Aniseed-flavored spirits – Some 1,500 years before Christ, these licorice-flavored spirits were valued as healing agents by the Egyptians. In the nineteenth century, absinthe, a potent aniseed aperitif distilled from wormwood, became a highly fashionable drink on both sides of the Atlantic, but intemperate enjoyment of it proved dangerous because it often led to madness or death. Consequently, early in the twentieth century, it was banned in many countries.

In the meanwhile, however, a plethora of “benign” successors developed; aniseed drinks which, in France, are known as pastis. They are based on star anise, with the essential oils being distilled and then mixed with sugar, pure alcohol, and various flavorings, such as mint, lemon balm, herbes de Provence, and licorice.

Pernod and Ricard are among the well-known brands from France (now also available as an alcohol-free drink), and anisette is a spiced liqueur. Creek ouzo and Turkish raki are also members of this big family of aniseed-flavored spirits. Ouzo is a sweet aniseed drink at 80 to 90 proof. Raki tastes dry and spicy, is not as sweet as ouzo, and is available at 80 to 100 proof.

Arrak
Similar to rum, this Asian spirit is distilled from sugarcane molasses with the addition of Indonesian red rice. Arrak is aged in oak barrels before it is bottled. The most respected variety comes from Batavia, in Indonesia, but similar drinks using a variety of ingredients, such as dates, also come from Goa in India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

Cachaca
This is a Brazilian spirit distilled directly from the juice of the sugarcane. The best-known cachaga is the straw-colored, clear Pitu. It has a soft, mild aroma and is 82 proof.

Sake
Many people would not consider a Japanese meal complete without a bottle of this clear, usually straw-colored, fermented-rice spirit. Even though sake, which is the Japanese national drink, is often referred to as wine, its production process is more like that of beer. Sake tastes similar to sherry and has an alcohol content of only 16 to 17 percent by volume, or about 35 proof.

Tequila
Mexico’s number-one spirit, drunk since the time of the Aztecs, is distilled from the blue agave cactus. Clear, white tequila, also called silver tequila, is bottled immediately after distillation. Cold tequila, or tequila anejo, gets its golden-brown color from several years storage in oak barrels, during which time the flavor also mellows and becomes smoother. Most brands of tequila are about 90 proof. Mexican laws specify that only tequila produced in a specific geographical area around the town of the same name can be labeled as such.

Rum Formerly the drink of bootleggers, pirates, smugglers, and slave traders rum was for centuries the most commonly traded contraband. The home of rum is in the Caribbean islands of Jamaica,martinique, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. Here, as in the past – and among the atlantic coastal countries of Central and South America – rum and sugar are important exports. Yet, the varieties of rum produced on the different islands differ from each other as much in terms of aroma taste and bouquet as do the wines of California’s Napa Valley, or does from Tennessee sour mash.

The exact recipe for rum production is always the distiller’s secret. What all types of rum have In common, however, is their raw material – the brown, viscous molasses by-product of sugarcane refining. After distillation, rum is clear and colorless. For light rum to remain clear, it is first matured in pale ash-wood barrels for only one year and is then transferred to stainless-steel tanks for additional aging. Dark rum, on the other hand, is left to mature for years in dark, wooden casks for five to seven years, where it develops its golden or brownish color and a full-flavored body.

Caramel is also added to some brands to intensify the color. In between light and dark rum is a grade called gold, or amber, which is aged for three years. Light rum not only looks lighter than dark rum, it also has a much more delicate taste than the latter. For this reason, light rum blends intensify superbly with other ingredients such as fruit juices, liqueurs, and lemonades in cocktails, without concealing its own taste.

Its slight flavor evaporates very quickly though, so light rum is not so well suited to hot punches and grogs.

Mezcal
Mezcal is a similar drink distilled from a different variety of the agave cactus, but it does not have the same labeling regulations. Contrary to popular belief, mezcal is the Mexican drink that traditionally contained a worm in the bottom of the bottle, not tequila.

