TEQUILA

Definition for tequila

What is Tequila?

Tequila is a Mexican liquor distilled from the fermented

juices taken from the Blue Agave plants(Agave tequilana
Weber var. Azul ). Its history dates back to the early
1800�s, where the production of this spirit first took place
in the Tequila Region, located in the state of Jalisco.
Mexican law mandates that tequila must be made of at
least 51 percent Agave or else it is considered mescal. In
addition, any tequila that isn”t made up of 100 percent
Blue Agave is considered a mixto.
 differences

What is the difference between 51% agave from 100%

blue agave?

Well, both of them are made from the blue agave

(Agave tequilana Weber var. Azul) but in making the
51% agave tequila other sugars are employed usually
sugar cane or corn syrup making up the other 49%
sugar source whereas the blue agave is the only form of
sugar during fermentation for the 100% tequila.
 mescal
What is Mescal?

Mescal is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from

the maguey plant (a form of agave, Agave potatorum)
native to Mexico. The word mescal comes
from Nahuatl which mean 'oven cooked agave. Its
roots reach back into pre-Hispanic times when the
natives’ fermented sap from the local maguey plants
into a drink called pulque.
 Tequila vs mescal
Traditionally, all tequilas were known as a type of mescal. Today, they are
distinct products, differentiated by the production process and taste.
Most mescal is made today in the state of Oaxaca. . Tequila comes from
the northwestern state of Jalisco (and a few nearby areas). They both
derive from varieties of the Agave plant, known to the natives as
mexcalmetl. Tequila is made from only agave tequilana Weber, blue
variety. Mescal, on the other hand, is made from the maguey plant
(Agave potatorum). Tequila is double distilled and a few brands even
boast triple distillation. Mescal is often only distilled once. To make
mescal, the sugar-rich heart of the agave called the piña, is baked in a
rock-lined pit oven over charcoal, and covered with layers of palm-fiber
mats and earth, giving mescal a strong, smoky flavor. Tequila piñas are
baked or steamed in aboveground ovens or autoclaves. There is also a
worm in the bottles of the mescal it was a marketing ploy developed in
the 1940s, not a Mexican tradition.
The home of tequila
 Raw materials of tequila
Tequila is produced from a Mexican plant called agave,
specifically, from blue agave. These plants grow in the
sandy soil of Jalisco, Mexico, and have spiky leaves
growing from a "piña" (Spanish for pineapple). This
piña or core is the raw material for making tequila.
 Sub-classifications of tequila
The main two types of Tequila are first split into two
categories, 100% Blue Agave, and Tequila Mixto
(Mixed). Mixto Tequila contains a minimum of 51%
Blue Agave, and the remaining 49% from other sugars
(typically cane sugars). The additional products
allowed in Mixto Tequilas are caramel color, oak
extract flavoring, glycerin, and sugar based syrup.
Mixto Tequila can now be bottled outside of the
Tequila territory, including other countries, which
started January 6, 2006.
 Sub-classifications of tequila
Tequila is classified as:
Blanco or Plata
Joven or Oro
Reposado
Añejo
Extra Añejo
Flavored Tequila
 Sub-classifications of tequila
For the international market, the classifications
may be replaced by their translations into the
applicable language, or by the following:
“Silver” for Blanco or Plata
“Gold” for Joven or Oro
“Aged” for Reposado
“Extra-aged” for Añejo
"Ultra-aged" for Extra Añejo
 Sub-classification of tequila
Tequila Blanco / White / Silver

 This is the Blue Agave spirit in its purest form. It is clear and typically un-
aged, where the true flavors and the intensity of the Agave are present, as
well as the natural sweetness. It can be bottled directly after distillation, or
stored in stainless steel tanks to settle for up to 4 weeks. There are some
Blanco products that are aged for up to 2 months to provide a smoother or
"Suave" spirit.
Tequila Joven / Gold

