Tequila has long been synonymous with Margaritas, but
until recently few outside Mexico viewed it as a drink of the
elite. That’s changing—and with good reason. Since the 1990s, many
producers have worked toward quality standards set by the International
Organization for Standarization (ISO 9000), and they are producing
ever-finer Tequilas. These days, Tequilas of the highest quality can be appreciated much like a fine cognac or single-malt
whiskey.
Tequila production is really a
simple, straightforward process in which juice from the fermented heart
of the starchy blue agave plant is distilled. The blue agave has long
bluish-gray swordlike leaves; although it appears to be a cactus, it
isn't. Rather, it's related to the lily.
After harvest, the heart of the agave
(see photo, below) is
"cooked" in huge ovens to break starches down into sugar. The liquid
produced is then fermented and distilled twice, producing a clear
tequila.
That’s the short version of the
process. Below you'll find a step-by-step overview of the tequila-making
process.
Collecting the
piña:
Tequila is the only beverage in the world with a denomination of origin
requiring a raw material (in this case, the agave plant) that takes more
than seven years to mature. When the agave is between 7-10 years old,
its leaves are removed and it is taken from the soil to extract its
“piña” or heart. The heart is then taken to the factory, where it is
divided in two or four parts.
Piñas
(agave
hearts) at
Los Osuna Plantation near Mazatlan
Cooking
of the piña:
The piñas are placed in ovens—modern autoclaves or traditional masonry
ovens—to obtain their fermentable sugars. The ovens are heated with
steam from 18 to 48 hours, cooking the piñas until the head has a high
sugar content.
Closeup of a piña
Extraction
of syrup and pulp:
The piña head is placed in a mill or shredder, and pressed until the
juice is released. Highly pressurized water is sprayed over the pulp,
extracting the sugars. The resultant pulp is a diluted agave juice.
Anywhere from 121 to 132 pounds of pulp are discarded to produce one
liter of tequila. The extracted agave juice or syrup is piped to the
preparation or fermentation vats.
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Pressing the agave.
Fermentation:
This is the term used for
transforming the sugars into ethyl alcohol (and other by-products). Huge
stainless steel vats are filled with the syrups, also called musts.
Yeasts and fermentation nutrients are added. Fermentation time varies
depending on the surrounding temperature, which changes with the
seasons, but usually takes more than 30 hours.
The products of any fermentation process are alcohol,
carbon dioxide, water, and energy released in the form of heat. While
fermenting, the must is effervescent; bubbling ends when the work of the
yeasts—converting sugars to alcohol—is done. At this point it’s
customary to say “the must is dead.”
Distillation:
Using heat and pressure, alcohol, water, and solid materials are
separated to create a product with a higher alcohol content—that is,
Tequila. Vinzas, a residue or fermentation waste consisting of water and
yeasts, is also produced via this process; it is discarded. The
distillation process takes place in double stills made of copper or
stainless steel. These stills basically consist of three parts: the pot
or cauldron (where the must is placed); the column or capital (which
collects and conducts the steam); and the coil (in which the steam is
cooled and turned into liquid). The boiling points of the various
ingredients, as well as the different volumes and pressures of the
still, help gases to separate and condense into products with a higher
alcoholic content.
Classification:
A Tequila's classification is determined by its quality, and ultimately
affects the price you pay. Two quality categories exist:
-
100% Blue Agave Tequila
(indicated on the bottle as Tequila 100% de agave or Tequila 100% puro
de agave) is produced only with sugars from the blue agave. This is the
elite of all Tequilas.
-
Tequila
is made using 51% agave sugars and 49% other sugars.
The second division, Tequila, consists of five sub-categories. From
lowest- to highest-quality, they are:
-
Tequila Blanco (White or Silver):
Unaged, clear in color, bottled immediately after distillation. The
least expensive Tequila.
-
Tequila Joven (Gold):
Basically this is Blanco Tequila to which flavors and coloring has been
added, with the intent of giving it a smooth taste.
-
Tequila Reposado (Aged):
Tequila has aged in wood for at least two months and as long as one
year. French and white oak are common woods used in this aging. This
product can be decanted and left at least two months in oak or helm oak
containers. Its commercial alcoholic content, when necessary , has to be
diluted with water.
-
Tequila Añejo (Extra-aged):
Aged in oak a minimum of one year and up to three years. Woods used are
french oak casks, cognac barrels, American whiskey barrels. tequila: A
product that can be decanted, is subject to an aging process of at least
a year in oak or helm oak containers, with a maximum capacity of 600
liters (158.5 gallons) and with a commercial alcoholic content that if
needed, must be diluted with water.
-
Tequila Extra Añejo (Ultra-Aged): Aged at least three
years in oak, often much longer.