Straight or Mixed
Tequila is made in two forms, those light and gold, with the light tequila being clear and the gold having a distinct golden color and richer slightly smokey flavor. This liquor is either drank straight from a shot glass at room temperature, or used as an ingredient in a number of great tasting fruit drinks. The most popular of these drinks by far is a classic known as the Margarita.

Blended or Over Ice
The margarita is served over ice cubes or blended into a slushy drink in a blender, with the blended slushy style being the most preferred. It is made from either gold or clear tequila lime juice and a small dose of triple sec with a distinctive ring of salt around the edge of the glass.

The Sunrise
Still one more popular tequila cocktail is the tequila sunrise. This drink combines a shot of tequila, some orange juice, and grenadine syrup and is served in a tall glass of ice. It is its distinctive two tone look that is created by not mixing it after the red grenadine syrup has been added that is the source of its name.

Bottoms Up!
To drink tequila in the traditional fashion, first a lime must be cut into quarters. One of these lime quarters is then dusted with a sprinkling of salt and set aside on the table. A shot of preferably gold tequila is then tossed back and gulped down then the salted lime quarter quickly is munched as-is in the mouth.

In 1974 Mexico’s government established the Appellation of Origin Tequila (DOT) to establish guidelines for agave production. The agave grower’s cycle from planting through harvest takes about a decade. This is one reason tequila is so expensive lately— forecasting demand with ten years lead time is difficult.

According to regulations of the Norma Official Mexicana (NOM), Tequila can only be produced from agave grown in the volcanic soils in and around the Jalisco region, much like Champagne can only be produced in that region of France. But unlike grapes from Champagne, agave production has seen wide variations in up and down cycles. Such swings are not uncommon in the growth stage of a product life cycle.

In the 1990s there was too much agave, thanks to over-planting by fast-growing commercial tequila distillers engaged in vertical integration. Traditional growers began receiving unsustainably low prices for agave, so they switched to other crops. At the same time that many traditional, organic agave growers abandoned the tequila ship, the popularity of Mexico’s national drink began to increase globally. Since 2002, premium tequila sales have increased an average 28% annually. This has led to frequent shortages of agave. Many tequila distilleries closed due to a lack of agave in the last down cycle. There are over 200 varieties of agave but only the Agave Tequilana Weber blue variety is permitted by the NOM. Small organic growers no longer account for a majority of agave production.

Large corporate growers’ attempts to forecast and meet demand have created another disaster. According to Ana Valenzuela Zapata, writing in the Journal of Rural Studies, pesticides and fertilizers are wreaking havoc on Jalisco’s ecology. Today, fungi attack the root of the agave plant with increasing frequency. Soil erosion is widespread. The species is strained by pest infestations. Local water quality is dismal. Distillers routinely harvest younger plants (which are required in much larger numbers than mature agave), laying the groundwork for the next down cycle.

The time has come to return to sustainable agave farming and production cycles. Tequila is amongst the national symbols most representative of Mexico throughout the world. Agave was the source of drinks enjoyed by indigenous tribal leaders and high priests long before the Spanish colonized Mexico. According to Aztec legend, fertility goddess Mayahuel is the personification of the agave plant. Archeological evidence of agave culture in this region dates back at least 1700 years, if not even earlier.

In 2009, 100% blue agave commands prices of US$50 per bottle or more. It is a tragedy that several large corporations outside of Mexico have made themselves the primary beneficiaries of the agave legacy. Hundreds of families who devoted generations to blue agave have been forced to abandon their traditional crop. Corporations turn to inferior black market agave (from outside the DOT region) during down cycles.

The Sauza & El Tesoro brands sold out to Fortune Brands three years ago. Two years ago, the once-trusted brand Herradura was sold to Brown-Forman for US$776 million. José Cuervo operates a “Tequila theme park” in Jalisco, for those who don’t mind a good headache. The vast majority of market share for distilleries like José Cuervo and Sauza come from tequilas made from 49% non-agave sugars (mixed brews containing sugars found in vodka and rum, along with agave sugars). Such large commercial operations wreck the ecology of Jalisco with chemicals and subvert a tradition of sustainable organic agave production that is thousands of years strong.

