The History and Mystique of Tequila in Mexico
The pride and joy of Mexico is tequila, did you know that? It’s true! This delicious liquor has been a top choice for people around the world since it was first introduced in Tequila, Jalisco in the 16th century. Tequila’s predecessor was pulque, a fermented beverage that was made using the agave plant back in pre-Columbian times in Mexico before the Europeans invaded the country. Do you love Mexico and want to buy luxury real estate? If so, consider Villa La Estancia which is the premiere Nuevo Vallarta real estate opportunity in Riviera Nayarit. We offer elegant beachfront residences with all the bells and whistles so that your second home in Mexico is everything you have dreamed of and more. Read below to learn more interesting facts about tequila and its history, and maybe you can enjoy a tequila in your new home in Mexico soon!
Origins of Tequila: Pulque
The Aztecs inhabited ancient Mexico and began the process of fermenting the agave plant to create a milky alcoholic liquid known as pulque between the years 1000 B.C. through 200 A.D. Pulque was created using the sap of the agave plant, and the Aztec people event worshipped two Gods that had a unique relationship to pulque. Mayahuel was the first Aztec God that was the goddess of the plant, and her husband Patecatl was the second God who was worshipped as well. Around 200 A.D.,the first evidence that pulque appeared in ancient drawings found on stone walls in the area. However, pulque was not transformed into the tequila that we know and love today until years later when Spain invaded Mexico.
Spanish Conquistadors Influenced the Creation of Mezcal and Tequila
Did you know that the fermentation process of pulque underwent a transformation when the Spanish conquistadors arrived in Mexico in the 1400’s and 1500’s? The Spanish invaders drink of choice was brandy, but brandy was difficult to find in North America. As a result, they started improvising to make a new liquor called mezcal by using the agave plant and mud. Tequila is technically a type of mezcal, but tequila must be made exclusively from the blue agave plant, while various types of agave plants can be used to make mezcal. During the 1500’s, the Spanish government opened trade operations between Mexico and Manila that allowed mezcal and alcohol to be more easily traded. Later, in the 1600’s the largest Mexican distillery was constructed in Tequila, Jalisco.
1700’s – The Transformation into Modern Tequila
The Cuervo family started distilling tequila commercially in Mexico in 1758. Over 100 years later in 1873, the Sauza family successfully identified that the blue agave plant is the best choice for producing high-quality tequila. Approximately fifty years later near Tijuana, the first margarita was created by an Irishman named Madden who owned a bar in Tijuana. Many Americans would travel down to Mexico so they could get alcohol during prohibition, and Tijuana had more than 100 bars in town during the 1920’s. James Graham, an American journalist, and his wife were vacationing in Mexico and stopped at a bar in Tijuana that was owned by Madden, an Irishman. Madden created the Tequila Daisy, which was the first margarita. Many bars closed down after 1936 when alcohol was legalized again in the United States. The drink created by Madden became known as the margarita, and is still one of the most popular drinks in the USA and around the world. The first recipe for the margarita was published a few decades later in Esquire Magazine in 1953, making the margarita even more popular around the world.
Tequila is Intellectual Property of Mexico
In the year of 1974, the Mexican government officially declared tequila intellectual property of Mexico. This ensures that tequila can only be made in Mexico, and other countries are prohibited from producing tequila legally. The laws in Mexico clearly state that tequila can only be made in the state of Jalisco, along with a couple municipalities in the neighboring states of Tamaulipas, Guanajuato, Nayarit, and Michoacan. To ensure the high quality of tequila being produced, a Tequila Regulatory Council was also created. Remember, tequila is an alcoholic beverage that is made from only the blue agave plant, and this alcohol is mostly produced in Tequila, Jalisco.
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