How tequila is made: main ingredients and composition

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Real tequila is made from the blue agave, a succulent plant found in Mexican regions. How is tequila made? Its production is divided into seven stages: harvesting, heat treatment, fermentation, distillation, aging and bottling.

Each stage is regulated by the manufacturer, following a series of rules necessary to ensure the best quality and taste. Each distillery has its own source of agave, as well as its own developed methods, processes and quality control that affect the taste of tequila in their own way.

Some people think that tequila is made from a cactus. In fact, the drink is made from a cactus-like plant - agave. In addition to the production of alcohol, it is used for medicinal and decorative purposes. In order to turn into tequila, agave goes through several processing steps. Each of them is worth dwelling on separately.

Harvesting

What is tequila made of? The photo in the article allows you to make sure that the agave is only slightlylooks like a cactus. Planting, growing and harvesting is still a manual labor that relies on centuries of knowledge passed down through generations. The agave used for authentic Mexican tequila is cultivated in the distillery's own fields. Succulents are planted in even rows, grown for six to ten years. They are cared for for as long as necessary until the plants are mature and ready to be harvested.

The plant is harvested using a special machine. She removes the leaves of the agave with a sharp, curved tool until a peeled, fleshy stem is left. Only the stems are used to make tequila. When mature, they can weigh 40 kg or more. However, the size of an agave stem is not as important as its sugar content. The older the plant, the longer it could accumulate starches that would turn into fermentable sugars. On average, about 7-8 kg of agave stalks will be required to produce one liter of good tequila.

Processing

At this stage, the culinary processing of the plant from which tequila is made takes place. For this, steam is injected into traditional brick ovens or stainless steel autoclaves are used. This is necessary to activate a chemical process in the stems of the plant that converts complex carbohydrates into simple fermentable sugars. Cooking also softens the plants, making sugar extraction easier.

After boiling, the agave is transported togrinding zone for extracting sugar. The cooked stems are crushed to release the juice, or aguamin, to be fermented. The traditional method is to crush them with a tahona - a giant grinding wheel driven by mules, oxen or tractors in a circular pit. Modern distilleries use a mechanical crusher to separate the fiber from the juices. Once the stems are crushed, they are washed with water and squeezed to remove the juices.

Fermentation

During the fermentation process, sugars are converted into alcohol in large wooden vats or stainless steel tanks. How is tequila made today? In modern productions, yeast may be added to speed up and control fermentation. Traditionally, microorganisms that grow naturally on agave leaves are used, however, many plants add a cultivated form of wild yeast. Fermentation usually takes seven to twelve days, depending on the method used.

Distillation

The fifth step in the production of tequila is distillation, in which the enzymes are separated by heat and steam pressure in stainless steel tanks. While some beverages are distilled three times, most are distilled twice.

The first distillation takes a couple of hours and produces a liquid with an alcohol level of about 20%. The second process takes three to four hours and produces a drink with a strength of 55%. After the second distillation, tequila is considered "silver", or "blanco". How do they dotequila "golden"? Additional flavors and caramel are added to it. Therefore, it is more fragrant and sweet in taste.

Ripening

Almost all tanks used in aging tequila are French or American white oak barrels that were previously used to age bourbon. Some varieties of the drink are aged from two to twelve months, but can mature for more than three years. The older the tequila, the more color and tannins it will have. The condition of the barrels (such as their age, previous use, etc.) will also affect the taste of the drink.

Bottling

Like champagne, this drink is assigned the status of "Origin", which limits production to five Mexican states: Guanajuato, Jalisco, Michoacán, Nayarit and Tamaulipas. These are the only regions where they make tequila in its classic sense.

At the same time, the state of Jalisco is very proud to be the center of production of this drink. It is considered the place where tequila was first created and where the standards were set. All 100% agave tequila must be bottled in the above Mexican regions and be labeled "Hecho en Mexico/Made in Mexico". Other types of drink may be sold and produced worldwide, but they are not considered original.

Can I make my own drink?

As noted above, contrary to popular belief, real tequila is made from agave, not fromcacti. This plant can be found only in Mexico, and in very limited quantities in other countries, where it is used for decorative purposes. Therefore, connoisseurs of homemade alcohol have found a way out. They came up with the idea of using a plant chemically similar to the blue agave - aloe vera. So how do you make tequila at home? All you need is a few aloe vera leaves from a homemade flower pot.

This recipe only mimics the taste of the drink, but does not actually make real tequila. Some will not be able to distinguish aloe tincture from real tequila. But still there is a difference in taste.

Agave has a specific fructan (a polymer of fructose) - inulin. After fermentation, it turns into ethanol with a characteristic vegetable taste and smell. Mixing vodka with plants high in inulin makes for drinks very similar to tequila.

Jerusalem artichoke, chicory, aloe, banana, onion and garlic are high in this polymer. However, many of these plants have a pungent odor, making them unsuitable for making homemade tequila. You can only achieve acceptable results with aloe. So, you will need:

• aloe vera leaves - 150 grams;
• vodka (moonshine, diluted ethanol) - 3 liters;
• sugar - 3 tsp

How to do it?

How is tequila made at home? To do this, cut the aloe into small pieces (1 by 1 cm). Then place them in a jar and fill with vodka. To soften the taste, add sugar.

Seal the contents of the jar and shake it well. After that, leave for 14-17 days in a cold dark place. During cooking, homemade tequila will first be green and then golden. Filter the drink through a cotton wool filter. Pour into a bottle and let steep for 1-2 days.

After filtering, the tequila will remain golden (sometimes with a green tint). If you don't like the look of the drink, leave it in a well-lit area for 20-30 days. When exposed to sunlight, the chlorophyll will evaporate and the tequila will become clear.

How to drink this drink?

It is believed that tequila is consumed with s alt and lemon or lime. To do this, a little s alt is poured onto the hand, a glass of drink is drunk in one gulp, after which the s alt is licked off the hand. After that, you should eat a slice of lemon.

There is an opinion that the "golden" variety should be jammed with an orange. In this case, s alt is replaced by cinnamon.

Of course, we should not forget about the famous Margarita cocktail. It mixes tequila with lemon juice and orange liqueur. There is also a strawberry variation of the cocktail.