The clear white liquor with the unique taste that
people either love or hate, tequila is thought to have been first
produced around the second half of the 16th century in Mexico. It is
made from the blue agave plant that grows so abundantly around the
city of Tequila in the state of Jalisco. Tequila is said to have
been a result of the Spaniards running out of their own brandy. Upon
hearing the Aztecs had once used the blue agave plant to produce an
alcoholic drink (known as octli or pulque), the conquistadors set
about distilling the plant to produce a drink they could use to
replace their beloved brandy.
Mexican law dictates that tequila can only be produced in this and a
few other very select areas if it is to carry the name of tequila.
Over 300 million agave plants are harvested each year for the
production of tequila.
It is distilled after fermentation and the end product is usually
38% to 40% alcohol. That brings it in at 76% to 80% proof.