Tequila
Base spirit — Agave
Tequila
Agave tequilana Weber azul
A Mexican spirit made exclusively from blue Weber agave, produced in designated regions of Mexico. One of the most regulated spirits in the world — and one of the most misunderstood. Far more than just a shot with salt and lime.
What is tequila?
Tequila is a Mexican spirit distilled from the heart — called the piña — of the blue Weber agave plant. It can only be produced in five designated Mexican states: Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas, with the majority coming from the Jalisco highlands and lowlands around the town of Tequila itself.
The blue agave plant takes between seven and ten years to reach maturity, which means every bottle of tequila represents almost a decade of farming before distillation even begins. That slow growth is part of what makes tequila so distinctive — and why 100% agave tequila is worth seeking out over cheaper mixto bottles that blend in other sugars.
It’s one of the most tightly regulated spirits in the world, governed by the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT), which sets rules on everything from agave variety and growing region to production methods and age statements.
Flavour profile
Tequila’s flavour depends heavily on the age category and whether it’s from the highland or lowland regions of Jalisco. Blancos show the most raw agave character — earthy, herbal, and citrus-forward — while aged expressions add vanilla, caramel, and spice from the barrel.
ABV by category
Age categories explained
Unlike rum, tequila has clearly defined legal age categories set by the CRT. These are the ones you’ll see on every bottle.
Blanco / Silver / Plata
Unaged or rested for up to 60 days. The purest expression of agave character — bright, herbal, and peppery. The best choice for most cocktails where you want the tequila to show through clearly.
Reposado
Aged between 2 months and 1 year in oak barrels. Picks up light vanilla and caramel without losing the agave. A good middle ground — works well in cocktails and sipping. Means “rested” in Spanish.
Añejo
Aged 1–3 years in small oak barrels (max 600 litres). Deeper caramel, vanilla, and spice notes. More suited to sipping than mixing, though it makes a stunning Tequila Old Fashioned. Means “aged” in Spanish.
Extra Añejo
Aged for a minimum of 3 years. Rich, complex, and closer to whisky or Cognac territory than cocktail tequila. Best enjoyed neat. A relatively recent category, introduced in 2006.
Cristalino
Añejo or Extra Añejo tequila that has been filtered through activated charcoal to remove colour while retaining the flavour compounds gained from barrel ageing. Looks like a blanco, drinks like an añejo. Not a legally defined category but increasingly common.
How tequila is made
The production process is more hands-on than almost any other spirit, starting with nearly a decade of farming before the first drop is distilled.
Harvesting the agave
Jimadores — specialist agave farmers — hand-harvest the blue Weber agave after 7–10 years of growth. They remove the spiky leaves to expose the piña (the heart), which can weigh anywhere from 40 to 90kg.
Cooking the piñas
The piñas are slow-cooked in ovens or autoclaves to convert the complex agave starches into fermentable sugars. Traditional producers use brick ovens; industrial producers use faster autoclave pressure cooking. The method affects the final flavour significantly.
Extraction & fermentation
The cooked agave is shredded and pressed to extract the sweet juice (called aguamiel). This is fermented with yeast — wild yeasts for traditional producers, cultivated strains for consistency — into a low-alcohol wash.
Distillation
Tequila must be distilled at least twice by law. Most is distilled in copper pot stills or column stills, or a combination of both. The distillate is then either bottled immediately as blanco or moved to barrels for ageing.
Ageing & bottling
Blanco is rested briefly or bottled straight away. Reposado, Añejo, and Extra Añejo go into oak barrels — often ex-American whiskey or ex-French wine — for the legally required minimum time before dilution to bottling strength and release.
100% agave vs mixto — why it matters
This is the most important label distinction on a tequila bottle, and it’s worth understanding before you buy.
100% agave tequila is made entirely from blue Weber agave sugars. This is what you want — it tastes better, gives cleaner cocktails, and is far less likely to cause a rough morning. The label will say “100% de agave” or “100% agave.”