The product life cycle for inferior “mixto” tequilas is no longer in the growth phase. The opportunities for product differentiation are substantial. One direction is fair-trade agave. The current trend is moving toward tequilas made from sustainable crops using practices that promote social equity and fairness for agave producers. Fair Trade Agave certification is a likely next step.

Two organizations already working to correct the missteps in Jalisco are Empresa Ejidal Tequila de Amatitan & Cooperativa Tequilera La Magdalena. Empresa Ejidal is the home of Azuñia & Regional Tequilas (as in, a source of regional pride). Agave for these brands is grown by one of the region’s oldest agave growing families, the Sergio Zuñiga family. Crops are grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides; planting and harvesting is done entirely by hand. These products are finding consumers in the USA through the efforts of Maverick Spirits, exporting to Newport Beach-based Intersect Beverage

Cooperativa Magdalena grows agave used in El Caudillo & Sangre Azteca (“Aztec Blood”) Tequilas. Agave for these brands comes from dozens of organic agave growing families that together make up the cooperative. These family-based farming cooperatives are not interested in making the types of tequilas provided by the multinational corporations (MNC’s), “mixto” liquor destined to be mixed in drinks or served as shots with lime and salt. Instead, they create fine, traditional tequilas to be sipped by aficionados. In Mexico, such tequilas are served alongside equal-sized glass of Sangrita, a mixture of tomato, orange, and chili pepper juices.

Family-based agave producers and distillers are not content to watch their traditions perverted. There is talk in the City of Tequila in favor of new NOM regulations that will prevent MNC’s from continuing to degrade the reputation of Mexico’s national drink along with Jalisco’s ecology. “Stricter rules are necessary to make tequila successful for both companies and farmers,” states University of Guadalajara sociologist Peter Gerritson. Regardless of the outcome of such initiatives, there are new agave investment opportunities in Jalisco as the tequila pendulum swings back toward traditional producers.

Health food stores now sell the natural sweetener that is un-distilled, pure agave nectar for the same price as a fine bottle of tequila. Agave nectar provides an alternative to honey for households worldwide, and an alternative for traditional farmers to the glut created by corporate growers. Savvy consumers are increasingly interested in sustainably produced products as an alternative to corporate headaches such as “shots” that are only half tequila. These trends, coupled with 28% average annual growth for artisanal tequilas, suggest investments in organic agave products can once again provide attractive dividends for investors while supporting farming families and the ecology of the region.

Tequila is the signature alcohol produced in Mexico and is named for the town in which it was first produced.  Tequila in Mexico comes with an extreme sense of pride and, from this long history of alcohol production, comes a set of strict standards and laws that define the production of tequila.

Tequila is produced only from the blue agave plant, which takes between 8 and 12 years for a blue agave plant to mature.  When the plant has grown long enough and developed enough sugars, the core – or pinas – is harvested.  Judging when a pina is ready for harvest is a learned skill – harvest too soon and there will be inadequate sugar to produce quality tequila, but harvest too late and the plant will have already used up its sugars to produce seeds.

Once the pina is harvested, it is roasted and then shredded to remove its sugary juices.  The juices are fermented with yeast, the individual formula of which varies from distiller to distiller.  After fermentation, the juices are distilled twice, resulting in tequila with an alcohol content of between 35 and 55 percent – known as 70 and 110 proof respectively.  Tequila that is at least 51% blue agave juice may be exported to other countries for bottling, while tequila made with 100% blue agave juice must be kept and bottled at the distilleries in Mexico.

Silver – or blanco – tequila, is the easiest tequila to make.  It is the freshest tequila as well, and is often used in margaritas and consumed “neat” in the form of shots.

However, despite its popularity, gold tequila is actually a product of America, not Mexico.  To produce gold tequila, colorings and flavorings are added to silver tequila.  Caramel is usually used to achieve the distinctive golden color.  Gold tequila is a little bit mellower than silver tequila, but not always of as high a quality, due to the many additives.

