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91-534: Agave americana , commonly known as the century plant , maguey , or American aloe , is a flowering plant species belonging to the family Asparagaceae . It is native to Mexico and the United States, specifically Texas. This plant is widely cultivated worldwide for its ornamental value and has become naturalized in various regions, including Southern California, the West Indies, South America,

182-469: A tahona [taˈona] . The pulp fiber, or bagazo [baˈɣaso] , left behind is often reused as compost or animal feed, or can be used as fuel or processed into paper. Some producers like to add a small amount of bagazo back into their fermentation tanks for a stronger agave flavor in the final product. The extracted agave juice is then poured into either large wooden or stainless steel vats for several days to ferment, resulting in

273-432: A wort , or mosto [ˈmosto] , with low alcohol content. This wort is then distilled once to produce what is called ordinario [oɾðiˈnaɾjo] , and then a second time to produce clear "silver" tequila. A minimum of two distillations is required by law. A few producers such as Casa Noble (for their "Crystal" expression) and Corzo (for their añejo expression) have experimented with distilling

364-447: A blend of white and reposado. Rested (reposado) tequila is aged for a relatively short time (two months or more), and aged (añejo) tequila for a longer time (a year or more). All aging of tequila is done in wooden containers. The aging process can last three years or more, and can create or enhance flavors and aromas. It generally imparts a golden color. There are more than 300 known compounds in tequila, many of which are produced during

455-433: A comprehensive review of research literature using systematic methods ( scientific review ) did not find sufficient data to support its effectiveness or safety. It is important to note that A. americana can cause severe allergic dermatitis . The plant holds heraldic significance and is featured in the coat of arms of Don Diego de Mendoza, a Native American governor of the village of Ajacuba , Hidalgo . Additionally,

546-515: A decrease in fusel oil concentration. Reposado may be rested in oak barrels or casks as large as 20,000 liters (5,280 gallons), allowing for richer and more complex flavors. The preferred oak comes from the US, France, or Canada, and is usually white oak. Some companies char the wood to impart a smoky flavor or use barrels previously used with different kinds of alcohol (e.g. whiskey or wine). Some reposados can also be aged in new wood barrels to achieve

637-586: A distinct beverage. Agaves are also found throughout Latin America and are used in similar ways. In Ecuador, the equivalent of pulque is known as guarango , which has recently been distilled as miske . Agave nectar is marketed as a natural sweeteners with a low glycemic index , primarily due to its high fructose content. The leaves of A. americana yield fibers called pita , which are suitable for making ropes, nets, bags, sacks, matting, and coarse cloth. They are also used for leather embroidery in

728-428: A hint of spicy flavor to the tequila. Since the production of tequila involves heating, Maillard browning reactions occur, and furans are produced during the thermal degradation of sugar. The most prominent furanic compounds include 2-furaldehyde and 5-methylfuraldehyde, which can contribute to the smoky flavor of tequila. Guaiacol also seems to contribute to Tequila's smoky flavor. Beta-demascenone contributes to

819-495: A lab, trade or industry that does not unambiguously describe a single chemical, such as copper sulfate , which may refer to either copper(I) sulfate or copper(II) sulfate. Sometimes common names are created by authorities on one particular subject, in an attempt to make it possible for members of the general public (including such interested parties as fishermen, farmers, etc.) to be able to refer to one particular species of organism without needing to be able to memorise or pronounce

910-485: A particularly common name is used varies; some common names have a very local application, while others are virtually universal within a particular language. Some such names even apply across ranges of languages; the word for cat , for instance, is easily recognizable in most Germanic and many Romance languages . Many vernacular names, however, are restricted to a single country and colloquial names to local districts. Some languages also have more than one common name for

1001-458: A serial number (NOM) denoting in which distillery the tequila was produced. In many cases, multiple different brands come from the same manufacturer. In 2003, Mexico issued a proposal that would require all Mexican-made tequila be bottled in Mexico before being exported to other countries. The Mexican government said that bottling tequila in Mexico would guarantee its quality. Liquor companies in

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1092-496: A slower fermentation process. The organoleptic compounds produced during fermentation include higher order alcohols, methanol , esters , carbonyls , terpenes , and furans . Higher-order alcohols have a strong aroma, and the quantity present in each tequila depends on the carbon:nitrogen ratio and temperature during the cooking and fermentation processes. Some of the most common alcohols present other than ethanol are: isoamyl alcohol , isobutanol , and 1-propanol . Methanol

1183-449: A technique known as piteado . Both pulque and maguey fiber played significant roles in the pre-Columbian economy of Mexico. Agave americana contains agavose , a sugar that is isomeric (similar) to sucrose (C 12 H 22 O 11 ) but with reduced sweetening power, as well as agavasaponins and agavosides . It is used in traditional medicine to treat various ailments, and as a laxative , diuretic , and diaphoretic . However,

1274-490: Is a global system that attempts to denote particular organisms or taxa uniquely and definitively , on the assumption that such organisms or taxa are well-defined and generally also have well-defined interrelationships; accordingly the ICZN has formal rules for biological nomenclature and convenes periodic international meetings to further that purpose. The form of scientific names for organisms, called binomial nomenclature ,

1365-440: Is actually the larval form of the moth Hypopta agavis , which lives on the agave plant. Finding one in the plant during processing indicates an infestation and, correspondingly, a lower-quality product. However, the misconception that tequilas may contain worms continues, despite effort and marketing to represent tequila as a premium liquor. The Norma Oficial Mexicana (NOM) applies to all processes and activities related to

