Tequila

All tequilas are mezcals, but not all mezcals are tequilas.

Tequila is known around the globe as an iconic spirit, made from blue agave. It’s also the name of a town in Mexico’s state of Jalisco, at the very heart of the tequila-producing region.

The spirit:
Tequila is a type of mezcal, much like how scotch and bourbon are types of whiskey. According to spirits writer John McEvoy, mezcal is defined as any agave-based liquor. This includes tequila, which is made in specific regions of Mexico and must be made from only blue agave (agave tequilana).

Both tequila and mezcal are made from the harvested core of the agave plant, otherwise known as the “piña.” However, that’s where the similarities in production end. Tequila is typically produced by steaming the agave inside industrial ovens before being distilled two or three times in copper pots. Mezcal, on the other hand, is cooked inside earthen pits that are lined with lava rocks and filled with wood and charcoal before being distilled in clay pots. While some large-scale mezcal producers have adopted modern methods, artisanal mezcal makers continue to use this more traditional method, which is the source of the smokiness commonly associated with mezcal.

The town:
The town of Tequila has been granted Pueblo Magico status by the Mexican government for its cultural richness, historical relevance and other travel-worthy qualities. The program began in 2001, and today, Mexico has more than 121 Pueblos Magicos.

The landscape surrounding Tequila, stretching from the foothills of the Tequila Volcano to the Rio Grande Valley, earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 2006 as the Agave Landscape and Ancient Industrial Facilities of Tequila. The blue agave grown in the region has shaped the culture of the region, as well as Mexico as a whole.Okumaya devam et