 Silver Tequila which has not been left to rest or mature but to which
colorants and flavorings, such as caramel coloring, oak tree extracts,
glycerine, or sugar syrup, have been added prior to bottling. Gold Tequila
is typically a Mixto. . These "young and adulterated" Tequilas are less
expensive and used in many bars and restaurants for "mixed drinks".
Sub classification of tequila
 Tequila Reposado –Rested or Aged
A Reposado Tequila is the first stage of "rested and
aged". The Tequila is aged in wood barrels or storage
tanks between 2 months and 11 months. The spirit
takes on a golden hue and the taste becomes a good
balance between the Agave and wood flavors. Many
different types of wood barrels are used for aging, with
the most common being American or French oak.
Some Tequilas are aged in used bourbon / whiskey,
cognac, or wine barrels, and will inherit unique flavors
from the previous spirit.
Sub classification of tequila
 Tequila Añejo - Vintage or Extra Aged
The next level of aging is the anejo tequilas. Anejo, which
means "vintage", can only appear on bottles that contain
tequila, aged in oak barrels having a maximum capacity of 600
liters, a minimum of one year. This is a requirement of the
Mexican government. A year of resting in a cool bodega
produces a smoother and more sophisticated taste. American
whiskey barrels, French oak casks, or cognac barrels, are
commonly used to age this tequila. Anejos are typically aged
between 1 and 3 years. They are darker in color, more complex
in flavor, and smoother than reposado tequilas. The
commercial alcohol by volume must be adjusted by the
addition of distilled water for each type of tequila.
Sub classification of tequila
Tequila Extra Añejo (ultra aged)
A new classification added in the summer of 2006,
labeling any Tequila aged more than 3 years, an "Extra
Añejo". Following the same rule as an "Añejo", the
distillers must age the spirit in barrels or containers with a
maximum capacity of 600 liters. With this extended
amount of aging, the Tequila becomes much darker, more
of a Mahogany color, and is so rich that it becomes
difficult to distinguish it from other quality aged spirits.
After the aging process, the alcohol content must be
diluted by adding distilled water. These Extra Añejo’s are
extremely smooth and complex
 Production of tequila
What ever processes are used, tequila manufacture
comprises four main steps: cooking, milling,
fermentation and distillation.
 Tequila production step one: cooking
During this step, a sweet liquid called “cooking honey”
is collected and used later as a source of free sugars,
mainly fructose. Also during this step some of the
sugars are caramelized; and some of the compounds
that contribute significantly to the aroma and flavor in
wort formulation are due to its high content of
fermentable sugars. Finally, the oven door is opened to
allow the cooked agave to cool. The agave is then ready
for milling.
 Tequila production step two: milling
Milling is the extraction of the agave juice after it has
been cooked. The cooked agave is passed through a
cutter to be shredded and with a combination of
milling and water extraction, sugars is extracted. The
juice obtained in milling is then mixed with the syrup
obtained in the cooking step and with a solution of
sugars, normally from sugarcane (if the tequila to be
produced is not 100% agave), and finally pumped into
a fermenter. Although the amount of sugar employed,
as an adjunct is regulated by law and must be less than
49% by weight at the beginning of the fermentation.
 Tequila production step three:
fermentation
The formulation of the wort.

