|  Overview
Tequila
is particularly associated with the state of Jalisco. Infact Tequila
is the name of a town just north of Guadala jara, famous for,
thats right, tequila. The town is definitly worth a visit where
you can sample various local brands of Tequila. Famous
distilleries such as Sauza, Patron and others can be found throughout
the state of Jalisco.
Tequila was first distilled
in the 16th century in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. The city
of Tequila was established in about 1656. This is where the agave
plant grows best.
 The
agave is a plant that belongs to the lily family and has long
spiny leaves. The Weber blue agave is the specific species of
agave that is used to make tequila. It takes 8-12 years for the
agave to reach maturity. During harvest, the leaves are cut off
leaving the heart of the plant or pina which resembles a large
pineapple. The harvested pina may weigh 200 pounds or more and
is chopped into smaller pieces for cooking at the distillery.
Please
note that additional info (prices, activities, etc) are found
to the right of this pages. 
 There
are two basic types of tequila, 100% blue agave tequila and mixto.
The 100% blue agave tequilas are distilled entirely from the fermented
juice of the agave. If the bottle does not say 100% blue agave
it is mixto and may have been distilled from as little as 60%
agave juice with other sugars. There are also several grades of
tequila. Unaged, untreated and some treated
with additives to achieve an effect similar to aging.
The tequila is usually stored
and aged in oak barrels to make it smooth. Aging may disguise
the agave flavor and few tequilas are aged longer than three to
four years.
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