In addition, most people who know tequila only as the alcohol in a margarita or the fiery liquid in a shot glass aren’t aware of the two additional forms of tequila – reposado and anejo.  When tequila blanco is left to age or rest in oak barrels for up to one year, it develops complex flavors and aromas and is known as reposado – or rested – tequila.  This tequila is much gentler in flavor than tequila blanco, meaning that it can be sipped or used in cocktails to produce very complex drinks.  However, reposado tequila is expensive and can be difficult to find.

If reposado tequila is left to age for more than one year, it becomes anejo – or aged – tequila.  This tequila is much darker in color and has a woody, spicy flavor.  Anejo tequila is very expensive and much more difficult to find, but is a wonderful drink that should be savored by slowly sipping it neat.  For these reasons, it is a favorite of tequila connoisseurs – not the drunken frat brothers living it up on campus.

In my column, predominantly devoted to wine, I have used the French wine term Terroir. This refers to a wine’s sense of place and time, and includes the people, soil, geography, climate and the specific growing season the wine was produced. In better quality French wines, you can actually taste the soil in which the grapes were grown. All of this adds to the experience of drinking a beverage that was made elsewhere, and toasting its uniqueness.

There is no reason this concept cannot apply to other beverages from around the world. When you toast Bastille Day with a glass of French Champagne, raise a glass of Guinness beer on St. Patrick’s Day, clink a stein of Beck’s beer at Oktoberfest celebrations or have a shot of tequila on Cinco de Mayo, you are both saluting a country’s past while toasting the present with your family and friends. Today we will explore Mexico’s past and salute today’s distinctive drinks.

Tequila and mezcal

Mezcal is the oldest known distilled spirit in the Americas. The Spanish discovered this beverage during their conquest of Mexico in the early 1500s. Mezcal is named after the native maguey plant used to make this spirit. The heart of the plant provides the pulp that is mashed and then the juice is fermented. Mezcal hails from Oaxaca, a southern region in Mexico, and is known for its smoky flavor.

Mezcal’s famous cousin is tequila. Tequila is made from the Weber blue agave plant. Both the maguey and agave plants come from the Agavaceae family of plants, actually related to lilies and not cactus, as is commonly thought.

When these plants reach maturity (about 10 years), they are harvested by cutting off the plant’s long, spiny leaves and the plant’s roots. The heart of the plant is called a piña (weighing 100-plus pounds), which is cooked for three days in pits lined with stones and then covered with the plant’s leaves.

The cooked piñas are then ground into a mash and placed in large vats (with water) to ferment. Recipes may call for cinnamon, bananas or sugar to be added to the mash to impart unique flavors. Once the juice from the mash separates and ferments, it is distilled and becomes either mezcal or tequila, depending on which plant was used. Mezcal is generally not as smooth as tequila, as it is distilled only once, while tequila is distilled twice.

No column about tequila and mezcal would be complete without mentioning the “worm.” The worm is the larval form of a moth that lives on the plant. It is a marketing gimmick for mezcal, and has no effect on the product.

There are two types of tequila, 100 percent blue agave and mixto. Mixto contains 60-plus percent agave juice and the balance is sugar water, while 100 percent blue Agave (100 percent puro de Agave) is pure fermented agave juice. Lower-priced tequilas are fine for margaritas, while the aged tequilas may be sipped straight up or over ice.

There are five types of 100 percent blue agave tequila:

Silver (blanco) — clear, unaged and bottled after distillation

Gold — Caramel coloring and flavors added to silver tequila

Reposado — Silver tequila barrel aged from 3 to 12 months

Añejo — Silver tequila oak barrel aged from 1 to 3 years

Extra Añejo — Silver tequila oak barrel aged for 3-plus years

As tequila ages in wood (typically oak) barrels, it gains complexity, darkens in color and becomes smoother to sip. On a recent trip to Mexico, I tasted three different Reposado tequilas with almond, orange and coffee flavors.

The world is discovering that a quality tequila may rival the experience of sipping a high-end scotch or cognac. Mexico’s mezcal and tequila are richly intertwined with the country’s history, and are an example of how Mexico has progressed from the days of the conquistadors to a vibrant, modern society.

So raise a glass and toast Mexico’s past and traditions, while celebrating the present.

