Tequila

Re-published again, I had a Tequila the other day and it had been a while and wow...it took me away to a dream...what an amazing spirit...have a look a this again

Tequila
By: Unknown Bartender (Article first published Sep-2008)

Now why is there so much misconception about Tequila! Maybe someone has said to you Tequila is a dreadful spirit or someone has said to you it’s a magnificent spirit. Well I’m going to put the facts on the table and let you decide. So this article is going to give you some information on Tequila, the best way to enjoy Tequila and how to choose Tequila.

Fact: Tequila is listed as a Denomination of Origin with Champagne, Sherry, Cognac and Mezcal

The popularity of Tequila and the on and off bad harvest’s of Agave over the last 20 yrs has put the price up, but I’m here to tell you that the price of Tequila is not over priced, its well worth it! You jest mate! I hear you say. So would you also disagree if I said to you it is the cleanest spirit in the world, of course you will, but read on! I’m not saying its good to drink Tequila, it’s not good to drink at all suggested by some scientists, but we all know that so in moderation is ok.
Firstly let’s clear up the difference between Mezcal and Tequila.

The three main differences of Tequila and Mezcal are:
1) the type of Agave used
2) the way the Agave is cooked after harvesting
3) the place it can be made.
Mezcal can be made using 8 different varieties of Agave the green Agave being used 80% of the time. Mezcal Agaves are smoked under the ground with charcoals, not cooked in ovens like Tequila Agaves. The smokey taste of Mezcal is very apparent especially when you taste it side by side with Tequila. Mezcal can be made all over Mexico with Oaxaca being recognized as the main place and most of the exported Mezcal will have come from Oaxaca, Tequila has to come from five designated areas. So lets talk about the great product on the bar shelve called Tequila.

Fact: Tequila is actually a form of Mezcal as Bourbon and Scotch are forms of Whiskey.

Tequila is made from a plant called the Agave Tequilana Weber – simply known as Blue Agave. The Blue Agave has to be grown in the government controlled areas, there are five in all, 1.Jalisco, 2.Nayarat, 3.Michoacan, 4.Guanajuato and 5.Tamaulipus, but 99% of Tequila is produced in Jalisco with Guanajuato and Tamaulipus having only one distillery each (2008). In Jalisco there is also a difference of highland and lowland Tequila, from the west coast to the Sierra Madre Occidental Mountains rising on average from 5,000 feet to 9,000 feet above sea-level with the most famous town for Tequila called Guadalajara that sits 5,000 feet above sea-level in a big plateau. Highland Tequila agaves are larger (up to 40kg) and their sweet and fruity with a spiciness on the nose, and will normally be aged in re-used oak barrels, usually old bourbon ones. Lowland Tequila Agaves are smaller (less than 20kg) and tend to have a stronger Agave taste, more earthy, especially with good wood ageing and normally will be aged in new oak barrels. You should choose what Tequila to drink exactly the same way you choose any other spirit or wine now the first simple thing to look for on the label is “100% Agave” if this isn’t on the label then don’t buy it; it’s as simple as that (that is only an Opinion).

It takes average 3-4 years for the Agave to grow before it produces a seedling shoot that can be harvested, but in the wild the plant would die after producing a seed. For the next growth it will be replanted to go through the cycle again, having the seed shoot cut off makes the Agave central stem (heart) swell. The Agave will then take another 7-8 years to grow in to an Agave that can be harvested to make Tequila, so after aging an Extra Anejo (average 3-5 years) some Tequila you’re drinking in the bar or at home could have taken a distillery over 12 years of controlled production to produce that nectar you’re sipping.

So choose a bottle that says “100% Agave” on the label, look closely because it is not always clear. If there isn’t anywhere that it says “100% Agave” then it means it’s a mixto’s Tequila which uses only 60% blue Agave and 40% other distilled alcohol, it could be spirit distilled from grain or spirit distilled from molasses, there’s no law to regulate the added 40%, normally though a non Agave sugar water solution is added during the fermentation process. Now if the tequila is shipped to America (for example) to be bottled, then the 60% Agave is normally reduced to 51%.
100% Agave Tequila is not a new thing, Tequila before was always 100% Agave, but with the popularity of Tequila during the 1970’s in California and most of America, we mostly now know Tequila to be silver or gold (lick/Sip/Suck), but even as far back around the 1930’s in America the mixto’s Tequila was probably starting to become popular. So for the distilleries to make Tequila as a mixto’s and to shorten the time of production and reduce the costs considerably, Mixto’s production was increased and the export of Tequila rocketed and the law was and is still now today that to be called Tequila it has to be made with minimum 60% Blue Agave and be grown & produced in one of the five designated states.

