The Essence of Tequila
Tequila
is the national drink of
Mexico and is certainly one
of the most popular
spirit beverages in the
world. Tequila is made from
blue agave.
Agave is a
plant species that instantly
brings to mind images of
Mexico and represents the
essence of being Mexican.
From the north, in Jalisco,
to the south, in the
Yucatan, various species of
agave have marked the
history and defined the
landscape of our country,
giving it a taste
unmistakably linked to our
identity.
Its leaves are thick,
fleshy, sharp, and– like
cactus–store water in their
interior in order to
survive. There are over 200
species of agave of which
almost all grow in Mexico.
They vary in shape, size
and color. The agave is
such a rich plant that man
has extracted from them
fiber, paper, candy,
vinegar, honey, sugar, and
of course, three alcoholic
beverages which are the
pride of Mexico: tequila,
mezcal and pulque.
In pre-Columbian times the
Aztecs revered a species of
agave known as “maguey” (Agave
Americana), which they
considered to be
representative of “Mayahuel”,
the goddess of alcohol who
fed her 400 children with
pulque that emanated from
her numerous breasts.
Mayahuel was also associated
with the moon, femininity,
vegetation and its life
cycles.
A sacred beverage was
obtained from the agave
which could only be enjoyed
on special occasions by the
tlatoanis or
rulers, priests or the
elders. This beverage is
pulque, which
still remains popular in
certain Mexican regions,
mainly in the state of
Hidalgo.
From another species known
as henequen, from the
Yucatan peninsula, the
Mayans extracted a fiber to
manufacture rope and rugs.
Henequen was the engine for
a huge industry in that zone
at the end of the 19th
century.
Mezcal is
produced from the
combination of various
species of agave, a typical
spirit from the Oaxaca
region, whose handmade
manufacture is a source of
wonder and enchantment for
visitors to this region of
Mexico. It’s called mezcal
because that’s the name of
the heart of the agave, from
which a delicious honey is
extracted. In the Nahuatl
dialect, mezcal means, “The
house of the moon” and
conceptually refers to the
core, the essence; the
center of something.
Finally, tequila is produced
from blue agave or ‘Agave
Tequiliana Weber’, the
most famous drink in our
country; an intensely
flavored spirit associated
with the lively and
courageous character of the
Mexican. It’s also an
allegory of our history
because it fuses the
benefits of a native Mexican
plant with the European
techniques that Spain
introduced during the
colonial period.
In Mexico tequila is
synonymous with celebration,
pride and complicity between
friends. The best of times
are enjoyed with a few shots
of tequila; with tequila you
toast for success and its
also with tequila that you
drown the pain of
disillusionment. With
a shot of tequila,
unforgettable life stories
are begun and with another
we remember them!
(Continues)
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Read More:
Tequila Cocktails
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