Mixto tequila is only required to contain 51% agave sugars — the rest can be made up of other sugars, typically cane sugar. Mixto is cheaper to produce and accounts for a lot of the budget supermarket bottles. It’s also the category responsible for a lot of people’s bad tequila memories. If the bottle doesn’t say 100% agave, it’s a mixto.
What about mezcal?
All tequila is mezcal, but not all mezcal is tequila. Mezcal is the broader category of Mexican agave spirits — tequila is simply a specific, tightly regulated style within it. The key difference is that mezcal can be made from over 30 agave varieties and uses a traditional pit-roasting method that gives it a distinctive smoky character. Tequila must use blue Weber agave and generally isn’t smoked. Mezcal also has its own designated production regions and regulatory body. We cover it in full in the mezcal database entry.
Quick facts
Legal definition: Tequila must be produced from 100% blue Weber agave in one of five designated Mexican states, distilled at least twice, and bottled at a minimum of 35% ABV. Regulated by the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT).
Key regions: The Jalisco Highlands (Los Altos) produce sweeter, more floral tequilas. The Jalisco Lowlands around the town of Tequila produce earthier, more herbaceous styles. Small amounts also come from Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas.
Agave sustainability: The demand for tequila has put significant pressure on blue agave cultivation. Because the plants are typically harvested before they flower and seed, many producers now cultivate agave clonally — which reduces genetic diversity. A genuine concern for the long-term future of the category.
Serving temperature: Blanco is best served chilled or at room temperature for cocktails. Añejo and Extra Añejo are better at room temperature neat — chilling suppresses the complex aromas you’re paying for.
Closest substitutes: In cocktails, mezcal is the most natural substitute, though it’ll add smoke. White rum works reasonably well in citrus-forward tequila cocktails. There’s no good substitute for the agave character in sipping tequila.
Cocktails that use tequila
Tequila punches well above its weight in cocktail classics. Here are some worth knowing.
Recommended bottles
All 100% agave — a mix of reliable mixing bottles and ones worth sipping on their own.
Espolòn Blanco
Blanco · Jalisco · 40%
Reliable, affordable, and genuinely good quality. A solid workhorse blanco for Margaritas and Palomas without breaking the budget.
Tapatio Blanco
Blanco · Jalisco Highlands · 38%
A favourite among bartenders. Bright agave-forward character with citrus and pepper. Outstanding value for 100% agave quality.
El Tesoro Reposado
Reposado · Jalisco Highlands · 40%
Traditional tahona-crushed agave with light vanilla from barrel ageing. Retains strong agave character — excellent in cocktails and neat.
Fortaleza Añejo
Añejo · Jalisco Lowlands · 40%
Small-batch, traditional production. Rich and complex with caramel, dark fruit, and spice. Best sipped neat or in a Tequila Old Fashioned.
Patrón Silver
Blanco · Jalisco · 40%
One of the bottles that introduced many drinkers to quality tequila. Clean and smooth with a mild agave character. Widely available in the UK and US.
Casamigos Reposado
Reposado · Jalisco · 40%
Smooth and accessible with butterscotch and light oak notes. A good crossover bottle for whisky drinkers approaching tequila for the first time.
Storage & shelf life
Tequila is straightforward to store — though aged expressions need a little more care than blancos.
Temperature
Room temperature is ideal. No need to refrigerate, though serving blanco chilled works well in cocktails.
Light
Keep out of direct sunlight. UV exposure can degrade the flavour compounds, particularly in delicate blancos.
Sealing
Always reseal. Once a bottle is less than a quarter full, the increased air contact will start to flatten the flavour over time — particularly in añejos.
Shelf life
Indefinitely if sealed and stored properly. Unlike wine, tequila doesn’t continue to develop in the bottle once it’s sealed — what’s there when you open it is what you’ve got.