Monday, May 12, 2008
1 Tequila, 2 Tequilas, 3 Tequilas…floor.
As a gringo, Tequila has a bad rap. In Canada/US, Tequila is that drink that gives you a huge headache that mostly college students drink, on a dare. But once you taste 100% Agave Tequila, it all changes. Tequila has been called, the “new wine” from the in-flight magazine I’ve read. Yuppies are switching from expensive wine to specialty Tequila as the newest fad. I honestly was surprised at how a 100% Agave Tequila on ice could be so smooth!
This week, I visited the town of Tequila, which is 65 km northwest of Guadalajara. It is such a quaint town, with the mandatory town square and church. Upon arriving, you will be greeted by many salespeople trying to get you to visit their Tequila factory. We ended up taking the bus that looks like a Tequila barrel. OK…embarrassing, but hey, that’s half the fun. The tour costs $100 pesos, and children are free (as long as they don’t drink any Tequila!). We got to see how the Agave plant is harvested, which is still much of a manual process. We tasted the processed Agave plant, and it tasted like sweet potato. At the end of the tour, you get to taste test the different kinds of Tequila, and are encouraged to buy a bottle as a souvenir.
Legend has it that the Aztecs used the plant’s leaf, but left the “pina” as waste. One day, lightning hit an Agave plant, and the Aztecs found the root, the “pina” burning briefly. Thinking this was a gift of the Gods, they tasted it, and so began the production of Tequila.
The Agave plant may take up to 10 years to mature and be harvested. It takes about seven kilograms of “pina” to produce one liter of 100% Agave Tequila.
Tequila has different categories. Blanco is what is considered the first batch, straight from the distiller to your glass. That is the Tequila that gives you that famous line: “I will never do this again.” Some Tequila can also be gold color, and this is done through coloring.
This week, I visited the town of Tequila, which is 65 km northwest of Guadalajara. It is such a quaint town, with the mandatory town square and church. Upon arriving, you will be greeted by many salespeople trying to get you to visit their Tequila factory. We ended up taking the bus that looks like a Tequila barrel. OK…embarrassing, but hey, that’s half the fun. The tour costs $100 pesos, and children are free (as long as they don’t drink any Tequila!). We got to see how the Agave plant is harvested, which is still much of a manual process. We tasted the processed Agave plant, and it tasted like sweet potato. At the end of the tour, you get to taste test the different kinds of Tequila, and are encouraged to buy a bottle as a souvenir.
Legend has it that the Aztecs used the plant’s leaf, but left the “pina” as waste. One day, lightning hit an Agave plant, and the Aztecs found the root, the “pina” burning briefly. Thinking this was a gift of the Gods, they tasted it, and so began the production of Tequila.
The Agave plant may take up to 10 years to mature and be harvested. It takes about seven kilograms of “pina” to produce one liter of 100% Agave Tequila.
Tequila has different categories. Blanco is what is considered the first batch, straight from the distiller to your glass. That is the Tequila that gives you that famous line: “I will never do this again.” Some Tequila can also be gold color, and this is done through coloring.
Reposado is Tequila that is aged from two months up to a year in oak casks. The factory we visited had casks from Jack Daniel! Reposado Tequila is much smoother tasting and has a natural dark coloring. If you think in Scotch terms, you would call Reposado the single malt.
The next level up of Tequila is Añejo or “extra aged”. It is usually kept for a minimum of a year up to 10 years. This is the considered the high end of the Tequila spectrum. Recently, Extra Añejo has surfaced, which is aged at least three years in oak.
Of course, with Tequila, there are the following warnings:
The consumption of Tequila may make you think you can sing.
The consumption of Tequila may lead you to believe that people are laughing WITH you.
The consumption of Tequila may lead you to think you are whispering, when you are not.
Why not tour the town of Tequila and taste for yourself what good Tequila is like. You can also take the Tequila Express train from Guadalajara on Saturdays, a costs of about $71 USD and the train leaves at 10h00 AM…(hey…it’s 12 o’clock somewhere!). You get to visit Herradura distillery, get a guided tour, live mariachis and of course, taste Tequila!
The next level up of Tequila is Añejo or “extra aged”. It is usually kept for a minimum of a year up to 10 years. This is the considered the high end of the Tequila spectrum. Recently, Extra Añejo has surfaced, which is aged at least three years in oak.
Of course, with Tequila, there are the following warnings:
The consumption of Tequila may make you think you can sing.
The consumption of Tequila may lead you to believe that people are laughing WITH you.
The consumption of Tequila may lead you to think you are whispering, when you are not.
Why not tour the town of Tequila and taste for yourself what good Tequila is like. You can also take the Tequila Express train from Guadalajara on Saturdays, a costs of about $71 USD and the train leaves at 10h00 AM…(hey…it’s 12 o’clock somewhere!). You get to visit Herradura distillery, get a guided tour, live mariachis and of course, taste Tequila!
Labels: Agave, Anejo, Guadalajara, Reposado, Tequila
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