To produce 100% agave tequila, only agave may be used

and the initial sugar concentration ranges from 4 to
10% w/v, depending on the amount of water added in
milling. When other sugars are employed, they are
previously dissolved and mixed with agave juice to
obtain an initial sugar concentration of 8-16%,
depending on sugar tolerance of the yeast strain. Wort
formulation in most of the distilleries is based solely
on previous experience.
 Tequila production step three:
fermentation
But a few distilleries base wort formulation on composition
of raw materials and nutritional requirements for yeast
growth and fermentation. In these distilleries methodology
is the preferred method to optimize nutrient concentrations,
using fermentation efficiencies and the taste of the resulting
Tequila. To complement nutritional deficiencies of agave
juice and sugars employed in the growth and fermentation
steps, urea, ammonium sulfate, ammonium phosphate or
magnesium sulfate could be added. Because the pH of the
agave juice is around 4.5, there is no need for adjustment and
the same wort composition is used for both inoculum growth
and fermentation.
Tequila production step three: fermentation
Once the wort is prepared for fermentation, it is
inoculated with a microbial, which can be a pure yeast
wax "saccaromyces cerevisiae" (which acts as an
enzyme to help speed up the rate of the fermentation
process). The inoculum is scaled-up with continuous
aeration to produce enough volume to inoculate
fermentation tanks at 10% of the final volume. Strict
cleanliness is maintained in this step as bacterial
contamination is highly undesirable. When
contamination is detected, antibiotics or ammonium
bifluoride are used as antimicrobial agents.
Tequila production step three: fermentation
Some companies have also been using yeast strains
isolated from a natural fermentation of cooked agave
juice. Nutrients are added; along with special conditions
such as a high sugar concentration or temperature. To
achieve high yields and maintain a constant quality in
their tequila. These isolated and selected yeast strains
have been deposited in national microbial culture
collections. If an inoculum is not added, the
fermentation could last as long as seven days. With an
inoculum the fermentation time ranges from 20 hrs in
the faster process to three days in the slower one.
Tequila production step three: fermentation
The rate of fermentation depends mainly on the yeast
strain used, medium composition and operating
conditions. The wort sugar content decreases from an
initial value of 4-11% to 0.4% (w/v) reducing sugars if an
efficient yeast strain is employed and a pH drop from 4.5
to 3.9 is characteristic of the fermentation. The alcohol
content at the end of fermentation lies between 4 and
9% v/v, depending on the initial sugar concentration.
Also, during this fermentation process ethyl alcohol is
produced from the yeast associated with formation of
many fermentation compounds that contribute to the
final flavor of the tequila.
Tequila production step three: fermentation
These are organoleptic compounds, the organoleptic
characteristics of tequila come from the raw material
(cooked agave) as well as from the fermentation
process. Once the fermentation is over, the fermented
wort rests so the important aromatic components can
be generated. The filtered “wort” beside water also
contains “aldehydes” and “esters”, ethyl alcohol and
other alcohols. In order to eliminate unwanted
substances, it is now distilled.
 TEQUILA PRODUCTION STEP
FOUR:DISTILLATION
Distillation involves the separation and concentration
of the alcohol from the fermented wort. The most
common systems used in the tequila industry are pot
stills and rectification columns. The pot still is
considered the earliest form of distilling equipment
consisting of a kettle to hold the fermented wort, a
steam coil, and a condenser. Batch distillation using
pot stills is carried out in two steps. First the fermented
wort is distilled to increase the alcohol concentration
to 20-30% by volume, separating out the first fraction
called heads, and the last fraction, called tails.
 TEQUILA PRODUCTION STEP
FOUR:DISTILLATION
Composition of these fractions varies depending on
many factors including the yeast strain employed, wort
nutrient composition, fermentation time and
distillation technique. But in general heads are rich in
low boiling point compounds such as acetaldehyde,
ethyl acetate, methanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, 1-
butanol, and 2-methyl propanol, which give a very
pleasant flavor and taste to tequila. The tails contain
high boiling point components such as isoamyl alcohol,
amyl alcohol, 2-furaldehyde, acetic acid and ethylactate,
giving a strong taste and flavor to the tequila.
 TEQUILA PRODUCTION STEP
FOUR:DISTILLATION
In the second step, the liquid obtained from the first
stage is re-distilled in a similar pot still in order to
obtain a final product that is 110° proof if it is sold in
bulk or 80° proof if it is to be bottled. Some companies
obtain high proof tequila and dilute it with
demineralized water or water purified by reverse
osmosis.
 Maturation of tequila
Distillation is the final stage of tequila production.
Now the method of maturation is carried out. As
tequila ages in barrels, it is subject to changes that will
determine its final quality. Thickness and quality of
the stave, depth of the char, temperature and humidity
in the barreling area, entry proof (40-110° proof),
length of storage and number of cycles for the barrel
(in México barrels may be re-used several times) all
affect the final taste and aroma of the tequila. Complex
wood constituents are extracted by the tequila,
providing color and the particular taste.
 Maturation of tequila
After aging and dilution with demineralized water the
color of the tequila may be adjusted to the desired
value by the addition of caramel. Alternatively, some
companies blend different batches of tequila to obtain
a standardized final product. Government inspectors
supervise the entire aging process.
 Barreling maturation of tequila
Tequila Blanco and Tequila Joven are the only two qualities
that do not pass through barrel maturation. Tequila Blanco
is usually clear, unaged tequila that is normally bottled
right after being distilled. It may be left to settle in stainless
steel tanks for a few weeks before bottling occurs. Tequila
Joven on the other hand is the same silver tequila that has
not been left to rest or mature but to which colorants and
flavorings, such as caramel coloring, oak tree extracts,
glycerin, or sugar syrup, have been added.
The three other tequila qualities that passes through barrel
maturation are tequila repos ado, tequila anejo and tequila
extra anejo.
 Barreling maturation of tequila
Reposado Tequila is the first stage of "rested and aged".
The Tequila is aged in wood barrels or storage tanks
between 2 months and 12 months. The spirit takes on a
golden hue and the taste becomes a good balance between
the Agave and wood flavors. Many different types of wood
barrels are used for aging, with the most common being
American or French oak. Whereas, tequila anejo is tequila
that has been aged for 1 to 3 years. The distillers are
required to age Añejo Tequila in barrels that do not exceed
600 liters. This aging process darkens the Tequila to an
Amber color, and the flavor can become smoother, richer,
and more complex.
 Barreling maturation of tequila
. Following the same rule as an "Añejo", the distillers
must age the spirit in barrels or containers with a
maximum capacity of 600 liters. With this extended
amount of aging, the Tequila becomes much darker;
more of a Mahogany color, and is so rich that it
becomes difficult to distinguish it from other quality
aged spirits. After the aging process, the alcohol
content must be diluted by adding distilled water. This
Extra Añejo’s are extremely smooth and complex.
Glassware type used for drinking tequila
Tequila is most often served in a narrow shot glass
called a caballito ("Little Horse" in Spanish) when
served neat (without any additional ingredients). In
the year 2002 Tequila Regulatory Council approved an
official tequila glass called the Overture Tequila glass.
The margarita glass is also a type of glassware used to
serve cocktails which tequila is used.
 TRADITIONAL WAYS TO DRINK
TEQUILA
In Mexico, the most traditional way to drink tequila is
straight, without lime and salt. . Another popular drink
in Mexico is the "Bandera", it consists of three shot
glasses, filled with lime juice (for the green), white
tequila, and sangrita (for the red). They can be sipped or
drunk straight. Outside Mexico, a single shot of tequila
is often served with salt and a slice of lime. This is called
"tequila cruder“. The drinker moistens the back of their
hand below the index finger (usually by licking) and
pours on the salt. Then the salt is licked off the hand,
the tequila is drunk, and the fruit slice is quickly bitten.
 Types of glasses used

