The Mexican spirit produced primarily in Jalisco from the blue agave plant is tequila.
Tequila is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from the heart, or piña, of blue agave, scientifically known as Agave tequilana Weber var. azul. The spirit is strongly associated with the town of Tequila and the surrounding region of Jalisco, where red volcanic soils and local growing conditions are well suited to the crop. Tequila may also be produced in authorized municipalities in several neighboring Mexican states.
To make it, producers harvest mature agave, remove the leaves, and cook the piñas to convert their stored inulin into fermentable sugars. The cooked agave is crushed, fermented, and distilled. Tequila can be bottled young as blanco or aged in wood to create reposado and añejo styles, which develop deeper color and more mellow flavors.
Tequila is related to mezcal, but the terms are not interchangeable. Tequila must use blue agave under Mexico’s protected production rules, whereas mezcal can be made from various agave species and often has a smoky character from roasting the agave in underground pits. The tequila-producing landscape was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006.