Bill’s Tequila Picks

(with suggested retails)

El Jimador $20

Jose Cuervo Tradicional $22

Hornitos $23

Herradura Blanco (Silver) $35

Reposado $40

Añejo $50

Don Julio Reposado $45

Añejo $48

Tequila of the Month

Milagro Silver Tequila: $20. This multi-purpose Tequila is great for margaritas, straight up, or on the rocks. This is a smooth, complex Tequila, that disappears off the back palate fairly quickly and offers a hint of spice. This is a great sipper at a great value.

It is party time in the United States with the Cinco de Mayo fiestas around the corner. So raise your tequila glass and rock out Mexican style to celebrate the holiday that commemorates Mexico’s victory over the French.

Cinco de Mayo is one of the most celebrated Mexican national holidays in the United States, where many U.S. businesses and restaurants are decorated in green, white and red, the colors of Mexico’s flag, to observe this important day in traditional Mexican fanfare. Although Cinco de Mayo celebrates the determination of Mexicans to remain free from foreign control, it is not Mexico’s Independence Day.

HISTORY

Following the devastating loss of the Mexican-American War in 1848, Mexico was both financially and morally defeated. In 1861, president Benito Juarez issued a moratorium in which all foreign-debt payments would be suspended for a period of two years. Furious and eager to collect payment, England, France, and Spain invaded Mexico.

Unbeknownst to the other countries, France had its own agenda, ultimately aiming to impose a monarchical government upon the nations of Central and South America. Shortly after President Juarez offered a type of promissory note that guaranteed payments on its debt after the two years, England and Spain returned home, but the French continued their siege on Mexico.

On May 5, 1862, Juarez commanded General Ignacio Zaragoza to block the advance of the French forces at the fortified hills of Loreto and Guadalupe near the city of Puebla. With only 2,000 men, most of them local Zacapoaxtla Indians from the Puebla region with no formal military training and little weaponry, the Mexicans were able to briefly defeat the French army of 6,000.

The victory was short-lived, though soon after, France conquered Puebla and the rest of Mexico, ruling until 1867. Through a popular revolt, Juarez was finally restored to power, remaining leader of Mexico until his death in 1872.

BEYOND CINCO DE MAYO

Cinco de Mayo was born in the central Mexican state of Puebla. Its capital city, also called Puebla, is one of the most impressive and oldest colonial cities in Mexico. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its unique beauty, the magnificent historic center is an ideal starting point for a Cinco de Mayo tour.

While in Puebla, visitors can enjoy the historical Cinco de Mayo sites such as the tomb and monument of Ignacio Zaragoza, the general who led Mexico to victory over France. The site of the battle is also a popular destination, featuring a museum with a display of hundreds of toy soldiers set up to show what happened on that day. Art expositions, concerts of both contemporary and classical Mexican music and a Mexican film series are also part of the attractions.

An annual parade is held down Cinco de Mayo Avenue, and festivities include a reenactment of the famous battle. Men dress as French and Mexican soldiers and generals, and women wear the clothing of the “soldaderas,” the women who cooked and looked after the soldiers in wartime. In some representations, the Mexican soldiers carry machetes and old gun-power rifles, and the French soldiers carry bags with wine bottles and fruit.

Puebla has much more to offer besides its traditional Cinco de Mayo sites. Also worth a visit are the museums displaying archeological objects, paintings, railroad cars, and other historic treasures, as well as many shops that specialize in Talavera pottery and traditional treats. Wander through the Los Sapos district to buy antiques and to sample wonderful poblano dishes including mole and chiles en nogada (when in season) from a wide range of restaurants.

Puebla State offers other beautiful cities to visit in addition to its capital city. Cholula, located about 5 miles from the city of Puebla, has a very important archeological site that includes the “Gran Piramide” (the Big Pyramid), also known as the Tenapa Pyramid, occupying more space than any other pyramid in the world. Built on top of the pyramid is the church Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios which was completed in 1666. Its symbolic position stands witness to the role of the Catholic church in the conversion of the indigenous people.

