this time encrusted with silver, platinum and 6000 diamonds. The cost is one and a half million dollars, but the buyer has not yet been found, in addition, it is still unknown what kind of alcohol is hidden inside – it may not be tequila, but, for example, cognac, so even if a buyer is found, the record will not be broken.
In addition, small stocks of the first factory tequila are still preserved in the warehouses (the exposure of these drinks exceeds 200 years!) And gourmets can treat themselves to a glass, if, of course, finances allow, such brands are very expensive.
Every year, the city of Tequila hosts a festival of the drink of the same name: the celebrations last for two weeks, and all residents participate in them.
During Prohibition in the United States, drinkers fell in love with Mexico with its open borders to Americans and full bars. In 1936, journalist James Graham met a bartender in Tijuana who was making a Tequila Daisy—or, in Spanish, a Margarita. Today this cocktail is known all over the world.
