What Is Tequila Made From?

Tequila is made from the blue agave plant (Agave tequilana), specifically the sugars in its core, or piña, which is harvested, cooked, crushed to extract juice, fermented, and then distilled.

More detail

To legally be called tequila, the spirit must be produced in specific regions of Mexico, mostly the state of Jalisco, from blue Weber agave that's typically grown for 6 to 8 years before harvest. Workers called jimadores cut away the plant's spiky leaves to expose the piña, a starchy core that can weigh 80 to 200 pounds. The piñas are roasted or steamed to convert their stored starches into fermentable sugars, then shredded and pressed to release the sweet juice, called aguamiel. That juice is fermented into a low-alcohol liquid similar to beer, then distilled, usually twice, to concentrate it into tequila. By law, tequila must contain at least 51% blue agave sugars; anything labeled '100% agave' contains no other sugar source, while standard 'mixto' tequila can legally include up to 49% non-agave sugars like cane sugar.

Where it's used

Tequila takes its name from the town of Tequila in Jalisco, where large-scale production began in the 16th century after Spanish colonizers adapted the Aztec practice of fermenting agave sap into a drink called pulque. Commercial distillation grew through the 1800s, and tequila became protected as a designation of origin in 1974, meaning it can only be produced in Jalisco and small parts of four neighboring states.

Substitutes

Mezcal is the closest relative and can be used in similar cocktails, but it's made from a wider range of agave species (not just blue agave) and is traditionally roasted in earthen pits, giving it a smokier flavor that tequila doesn't have.

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