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Tequila 101

Tequila 101 with el Azteca

What is Tequila?

Tequila is made from the Blue Agave plant. Tequila can only be produced in 5 states in Mexico: Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. There is a Tequila Regulatory Council that supervises the Tequila production to ensure it is true Tequila. In order to be considered Tequila it must be produced in one of the 5 states and it must be 100% Blue Agave. A mixto is not true tequila. A mixto is often half sugar and half blue agave. An example of a mixto is Cuervo Gold.There are 4 categories of Tequila. Blanco, Reposado, Añejo and Extra Añejo.

Blanco is clear and unaged. Reposado is golden in color and aged 2 months to 1 year in wooden oak barrels. Añejo is aged 1-3 years in wooden oak barrels and Extra Añejo is aged 3 or more years.

El Azteca serves 100% Blue Agave Tequila at our bar. We are proud to carry more than 150 tequilas. Our well tequila is el Jimador Reposado. 

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Agave: The Key To Great Tequila

The agave plant is botanically classified as a succulent, and is a relative of the lily family. There are over 136 species of agave grown in Mexico. 

While cacti and agave both share a common habitat, the agave is not a cactus.

 

Step 1

Blue agave is still harvested by hand. Once the agaves are perfect ripe, the leaves are removed, revealing the pina (heart of the plant).

Step 2

The shredded pinas are then steamed. 

Step 3

The resulting mixture—aguamiel—is then pumped into open topped tanks to begin fermenting. 

8 Years

It takes 8 years for the blue agave plant to mature enough to make tequila.

Classifications of tequila

Blanco

Un-aged and bottled within 2 months of distillation

Joven

Mixture of blanco and aged tequila

Reposado

Aged 2 -12 months in oak barrels

Anejo

Aged 1 - 3 years in small oak barrels

Extra Anejo

Aged 3 - 5 years in oak barrels