Tequila (/təˈkiːlə/; Spanish: [teˈkila] ⓘ) is a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila 65 km (40 mi) northwest of Guadalajara, and in the Jaliscan Highlands (Los Altos de Jalisco) of the central western Mexican state of Jalisco.

The red volcanic soils in the region of Tequila are well suited for growing the blue agave, and more than 300 million plants are harvested there each year.

[1] The distillation technology to produce mezcal from agave heart juice was first introduced by Filipino sailors and migrants into the coastal regions of what was then Nueva Galicia (present-day Aguascalientes, Colima, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Nayarit, and Zacatecas).

Spain's King Carlos IV granted the Cuervo family the first legal license to commercially make tequila.

[8] Liquor companies in the United States said Mexico just wanted to create bottling jobs in their own country,[8] and also claimed this rule would violate international trade agreements and was in discord with usual exporting practices worldwide.

[14] The arrival happened during an event held at the House of Roosevelt, a well-known club located on The Bund – an area with a long tradition of importing alcoholic beverages in China.

[18] The red volcanic soils in the region of Tequila are well suited for growing the blue agave, and more than 300 million plants are harvested there each year.

[21] By regularly trimming any quiotes [ˈkjotes] (a stalk at the center of the plant that could grow several meters high if not cut back), the jimadores prevent the agave from flowering and dying early, allowing it to fully ripen.

They also determine when each plant is ready to be harvested, and using a special knife called a coa (with a circular blade on a long pole), carefully cut away the leaves from the piña (the succulent core of the plant), which can average around 70 kg (150 lb) in the valley and 110 kg (240 lb) in the highlands.

[23] After harvesting, the piñas [ˈpiɲas] are transported to ovens where they are slowly baked to break down their complex fructans into simple fructose.

The pulp fiber, or bagazo [baˈɣaso], left behind is often reused as compost or animal feed, or can be used as fuel or processed into paper.

Some producers like to add a small amount of bagazo back into their fermentation tanks for a stronger agave flavor in the final product.

[24] The extracted agave juice is then poured into either large wooden or stainless steel vats for several days to ferment, resulting in a wort, or mosto [ˈmosto], with low alcohol content.

Fermentation is the conversion of sugars and carbohydrates to alcohol through yeast under anaerobic conditions, meaning that oxygen is not present during the process.

[30] The participation of microorganisms from the environment (yeasts and bacteria) makes fermentation a spontaneous process that gives rise to many byproducts that contribute to the flavor and aroma of tequila.

The lower level of nitrogen in the fermentation process results in deamination reactions of amino acids, which in turn leads to the synthesis of higher alcohols.

Tequila's color ranges from clear to a brownish amber, depending on the aging process and the type of wood used for storage.

[36] The organoleptic compounds produced during fermentation include higher order alcohols, methanol, esters, carbonyls, terpenes, and furans.

[citation needed] Higher-order alcohols have a strong aroma, and the quantity present in each tequila depends on the carbon:nitrogen ratio and temperature during the cooking and fermentation processes.

[36] During the fermentation process, ethanol is oxidized and one of the main compounds produced are acetaldehydes, which adds the flavor necessary for the final product of tequila.

[35] Because the production of tequila involves heating, Maillard browning reactions occur, and furans are produced during the thermal degradation of sugar.

[37] Volatile compounds that contribute to the overall taste and aroma of tequila can be quantitatively assessed and evaluated by gas chromatography.

[30] Reposado may be rested in oak barrels or casks as large as 20,000 liters (5,280 gallons), allowing for richer and more complex flavors.

Some companies char the wood to impart a smoky flavor or use barrels previously used with different kinds of alcohol (e.g. whiskey or wine).

[44][45]The Norma Oficial Mexicana (NOM) applies to all processes and activities related to the supply of agave, production, bottling, marketing, information, and business practices linked to the distilled alcoholic beverage known as tequila.

Tequila must be produced using agave of the species Tequilana Weber Blue variety, grown in the federal states and municipalities indicated in the Declaration.

To maintain the utmost quality though, some conditions should be met: a constant and moderate temperature (60 to 65 °F), protection from direct sunlight, and maintenance of the integrity of the seal of the bottle.

[55] Many of the higher-quality, 100% agave tequilas do not impart significant alcohol burn,[56] and drinking them with salt and lime is likely to remove much of the flavor.

Following the NAFTA precedent, Mexico entered into a bilateral agreement with the European Union concerning the mutual recognition and protection of AO in the spirits sector.

Once imported to Canada for sale, it is legal for Tequila to be diluted with distilled or otherwise purified water to adjust it to the desired strength and then sold.