The quote from Paul Theroux’s The Old Patagonian Express describes the swathes of blue
agave grown in the dry highlands of the state of Jalisco and a few neighboring areas. Agave is the raw material for the firewater, tequila, and although there are some 400 varieties of agave, only one, the blue agave is suitable. The spiky leaves are hacked off and the central core, weighing around 45 kilograms, is crushed and roasted to give the characteristic smell and flavour to the drink. The syrup extracted is then mixed with liquid sugar, fermented for 30-321 hours and then distilled twice. White tequila is the product of a further four months in wooden or stainless steel vats. It can be drunk neat, with a pinch of salt on the back of your hand, followed by a suck on a wedge of lime, or mixed into cocktails such as the famous Margarita. Gold tequila is a blend of white tequila and tequila which has been aged in wooden casks. Anejo, or aged, tequila, is a golden brown from spending at least two years in oak casks. As it ages it becomes smoother and is drunk like a fine brandy or aged rum. Special premium tequila has no sugar added, it is pure agave aged in wooden casks.
In pre-conquest times, the Indians used the agave sap to brew a mildly alcoholic drink, pulque, which is still drunk today. The Spaniards, however, wanted something more refined and stronger. They developed mescal and set up distilleries to produce what later became tequila. The first of these was established in 1795 by royal decree of King Charles IV of Spain. It is still in existence today: La Rojena, the distillery of Jose Cuervo, known by its black crow logo, is the biggest in the country. Around the town of Tequila there are 12 distilleries, of which 10 produce 75 percent of the country’s tequila.
Tours of the distilleries can be arranged with free samples and, of course, shopping opportunities.
Tequila Cuervo, T6344170, F6348893, in Guadalajara, or T20076 In Tequila (contact Srta Clara Martinez for tours).
Tequila Sauza, T6790600, F6790690, dating from 1873, see the famous fresco illustrating the joys of drinking tequila.
Herradura, T6149657, 6584717, F6140175, in Amatitlan, 8 kilometers from Tequila in an old hacienda outside the village which has adobe walls and cobblestone streets, worth a visit.
