100% Agave Tequila!

Tequila! In the USA, it's a name synonymous with a type of hard liquor. But, did you know that Tequila is also the name of a town in Mexico? In fact, there are 22 different tequila companies in the town of Tequila. The name "tequila" can only be used on the liquor produced from the blue agave plant in a only a couple states in Mexico. The state that produces the most is Jalisco, where the town of Tequila is located. Today, we were going to explore two tequila companies in Tequila: 3 Mujeres and La Cofradia.

Agave field at 3 Mujeres

What makes 3 Mujeres special? It is all organic. 3 Mujeres organically grows it's own agave plants, which take 7-12 years to mature. It's tempting to go non-organic to speed up the process (e.g. Sauza injects it's agave plants with growth hormone so that they mature in only three years).

Roasted agave -- it's sweet!

When we first arrived at 3 Mujeres, we were treated to snacks of roasted agave. Like sugar cane, it's to be chewed and sucked on but not swallowed. These pieces of agave were surprisingly sweet!

Jimador supervising tourist chopping agave leaves

Next, the jimador, a person who harvests agave, let us try chopping the leaves from an uprooted agave plant. Originally, the natives had used the leaves and spines of the agave plant for food, fibers and as roofs. However, today only the heart of the agave is used to make tequila.

3 Mujeres steam cooks the agave hearts for 48 hours in these large ovens. There are other ways to speed up the process. For example, some distilleries roast the agave, which can shorten the processing time to 8-10 hours.

Machine to juice agave

Truck full of agave fiber

Then, the agave hearts are cooled for 10 hours before being run through the above contraption. This machine strains out the juice. The fibers are dumped into a waiting truck and used as fertilizer on the fields.

3 Mujeres Tequilas. From left to right:
Extra Anejo, Anejo, Reposado, Blanco

Finally, the agave juice is distilled in waiting vats. Did you know that all tequila starts from the same agave juice? The only difference is how long each matures in oak barrels. Tequila Blanco (usually clear) is ready almost immediately. 3 Mujeres Reposado Tequila (slightly tinted) is aged for 10 months in oak barrels. Anejo and Extra Anejo Tequilas are matured for years.

Tequila barrel transportation in Tequila

After tasting these four types of tequila, we got back on the bus for a sight seeing tour into the town of Tequila. We couldn't stop in Tequila without stopping by Jose Cuervo's large store. Did you know that they also manufacture and sell Cholula, the hot sauce?

Jose Cuervo

Jose Cuervo is a pure tequila distillery. It doesn't grow any of it's own agave. Instead, it purchases agave from producers. Therefore, only a small percentage, family reserve, is made completely traditionally and organically. However, Jose Cuervo is the oldest tequila manufacturer still in business. Jose Cuervo received official distillery license from the Spanish government in 1795!

Specialized Jose Cuervo Family Reserve box designs

Don't worry, we did stop and eat. We had some ice cream. And, something from a bag of Tostitos (we're not really sure what this is):

Tostitos snack

Plus, there was a stop at a fancy restaurant with a basic buffet and a live mariachi band. Really, though, we were just killing time until we could get to the next tequila farm, La Cofradia.

La Cofradia is a relatively recent entrant into the tequila business. It was established in 1990 by Carlos Hernandez Hernandez. He had some interesting innovations for the tequila business, including building his cellar around the trees instead of cutting them down. In this way, his cellar is cooled by the trees' shade. It's only other cooling comes from strategically placed windows.

Outside La Cofradia Cellar.
Tree branches poke through roof.

Inside La Cofradia Cellar.
Tree growing inside.

La Cofradia has a small but interesting museum on-site that talks about the history of the company as well as the history of tequila. The quick synopsis of tequila:
1. Our guide told us that the word tequila comes from a Nahautl word for the obsidian rock from the now dormant Tequila Volcano. "Tequila" basically meant the people who cut things with obsidian rock (e.g. agave harvesters)
2. The native Nahautl were producing a fermented agave drink called "pulque".
3. The Spaniards, running out of brandy, were searching for a local alternative.
4. The Spanish government enjoyed significant income from the taxes levied on tequila (originally called mezcal wine).
5. Every once in awhile there was a ban on all tequila by the government.
6. But, tequila is still around and becoming even more popular today!

La Cofradia tequila brands

Some tour options of Tequila:
Tequila Express (train) - 1200 pesos (~$100 USD) - http://reservaciones.tequilaexpress.com.mx/
Jose Cuervo Express (train) - 1350-1530 pesos (~$110-$130) - http://www.josecuervoexpress.com/es/compra/reserva-tu-experiencia.html
Tequila Grande tour (bus) - 450-750 pesos (~$40-$65) - http://www.tequilagrandtour.mx/