Narrow shot glass

A margarita glass Narrow shot glass
Overture Tequila Glass
 conclusion
Distillation of fermented juice from the agave plant (Agave
tequilana. Weber var. Azul).The tequila production process
comprises of four stages cooking, milling, fermentation and
distillation. The most important stage is fermentation in
which sugars are transformed into ethanol and other
compounds such as esters and organic acids. These, along
with other substances derived from the cooked agave, give
the characteristic flavor and taste to tequila. Pot stills are
used to obtain the final product maturation then takes place
for aged tequilas only. Tequila production is governed by the
official norm NOM-006-SCFI-1993, which must be followed
by all tequila producers to guarantee a good quality final
product.
 bibliography
 Secofi, Norma Oficial Mexicana. 1993. NOM006-SCFI-1993, Bebidas
alcohólicas, Tequila. Especificaciones, Diario oficial del 13 de Octubre,
p. 48.

 Bottorff de B., V. 1971. A guide to tequila, mescal and pulque. Minutae

Mexicana, México, D.F. CIATE, 1993. Informe de actividades al
consejo,Agosto, Guadalajara, Jal, México.
 Agricultural Research Service. 1972. The Agave family in Sonora.
Agriculture Handbook No.399, US Department of Agriculture, p. 195.

 AOAC 1990. Distilled liquors. Official Methods of Analysis of the

Association of Official Analytical Chemists (H. Kenneth, ed)
Association of Official Analytical Chemists, Arlington, Virginia, p.
690