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Spare Change

with John des Rosiers

Tequila 101

As I travel the country speaking about tequila, our special methods for creating it, our history, our story, and why additives are such a detriment to the art of tequila making, I have discovered that many people don’t really fully understand basic tequila details- including my sister.  Michelle, this is for you…

So, for all of you who are a little unsure, this will hopefully help.  

This post is also for the passionistas (new word? I like it!), who know there is always something to learn every day.

The Plants

  • Tequila making only uses a single varietal of Agave. It looks like a large aloe vera cactus plant, and it’s about 6 feet in diameter.
  • This type is called Blue Weber Agave, and it is the only type of agave that can make Tequila.
  • Agave usually grows in ancient volcanic soils in the state of Jalisco.
    • Agave can be grown and made in several other places, but Jalisco makes the vast majority.
  • It grows for 6-8 years before it is ripe and can be harvested, and each plant weighs about 50-60 pounds each. 
    • That equates to 1 harvest every decade for a farm, and corn or beans will be planted in the off years.
  • The agave is then harvested by hand by artisans named Jimadores. This is a job that is taught and passed down for generations.
  • The sharp and pointy leaves are cut away, and only the heart of the plant (the piña) is used to make tequila. 

How it’s made

There are several modern ways for making tequila, but for this detail, I will explain the traditional method.

  • Step 1: After harvesting the agave hearts, or the piñas, they are cooked in large stone ovens which are heated by steam.
  • Step 2: The piñas then take 3-4 days to cook and cool.
  • Step 3: After they are cooled, the plants are soft and colored a blonde, caramel brown.
  • Step 4: The piñas are then gently pulled apart- exposing their woody fibers and juicy sugars.
  • Step 5: Those fibers are then pressed in a large round stone pit which is 15 feet across and 2 feet deep. (In the traditional method, a stone wheel that weighs hundreds of pounds is used. This is called a Tahona wheel, and only about 4% of Tequila is made in this manner.)
  • Step 6: Water is added to the fibers in the pit to help extract the sugary juice.
  • Step 7: The juice is then strained off, and the sugar level is measured. Then, it is pumped into a fermentation tank. (Traditionally, these tanks are made from wood. Pine, to be exact. )
  • Step 8: Yeast is added to this sweet agave juice, which is named “Mosto” at this point in the process.
  • Step 9: Fermentation, the process of converting the sugars into alcohol and flavor, takes place over the course of 5-15 days.
  • Step 10: Next, this fermented “Mosto,” now called “Ordinario,” is placed inside a copper pot still and slowly heated until the alcohol starts to evaporate.
  • Step 11: This distillation process is then conducted 2 times. Each time, the process concentrates the amount of alcohol.
  • Step 12: The tequila is now complete and usually has an alcohol percentage of 55%, or 110 proof.
  • Step 13: This agave spirit can now be left alone if it’s a Blanco, (typically unaged) or aged for different versions.
  • Step 14: The tequila will then be diluted with water and filtered before bottling. 87% of tequila will be altered and changed by using additives like flavoring, sugars, and colors. This now becomes adulterated tequila and is NOT traditional in any way.

 

Aging

  • Blanco or Silver: It’s important to remember that these titles are not colors, they are time.  Every version of tequilas’ age is based on its time spent in the barrel. Blanco is any tequila that spends 59 days or less in a barrel. Most Blancos that you see on the shelves are unaged,  and they are virtually never aged in a barrel.
  • Reposado: Is aged anywhere from 60 days – 364 days (less than 1 year) in a barrel.
  • Añejo: Spends 12 months – 3 years in a barrel.
  • Extra Añejo: Is aged for more than 3 years in a barrel.

 

Labeling

  • The production and labeling of tequila is currently controlled by a non-government group called the CRT or the Consejo Regulador del Tequila. They control every single aspect of agave farming and tequila production – from the numbering and recording of each individual plant, to overseeing aging, and approving all labels and exportation permits.
  • The labels of tequila currently cannot contain any statement about what additives are used, or what additives are NOT used. 
  • The labels also cannot contain any sort of ingredients statement. For instance, a label that states that the tequila has been made from “Agave, Yeast, and Water” is not allowed.
  • Even the current federal Mexican government nutritional label is not allowed.
  • No statement regarding marketing is allowed either. Such as, “made from sustainable materials” or “bottle made from recycled glass.”
  • No statement regarding production methods is allowed. For example, “made using traditional methods.”

 

Cost of what’s in the bottle

  • As a contrast, the grain that bourbon is made from will cost 75 cents per bottle. Bourbon’s cost comes from the long aging processes of 8-15 years. The cost of agave, when using a traditional method, is between 6-9 dollars – 10 times what grain for whiskey costs. Keep in mind that’s agave grown in Mexico which has a currency rate of 20 pesos to 1 dollar. Using agave is incredibly expensive and labor intensive. 
  • Implementing modern techniques can reduce this cost to 3-4 dollars per bottle. These methods all have various effects on the quality of the tequila, and usually result in the need to incorporate additives because the tequila itself is not enjoyable unaltered. 
  • Taxes both from the federal government and from your local state add significant cost to your bottle of liquor.
    • The higher the alcohol, the more the charges. For example, an 80 proof spirit will equate to about $2.60 per bottle.
    • In states like Illinois, New York, and California, add another $4-8 per bottle, then charge 10-12% sales tax on top of that.
    • So, a $25 bottle on the shelf will cost $27.50 out the door and will contain roughly $11 in tax. That’s 40% of your cost.  
  • In America, by law, every bottle of liquor has to pass through the “3 Tier System” in order to “protect” you. This means a manufacturer cannot sell you a bottle directly. However, some wine can be done this way.
  • A liquor manufacturer will sell a bottle for $20 to a distributor, who then sells it to your local store for $30, and then they will mark it up to $42. You will pay $47 out the door. 
    • The company that makes the bottle will receive 42% of its cost. 

Okay, for the next post, we will dive back into some subject that pisses someone off in some way – I can’t be this boring for a while. Hopefully people read and learn a little more about tequila and how damn hard it is to create.

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