CINCO DE MAYO CELEBRATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES

Typically held during the first week of May, Cinco de Mayo boasts carnivals, street fairs and multi-day festivals held over the U.S. Below is a list of some of the largest celebrations in the United States.

ALBUQUERQUE (New Mexico): May 5 –The New Mexican capital, Albuquerque, will be hosting a Cinco de Mayo celebration with Ballet Folklorico. This troupe from the Mexican state of Nayarit, showcases a vast wealth of artistic tradition from Nayarit and throughout the Mexican republic.

ATLANTA (Georgia): May 6 –Considered the largest outdoor Hispanic family festival, Fiesta Atlanta takes place at Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta, the day after Cinco de Mayo. Over 25,000 people are expected to attend this event with a day-long celebration of Latino culture, music, food and handicrafts.

AUSTIN (Texas): May 3–6–The Texas capital city of Austin hosts the annual Cinco de Mayo Music Festival, featuring an array of activities including Little Cinco, a Jalapeño Eating Contest, and dance contests including Salsa, Jitterbug, Polka and more.

CHARLESTON (South Carolina) –Charleston’s second annual Cinco de Mayo Festival will take place on Cinco de Mayo, at the Visitors Center Bus Terminal in downtown Charleston from 7 to 11 PM. The celebration featuring an authentic mariachi band will also have performances by DJ Luigi Bravo of Latin Groove and professional salsa dancers, as well as a variety of Mexican food, margaritas and beer.

CHICAGO (Illinois): May 4–6 — From Friday to Sunday, Plaza Garibaldi will be home to a Cinco de Mayo festival in Chicago. With over 25,000 people expected to attend, this event at Little Village, sponsored by UNIVISION, is sure to be a festive hit.

DENVER (Colorado): May 5–6–Touted as the largest Cinco de Mayo Festival in the United States, Denver’s festival is lo maximo. Now in its 19th year, the festivities emphasize the celebration of freedom and culture, Denverites enjoy six stages of live entertainment, dancing, food and crafts at the Civic Center Park. In addition, the celebration includes a special concert with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra among others, on May 4 and a Cinco de Mayo Civil Rights Award event held (date to be announced).

EL PASO (Texas): May 5 — This “Taste of the Border” festival featuring mariachis, margaritas, tequila and a mole extravaganza kicks off at 3:00 and goes into the wee hours of the night.

LITTLE ROCK (Arkansas): May 6 — Organized by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), this 9th annual Cinco de Mayo party will be held in the River Market Pavilion in downtown Little Rock. Miss Cinco de Mayo will be crowned at this all day event.

NEW BRUNSWICK (New Jersey): May 5 — Featuring a variety of different Mexican foods and musical talents is the Cinco de Mayo Festivities in New Jersey, supported by Mexico Americana at Joyce Kilmer Park.

NEW YORK (New York): May 6 — Organized by the Fiestas Patria de Casa Puebla committee is the Cinco de May Festival in Queens. From 10 to 6 on Sunday, there will be a variety of musical talents, foods and handicrafts at Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

OAKLAND (California): May 5 — This traditional celebration which had over 100,000 attendees last year, the Cinco de Mayo Fruitvale Festival & Parade, located in the Fruitvale district of Oakland. The family festival will feature stages of entertainment, more than 200 vendors, children’s activities and arts and crafts.

PORTLAND (Oregon): May 3–6–Portland’s Cinco de Mayo Fiesta is a family oriented, fun-filled event featuring four entertainment stages, delightful activities for children, artisans and vendors from the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Visitors can also enjoy the Third Annual Mariachi Festival, folkloric ballet and delicious food from some of the finest restaurants in the Northwest.

ST. PAUL (Minnesota): May 4-5–Festivities include salsa-tasting contest, a children’s area, sports zone, craft vendors, a parade, a history area and live music and entertainment, featuring a variety of Hispanic/Latino dancers, performers and musicians.

SAN ANTONIO (Texas): May 4-6–San Antonio draws about 30,000 to its festivities with food booths at its historic Market Square, street dancing, handicrafts, concerts and other commemorations. Everyone from mariachis and folkloric dancers to Tejano and conjunto groups provide plenty of entertaining activities.