Fact: Mixto’s Tequila silver and gold are the same, but only for the gold being coloured with caramel (burnt sugar) to soften the edges, which it doesn’t? It just means it costs more in the bar.

Then in the early 1990’s the Americans and Europeans started to drink more and more 100% Agave Tequila, and boom! Tequila started to get recognition and rightfully took up an important place on the bar shelf. Out was the phrase of “give me your best top shelf Tequila”, to more connoisseurs asking simply “what 100% Agave Tequila do you have”.
There are sometimes up to 500 different types on some bar shelves in Mexico, but not always in production, actual listed in production is never known, but is estimated around 2000 labels exist now, that’s including the flavoured Tequila, with over 100 registered distillery’s, nearly doubling the amount of the early 1990’s, these are just rough figures, not official government figures. (2008)
In Hong Kong there are only a few importers regularly importing 100 % Agave Tequilas for sale in bars, but some bars do actually import for there own requirements, so check out the Tequila in your local bar next time

So I hope you can still enjoy a shot of Tequila, but sipped like a cognac from now on and understand its value against a premium cognac. Or have it in a Margarita, now don’t forget the best tasting Tequila is 100% Agave Tequila and is better for you than the mixto’s. And I promise you if you don’t mix your drinks all night, you won’t get a hang over with 100% Agave Tequila. It’s the cleanest spirit in the world! Do you know why? Because the Agave Sugars are 95% fructose and not glucose, and all mixto’s added alcohol is derived from glucose. I’m not a doctor and I am NOT recommending anything here, just putting down the facts. Big debate, maybe it shouldn’t have been mentioned remember anything in excessive amounts is not good for you. There’s even a product on the market called Agave Syrup that you could substitute for Sugar Syrup in your Margarita

Cocktail of the week is you guessed it a….

MargaritaNote
The two most important things you must taste from a Margarita is the Tequila you choose and the Fresh Lime Juice (Verbatim; from the master Julio Bermejo, Tommy’s in San Francisco). Remember just to use this as a basic guide you can vary the portions to suit yourself, (Julio Bermejo’s recipe is about ¼ oz more Sugar Syrup with Mexican Limes or course)

Recipe
2 Part or 2 oz Tequila 100 % Agave
1 Part or 1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
½ Part or ½ oz sugar syrup
¼ Part or ¼ oz Orange liqueur
Method
Salt rim the glass first if you prefer with salt, it’s not a must then shake all ingredients in a shaker and strain in to a 12 oz tumbler/ rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lime wedge so the guest or yourself can add some more lime juice if they or you wish.
Drink Specs
The Tequila must be 100% Agave, make sure your lime is not a Thailand lime or Taiwan or Australian lime as they are too bitter and best for cooking the best limes are Key Lime, Florida Lime and Mexican limes being the best. Fresh means squeezed from a fruit so stay away from concentrate juice or any thing in a bottle, squeeze it your self on the spot, always try your lime juice after you squeeze it to make sure its ok, your looking for a sour taste, but sweetly lip smacking, remember no bitterness or tannins
NOTE: “always measure juice from fruits, recipes that say juice of 1 lime is misleading as all fruit will hold different quantities of juice”.
The orange liqueur is best with Cointreau or any brand triple sec can be used, choose a triple sec brand you know and trust or have bean recommended its very important, and please stay away from using things like Grand Marnier, that’s a no-no in my opinion, Grand Marnier is a beautiful liqueur and shouldn’t be added to a Margarita. The sweetness from the Cointreau and Sugar Syrup are not really to taste, their just there for the Alcohol and Sour content to be blended together. Make your Sugar Syrup 1 part Sugar to 1 part of boiling water, fill any liquid container ½ way with white granulated sugar then fill to the top with Boiling water and stir until dissolved, then refrigerate for 15 minutes then take out and shake again then store in the fridge until chilled. One more thing never use a pre mix for any drink, out now for margarita’s there are lots of different pre mixes available and they should not be considered in making great drinks

Spirit Lover
“Keep Mixing” (any questions or feedback about any product please email)

(Disclosure: This entire above article is of the sole opinion of the author and not gospel, plus it is recommended to drink in small amounts)