Tequila History And Process

AGAVE

Agave is the name of a genus of plants classified by Carolus Linnaeus, derived from the Greek word for "noble" or "admirable." Agave were once classified either in the family Amaryllidaceae or Liliaceae, along with lilies, aloes, and amaryllis. Botanists today give the agave merit of its own, in the family Agavaceae.
More than 120 species have been recorded in the Americas. Tequila, mezcal and pulque are alcoholic beverages made from various species of the agave.

METL

Metl was the Náhuatl name  given collectively to many species of agave. Early codices (chronicles of pre-Hispananic culture typically written on paper made from agave fiber) cited descriptions and virtues of fourteen species of agave.

MEZCAL

Mezcal is derived from the Náhuatl word mexcalmetl, meaning "agave species." In Mexico today, the term mezcal refers both to the agave and to the powerful distillate made from it.

MESCAL

Mescal is the English spelling for mezcal and the name for the peyote cactus (Lophophora williamsii), from which mescaline is produced. Mescal is also the name of the hallucinatory "bean" or seed of the mountain laurel (Sophorasecundiflora). Neither the cactus nor the laurel is related to the agave.

MAGUEY

Maguey is the common name for the agave in Mexico. The Spanish explorers named it after a plant that they first encountered in the Caribbean. The word maguey is used interchangeably with agave or mezcal.

THE SPIRIT OF
MEXICO:
From agave fields to cantina

    An understanding of the agave will give you a newfound reverence both for the plant itself and for its gifts of tequila.  Unlike grapes and grain, which can be harvested every year for making wine and spirits, an agave must grow for nearly a decade before it can be harvested.  Once in its lifetime, the agave shoots a gigantic flowering spear into the sky, a brave warrior's final triumph, then dies. The agave most commonly recognized in the Southwestern United States is the century plant (Agave Americana). Although many people mistakenly assume that it blooms only once in a century, in fact it blooms once in a decade.
    The agave has flourished for thousands of years throughout-semiarid regions of Mexico, where other plants wither during the ruthless seasons of drought. Born of ashes, a phoenix among plants, the agave appears to have erupted out of molten volcanic earth. Its swordlike arms reach for the heavens, each blade a tapered trough directing precious rainwater to its core, where it is hoarded for times when water is scarce.  A prolific plant, the agave flourishes in the wild.

The Jeeustrious Agave
(La Milagrosa-- The Miraculous One)

   Agave is a gift from Mother Earth. Mexcio's indigenous peoples cleverly discovered how to utilize every part of the plant for their daily survival, selecting the best attributes from its many species. It's no wonder that the agave had such mystical and sacred significance to the early Mexicans. They wasted nothing. They ate her flowers. They quenched their thirst by tapping her central core, savoring the aguamiel (honey-water) from within. They buried meat wrapped in her fresh leaves on hot coals to keep it succulent and flavorful while cooking. Even the worm that resided in the plant became a delicacy.
    These native people also roasted the heart of the agave, which converted its starchy core into a sweet and nutritional food source. This sacrificial heart- for indeed the entire plant died upon its removel- offered vital sustenance far beyond that of the symbolic offering of human sacrifice.
    But the magical agave provided more than nourishment. The people made needles and nails, ornaments and weapons from the spiky tip of the agave's large leaves. They extracted the coarse fiber from within the leaves and wove it into cloth, mats and baskets. And, from the protective cuticle within the agave's leaves, they produced a parchment-like paper, which they then used for writing upon and for wrapping steamed, seasonal meats.
    Today, millions of maguey (the common name for agave) cover the Mexican landscape. They are commonly planted close together to form protective fences around property. For centuries, campesinos (country dwellers) have used these plants on ancestral ways. Almost everything they needed for simple lifestyle was contained within one plant. Certain species produce sisal for sandals, henequen for rope, vinegar and sugar, medicine and soap. Even the dead leaves are employed as roofing for houses and fuel for fires.
    Also of great significance, the admirable agave produces the three national drinks in Mexico:  pulque, mezcal, and tequila. Great confusion surround this trio, and they are often mistaken for one and the same. But each is derived from different species of agave, generally grown in different regions of Mexico. Although pulque, mezcal, and tequila are all members of the same Agavaceae family, they are cousins, not siblings, and have very different characteristics.
    The production of mezcal and tequila requires field workers to uproot the entire agave plant in order to remove its starchy core. When baked, this core is converted into the fermentable sugars necessary for distillation. Pulque, on the other hand, has an entirely different means of production:  its frementable juices are tapped while the plant is still alive. Always served fresh, pulque is a naturally fermented drink that is never distilled.

Reference:
"Tequila! Cooking with the spirit of Mexico," Lucinda Hutson, Julie Marshall, (p. 6-8,) 1995