The Aztecs did not invent tequila.
The one thing that held them back was the
failure to discover the secret of distillation.

The Aztecs did, however, drink an alcoholic beverage
called "Pulque" by the Spaniards.
"Pulque" was made by cutting off
the flower stalk of the agave plant
before it had a chance to bloom,
then hollowing out the base of the plant
and allowing the cavity to fill with sweet, milky plant sap.
With no place to go,
the juice would collect there and ferment
in a sort of murky, foul-smelling wine.

The Spaniards tried bringing in grapes and grains
to recreate alcoholic beverages popular in Europe,
but they wouldn't grow in the semi-arid areas
where the agave plant thrived.
The Spaniards didn't like the taste of Pulque,
so they tried distilling it.
After experimenting with different types of agave,
they finally produced a drinkable spirit,
which they called "Mezcal".

Tequila is not made from cactus.
The confusion is common because
various agave species are often confused with cacti.
(Agave leaves are succulent, rather than the stems, as in cactus).
About 125 years ago,
several of the distillers around the town of Tequila,
in the central Mexican state of Jalisco,
began making a superior form of Mezcal.
They used the whole heart of a
specific variety of agave indigenous to the region;
the Blue Agave.
Today only spirits made within the confines
of this region can bear the name Tequila,
with one exception (Chinaco).
If produced elsewhere, it must be called Mezcal.

Blue Agave is no longer a wild plant,
but has become a carefully cultured species.
On average, agave plants are about ten years old
before they can be harvested for tequila production.
The juicy core of the plant,
which resembles a large pineapple, is harvested.
Called the "pina" (Spanish for pineapple),
the core which sometimes weighs
upward of 100 pounds is trimmed,
cut into chunks, then baked in huge steam ovens.
A sweet juice (Aguamiel or honey juice) is extracted
by steaming and compressing the pina.
The juice is fermented for several days
and then distilled at a low proof.
It is then double distilled to a powerful 110 proof.
Tequila is reduced to 80 proof with water before bottling.
Some tequila is aged in wood; Gold and "Anejo",
and some is bottled clear; the White and Silver.
The Gold tequila rests in large oak vats
for about nine months to one year,
where it acquires a pale gold color.
By law, tequila, designated "Anejo",
must be aged a minimum of one year in wood,
however, it is usually aged in smaller oak barrels
for at least three years and sometimes up to seven.

There are now premium mezcals made in the manner of tequila
but produced outside of the Tequila region.
Some mezcal is produced with an agave root worm
in the bottle as a mark of authenticity.

For more information on Tequila
and for some great drink recipes
made with tequila visit: Tequila