SAN DIEGO (California): May 5-6–Visitors will enjoy a weekend of festivities including open-air entertainment featuring more than 200 performers at eight venues, also more than 100 specialty booths handcrafts and a Mexican feast featuring a delicious variety of regional cuisine.

About the Mexico Tourism Board

The Mexico Tourism Board (MTB) brings together the resources of federal and state governments, municipalities and private companies to promote Mexico’s tourism attractions and destinations internationally. Created in 1999, the MTB is Mexico’s tourism promotion agency, and its participants include members of both the private and public sectors. The MTB has offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America.

# # #

Erick Laseca

Mexico Tourism Board

312-228-0517

erick.laseca@bm.com

http://www.visitmexico.com

Agave is a large cactus plant originally from Mexico but is grown widely around the world in suitable climates. It has many varieties and is grown in home gardens as an ornamental plant and also for its medicinal properties. It has edible flowers, leaves, stalk and of course the sap, used the procurement of tequila. The sap is steamed and distilled to make Mexico’s favourite drink but Agave can give you the same benefits of Tequila without the hangover.

The leaf tea of the Agave is said to be useful for constipation, excess gas and can be useful as a diuretic. Tea derived from the root is said to be good for arthritis.

There have been some tests done which show that a derivative of the blue agave plant is effective in delivering drugs to the colon which could help in the treatment of ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel and Crohn’s disease.

The Agave nectar or syrup can be used as a natural sweetener without damaging the properties of other ingredients, thus making it a great additive to liquid nutrient supplements while enhancing the properties of those ingredients with its natural sweetness. Because it is naturally occurring it does not cause an insulin reaction, having no sugar, making it a great alternative for diabetics. It is also a great alternative for those watching their weight which is all of us.

Agave is also a great source of soluble fiber.

Agave nectar does not need any intervention such as heat or distillation as it is naturally occurring nectar which remains in state through hot or cold temperatures. This makes it another great choice for liquid nutrition as it has its own preservation built in.

It has been recommended as the only sweetener for raw foodists as its rich taste goes a long way without other harmful effects on the body’s metabolism. Its taste has been compared to that of treacle so think of it as maple syrup without the calories, sugars or human intervention of boiling to enhance its properties.

 Tequila was first distilled in the 1500-1600′s in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. Guadalajara is the capital of Jalisco and the city of Tequila was established in about 1656. This is where the agave plant grows best.

The agave is not a cactus as rumoured, but belongs to the lily family and has long spiny leaves (pincas). The specific plant that is used to make tequila is the Weber blue agave. It takes 8-12 years for the agave to reach maturity. During harvest, the leaves are cut off leaving the heart of the plant or pina which looks like a large pineapple when the jimadors are done. The harvested pina may weigh 200 pounds or more and is chopped into smaller pieces for cooking at the distillery. Tequila was first imported into the United States in 1873 when the first load was transported to El Paso, Texas. In 1973 tequila sales in the US topped one million cases. There are two basic types of tequila, 100% blue agave (cien por ciento de agave) tequila and mixto. The 100% blue agave tequilas are distilled entirely from the fermented juice of the agave.

All 100% agave tequilas have to be distilled and bottled in Mexico. If the bottle does not say 100% blue agave, the tequila is mixto and may have been distilled from as little as 60% agave juice with other sugars.

Grades of Tequila:

• Blanco: 100% agave tequila that is un-aged and untreated with additives.
• Reposado: 100% agave, “rested” tequila that has been stored in oak between two months and one year.
• Anejo: 100% agave, aged tequila that has been stored in oak at least one year.
• Mixto blanco: mixto tequila that is unaged.
• Mixto reposado: mixto tequila that has been stored in oak between two months and one year.
• Mixto anejo: aged mixto tequila that has been stored in oak at least one year.
• Joven abocado: mixto tequila that has been treated with additives to achieve an effect similar to aging.

