All Tequilas Are Not Equal

There's no other alcohol quite like Tequila. Not surprising as Mexico's national drink can only be made from the Blue Agave (ah-gah-veh) plant found only in a select region of Mexico.

The Blue Agave is a large plant with spiny leaves. Many think the Blue Agave looks just like a huge pineapple (similar to the one Sponge Bob lives in, but then again, that might be the tequila talking...)

Mexican law provides that all tequila must be aged for a minimum of fourteen to twenty-one days (which leaves plenty of time to speculate about the pineapple shape of the plant.) This aging process produces white tequila, or basic tequila blanco.

To produce gold tequila, or tequila oro, an additional five weeks or approximately thirty-five extra days for aging are needed. Premium tequilas are aged longer from up to one year to no maximum aging. Tequila anejo or aged tequila is aged the longest and is considered to be the top-banana of tequilas.

There's obviously a vast difference in spirits when it comes to the aging process, but the inequities do not end there. The bulk of Tequila products exported are diluted with different sources of sugar. Regulations require that tequila products must contain a minimum of fifty-one percent blue agave juices, but the remainder of the mix can be from various sources of sugar.

So, though it's still highly flavorful and enjoyable, your average teliqua bottle is only a little over one half tequila pure.

Teliqua coinsurers take note, you can have the whole enchilada. While it will come at a price, Tequila 100% Agave is available and by regulation, must be made from one-hundred percent blue agave juices.

How do you tell the difference?

Tequila 100% Agave will have "100% Agave" or "100% Agave Azul" clearly imprinted on the bottle label. Another indicator to look for is that the Tequila 100% Agave was produced in a Mexico distillery. Mexican law allows only Mexican distilleries to bottle 100% Agave.

Mixed tequila, or tequila diluted with other sugars, are simply referred to as "Tequila" on the label. In other words, if it doesn't say "100% Agave," it isn't.

Is that the only difference?

Flavor, purity, quality, and taste are all factors when comparing 100% Tequila Agave to Mixed Tequila. In a nutshell, the 100% means better quality, flavor, and may even aid in reducing next day hang-overs due to the purity of the alcohol.

But, the jury is still out on whether your tequila choice will make a dramatic difference if you are drinking mixed drinks, such as a Margarita or a Tequila Sunrise. Many bartenders and drinkers will argue that the juices and mixers mask the differences between premium and mainstream tequilas.

Next time you're in a tequila party mood, you be the judge. Stop at your local bar (it's a lot cheaper to sample at a pub than to purchase the bottles outright) and compare 100% Tequila Agave to Mixed Tequila. You may just find you can't live without the good stuff.

Or, as a good friend of mine often says, after two drinks, it just doesn't matter that much!