Agave + Process = Tequila

Living in California affords me the joy of having many varieties of plants and I adore Agave’s. They are remarkable plants that have beauty, simplicity and their own defense with the spiked tips.

I want to show off other features of the agave- one variety specifically because that without it Margarita’s would not be the same.

I came across a remarkable article that said everything you need to know https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-is-tequila-made

The Agave plant is a monocotyledon, a.k.a. a monocot, the smaller of the two groups of flowering plants that also includes most grains, grasses, and canes. Somewhat surprisingly, it’s a member of the large Asparagaceae family, which makes it a (distant) relative of the same delicious asparagus that’s often served under a blanket of hollandaise sauce

What Is Tequila Made From?

Tequila is made from the Weber blue agave plant, or agave tequilana, which is a large succulent with long, spiked leaves similar to aloe vera. Within the core of the blue agave plant is a bulb called the piña. This bulb is baked and juiced, and the juice is fermented with yeast in barrels to make tequila.

There are hundreds of varieties of agave growing in Mexico, including many used in the production of mezcal, but only one, blue Weber, may be used to make tequila.

A 1977 Mexican law (NORMA OFICIAL MEXICANA, NOM-006-SCFI-201) requires tequila makers to use blue Weber in accordance with the “Declaración de Denominación de Origen Tequila” or “Appellation of Origin Declaration,” which specifies the region and methods for tequila production. Far from an arbitrary rule, the blue Weber variety earned its codified place in Mexican law for its taste and history.

Franz Weber, a German naturalist who classified agave species around the turn of the 20th century, gave his name to the species, but the history of the plant—also known by its latin name agave tequilana—goes back much further. Tania Oseguera, master tequilier for Tequila Cazadores, explains that Spaniards created the first agave distillate after conquering Mexico in the 16th century, creating mezcal from the fermented juice that Mexican natives drank. “The small town of Tequila was a natural habitat for the blue agave plant, so the locals used these plants to distill the drink known as ‘vino mezcal,’” she says. “It is important to note that the town of Tequila wasn’t the only place to produce vino mezcal, but it soon became famous for producing the most delicious version of the drink. For this reason, many people began asking specifically for ‘vino mezcal de Tequila’—rather than ‘vino mezcal’—and later, for just ‘tequila.’” While harvesting and distillation of agave tequilana (and its appellation of origin) have spread beyond the immediate area surrounding the town, the name and the plant remain synonymous.

What Is the history of Tequila production?

Around the year 250, the Aztecs made a drink called pulque—made from the fermented juices of a plant called the maguey, which is a cousin of the agave—which is considered a predecessor to tequila. Tequila as we know it today—which is distilled, unlike pulque—was likely first made by the Spanish colonists when they invaded South America. In the early 1600s, Don Pedro Sánchez de Tagle began the first distillery in what is now known as Tequila, Jalisco.

In 1974, the Mexican government declared tequila the intellectual property of Mexico, and that tequila can only be produced in certain Mexican states: Jalisco, Nayarit, Guanajuato, Michoacán, and Tamaulipas. A tequila regulatory council (the Consejo Regulador de Tequila, or CRT) maintains tequila production standards (like agave content, ABV, aging time, and ingredients) and supports the tequila industry through promoting tourism to tequila-producing regions and supporting trade with other countries.

Plant Growth information

Growing agave for tequila takes around 7 years for the plant to reach maturity for harvest.

Blue agave plants grow into large succulents, with spiky fleshy leaves, that can reach over 2 metres (7 ft) in height. Blue agaves sprout a stalk (quiote) when about five years old that can grow an additional 5 metres (16 ft); they are topped with yellow flower

Agaves require little attention to thrive. Water the plant every 4-5 days for the first month or two. After established, agaves need only be watered 2-3 times a month in summer, or more if you’re in a low desert location.

Blue agave is a relatively short-lived plant with a lifespan between 8 and 14 years. Cutting the flower stalk off a mature blue agave will not keep it from dying. The genetics that dictate flowering time also govern when the plant should die.

Can you propagate agave from a leaf? No, no leaf propagation is possible.

The simplest method to multiply Agave plants is by cutting of young plants from the mother plant (pups). Use a sharp knife and make a horizontal cut approximately 3 cm beneath the beginning of the lowest leaf. Only cut plants which have developed in a plant with several leaves.

How often does blue agave bloom? Unlike other plants that bloom every spring, the agave plant will only bloom once in its lifetime. The bloom stalk takes about 3 to 4 months to grow and will mark the end of the plant’s life.

The pollination secret…

BATS!

“If you like tequila — well, guess what. You owe it to the bats,” says Rodrigo Medellín, an ecologist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

The lesser long-nosed bat flies from plant to plant in Mexico and the U.S. Southwest, lapping up nectar and pollinating cacti and blue agave — the plant that gives us tequila. And that may be why an endangered bat has an unlikely protector: Artisanal tequila makers.

• Pest control: A single bat can eat 1,000 mosquitoes per hour.
• Pollinators: In addition to agave, many plants — including banana, mango and eucalyptus trees — rely on bats for pollination.

How Is Tequila Made?

Tequila production can be broken into six stages: harvesting, baking, juicing, fermenting, distilling, and aging. Here is more information about each one of these steps:

1. Harvest the agave. Modern tequila production begins with the traditional method of harvesting the blue agave plant. A special knife called a coa is used to cut the leaves on the agave plant away from the underground piña bulb.
2. Bake the agave core, or the piña. The piña bulb must be baked in order to extract its fermentable sugars. Traditionally, piñas were baked in pits lined with rocks, but today, they’re baked in either clay and brick ovens called hornos, or large stainless-steel ovens.
3. Shred the piña and extract the agave juice. After the piñas are baked, they are crushed and shredded to extract the sweet juice inside, which is called mosto. Mosto is extracted in one of two ways: by using an industrial mechanical shredder (the most common modern way), or by the traditional method of using a tahona, a large stone wheel that crushes and juices the piña.
4. Ferment the agave juice, or mosto. Next, the mosto must ferment into ethyl alcohol in order to become a spirit. The mosto is combined with yeast and water in large fermentation tanks. This process uses either large stainless-steel tanks, or large wooden barrels.
5. Distill the fermented mosto. The agave juices are then distilled, which purifies the liquid and concentrates the alcohol in the mixture. Tequila is typically distilled twice. The first distillation produces a cloudy liquid called the ordinario. The second distillation produces the clear silver tequila, which is then ready to be aged and bottled.
6. Age the tequila. All tequila is aged for at least 14 to 21 days. Silver or blanco tequila is aged for the minimum time. Aged tequila comes in three types: reposado (“rested,” aged for two months to one year), añejo (“aged,” aged for one to three years), and extra añejo (aged for over three years). To produce a more aged tequila, the distilled blanco is put into aged oak barrels, which gives the tequila a golden color. There is also a fifth kind of tequila called Joven (“young”) or oro (“gold”), which is a mix of silver tequila and reposado tequila.

While the core of the plant has a liquid purpose. the leaves are used for paper and weaving mats.

Enjoy your next shot or margarita with a smile on your face because you now have an understanding where the beverage comes from.

#tequilla #agave #gardening