Tequila, made from the fermented juice of the agave plant, is the national drink of Mexico. It is double distilled and then aged in wood casks.

Just like a fine cognac tequila gets better with aging. A few quick facts:

• Although there are more than 200 varieties of agave in Mexico, at least 51 percent of each bottle of Tequila must be composed of the sugars extracted from the Agave Tequilana Weber Blue variety
• The heart of the plant, the piña, where the juices are extracted from, can weigh between 80 and 130 pounds
• The plant’s growing cycle is of approximately 10 years, at which time it is recommended to extract the juices
• The agave is cooked in brick ovens for 50 to 72 hours although the more modern processes done in steel ovens last only 12 hours
• Mandated by Mexican Law, tequila can be produced only in the state of Jalisco and a few areas in the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas.

  Tequila has 3 aging grades. Blanco/Plata aged for only 60 days in any type of barrel. Reposado, aged from 60 days to 1 year in wood, typically Oak. Anejo, aged in Oak for 1 – 3 years.

• Based on where the Agave is grown, the volcanic uplands or the lowland plateau surrounding Guadalajara, the resulting tequilas can be quite different. These are known as highland & lowland tequilas, these are unofficial styles and there is no indication on the label which is which.