In the 1930s the practice of adding non-agave sugars to the aguamiel, or “honey water,” was introduced and quickly adopted by many Tequila producers. These mixto (mixed) Tequilas had a less intense taste than 100% blue agave Tequilas, but this relative blandness also made them more appealing to non-native consumers, particularly those in the United States.

From the 1930s through the 1980s, the bulk of the Tequila being produced was of the blended mixto variety. The original 100% agave Tequilas were reduced to a minor specialty product role in the market. But in the late 1980s the rising popularity of single malt Scotch whiskies and expensive Cognacs in the international marketplace did not go unnoticed among Tequila producers. New brands of 100% blue agave Tequilas were introduced and sales began a steady growth curve that continues to this day. This sales growth has resulted in the opening of new distilleries and the expansion of existing operations. Tequila is on an upswing.

What Bing Crosby and Jimmy Buffet Have in Common

Modest amounts of Tequila have been exported into U.S. border towns since the late 19th century. The first major boost to Tequila sales in the rest of the United States came in the late 1940s when the Margarita cocktail, a blend of Tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur, and ice was invented. Its origins are uncertain, but Hollywood actors and cocktail parties in California and Mexican resorts seem to be involved in most of the genesis stories. It is known that crooner and actor Bing Crosby was so taken with one particular brand of Tequila, Herradura, that he teamed up with fellow actor Phil Harris to import the brand into the United States. The Margarita, along with the Tequila Sunrise and the Tequila Sour, have become highly popular in the United States; in fact, it is claimed by many in the liquor industry that the Margarita is the single most popular cocktail in the nation. In the 1970s, when balladeer Jimmy Buffet sang of “Wasting away in Margaritaville,” the success of the song enticed millions more Americans to sip from the salt-rimmed Margarita glass.

The Worm Turns
The upgrading and upscaling of Tequila has, in turn, inspired Mezcal producers to undertake similar measures. In the past few years an increasing number of high-end Mezcals, including some intriguing “single village” bottlings, have been introduced to the market. Mezcal now seems to be coming of its own as a distinctive, noteworthy spirit.

Source: Tastings.com

In 1656 the village of Tequila (named for the local Ticuilas Indians) was granted a charter by the governor of New Galicia. Tax records of the time show that Mezcal was already being produced in the area. This Mezcal, made from the local blue agave, established a reputation for having a superior taste, and barrels of the “Mezcal wine from Tequila” were soon being shipped to nearby Guadalajara and more distant cities such as the silver-mining boomtowns of San Luis Potosí and Aguascalientes.

The oldest of the still-existing distilleries in Tequila dates back to 1795, when the Spanish Crown granted a distiller’s license to a local padrone by the name of José Cuervo. In 1805 a distillery was established that would ultimately come under the control of the Sauza family. By the mid 1800s there were dozens of distilleries and millions of agave plants under cultivation around Tequila in what had become the state of Jalisco. Gradually, the locally-produced Mezcal came to be known as Tequila (just as the grape brandy from the Cognac region in France came to be known simply as Cognac).

Mexico achieved independence from Spain in 1821. But until the 1870s it was a politically unstable country that experienced frequent changes in government, revolutions, and a disastrous war with the United States. Marauding bands of soldiers and guerillas extracted “revolutionary taxes” and “voluntary” contributions in kind from the tabernas and distilleries. In 1876 a general named Porfirio Deaz, who was from the Mezcal-producing state of Oaxaca, came to power and ushered in a 35-year period of relative peace and stability known as the Porfiriato.

It was during this period that the Tequila industry became firmly established. Modest exports of Tequila began to the United States and Europe, with Jose Cuervo shipping the first three barrels to El Paso, Texas in 1873. By 1910 the number of agave distilleries in the state of Jalisco had grown to almost 100.

The collapse of the Díaz regime in 1910 led to a decade-long period of revolution that inhibited the Tequila industry. The return of peace in the 1920s led to the expansion of Tequila production in Jalisco beyond the area around the town of Tequila, with growth being particularly noteworthy in the highlands around the village of Arandas. This period also saw the adoption of modern production techniques from the wine industry such as the use of cultivated yeast and microbiological sanitary practices.

to be continued…