1456-577: Is added, fermentation can take approximately 20 hours to 3 days. If inoculum is not added, fermentation could take up to 7 days. The rate of fermentation is a key factor in the quality and flavor of tequila produced. Worts fermented slowly are best because the amount of organoleptic compounds produced is greater. The alcohol content at the end of fermentation is between 4-9%. Organoleptic compounds enhance flavor and aroma. These include fusel oil , methanol , aldehydes , organic acids and esters . Production of isoamyl and isobutyl alcohols begins after

1547-433: Is also carried out in a non-aseptic environment which increases the bacterial activity of tequila. The participation of microorganisms from the environment (yeasts and bacteria) makes fermentation a spontaneous process which gives rise to many byproducts that contribute to the flavor and aroma of tequila. During the fermentation process, inoculum is added to the batch to accelerate the rate of fermentation. When inoculum

1638-534: Is doubled in colony size every four hours. This process goes on for 24–48 hours. Next, yeast turns acetaldehyde into ethyl alcohol which is known as one of the organoleptic compounds produced in fermentation. The two main categories of yeast used in tequila are commercial brewers yeast and yeast that comes from precultivated existing yeast that has been preserved. The use of either type of yeast can result in different end products of tequila. Traditional production uses so-called "open fermentation", relying on yeasts from

1729-461: Is in these remarks from a book on marine fish: In scientific binomial nomenclature, names commonly are derived from classical or modern Latin or Greek or Latinised forms of vernacular words or coinages; such names generally are difficult for laymen to learn, remember, and pronounce and so, in such books as field guides, biologists commonly publish lists of coined common names. Many examples of such common names simply are attempts to translate

1820-479: Is not surprising, as production of ethanol and higher-order alcohols is an intrinsic property of the metabolism of each strain. The type of yeast most commonly found in tequila is Saccharomyces cerevisiae , which can include many different strains. For example, CF1 agaves , a type of yeast, produces much more ethanol than a CF2 strain, as the two yeasts' metabolic mechanisms differ. Prevalence of certain strains of yeast may be influenced by agricultural practices. It

1911-546: Is often found in modernist, xeriscapes ( drought-tolerant ), and desert-style cactus gardens . It is popularly used in hot climates and areas prone to drought. The plant's presence can evoke the ambiance of 18th- to 19th-century Spanish colonial and Mexican provincial areas in the Southwestern United States, California, and xeric regions of Mexico. In dry beach gardens in Florida and coastal areas of

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2002-439: Is processed. The temperature in the city of Tequila can reach 31 °C. For this reason, tequila producers often use large stainless steel tanks for fermentation. The specific yeasts and the environments in which they act determine the resultant organoleptic combinations. The role of yeast is, through many enzymatic processes, to turn sugars and carbohydrates into alcohol. There are two steps, first in aerobic conditions, yeast

2093-474: Is self-sufficient in producing its own wines. The king did this to maintain the market for Spanish products in the New World, and reap the taxes on wine exports. The Marquis of Altamira grabbed the opportunity of the neglected blue agave plants. He built his first Tequila factory in his Hacienda Cuisillos, one of the largest haciendas during that time and amassed a great fortune. The Marquis is now known today as

2184-459: Is superficially similar to the noun-adjective form of vernacular names or common names which were used by non-modern cultures. A collective name such as owl was made more precise by the addition of an adjective such as screech . Linnaeus himself published a flora of his homeland Sweden, Flora Svecica (1745), and in this, he recorded the Swedish common names, region by region, as well as

2275-659: Is the Cape dikkop (or "gewone dikkop", not to mention the presumably much older Zulu name "umBangaqhwa"); Burhinus vermiculatus is the "water dikkop". The thick joints in question are not even, in fact, the birds' knees, but the intertarsal joints —in lay terms the ankles. Furthermore, not all species in the genus have "thick knees", so the thickness of the "knees" of some species is not of clearly descriptive significance. The family Burhinidae has members that have various common names even in English, including " stone curlews ", so

2366-463: Is the case with say, ginkgo , okapi , and ratel . Folk taxonomy , which is a classification of objects using common names, has no formal rules and need not be consistent or logical in its assignment of names, so that say, not all flies are called flies (for example Braulidae , the so-called "bee lice") and not every animal called a fly is indeed a fly (such as dragonflies and mayflies ). In contrast, scientific or biological nomenclature

2457-408: Is thought to be mainly generated through hydrolysis of methylated pectin which is naturally present in the agave plant, but there has been speculation that it is also partly produced from the enzymatic reactions of yeast strains containing pectin methyl esterase enzyme, which break up the methoxyl group from the pectin. Nearly 50 different esters are identified in tequila, which together give rise to

2548-423: The jimadores prevent the agave from flowering and dying early, allowing it to fully ripen. They also determine when each plant is ready to be harvested, and using a special knife called a coa (with a circular blade on a long pole), carefully cut away the leaves from the piña (the succulent core of the plant), which can average around 70 kg (150 lb) in the valley and 110 kg (240 lb) in

2639-541: The Aztecs used the pulped leaves of A. americana to create paper. The fragments known as the Humboldt fragments were made using this technique. Common name In chemistry , IUPAC defines a common name as one that, although it unambiguously defines a chemical, does not follow the current systematic naming convention, such as acetone , systematically 2-propanone , while a vernacular name describes one used in

2730-799: The "Father of Tequila". Don Pedro also served as the Prior of the Consulado, which is the head of the largest corporation in Mexico. Spain's King Carlos IV granted the Cuervo family the first legal license to commercially make tequila. Don Cenobio Sauza , founder of Sauza Tequila and Municipal President of the Village of Tequila from 1884 to 1885, was the first to export tequila to the United States. Don Cenobio's grandson Don Francisco Javier gained international attention for insisting that "there cannot be tequila where there are no agaves!" His efforts led to

2821-482: The European Union since 1997. Aside from its geographical distinction, tequila is differentiated from other varieties of mezcal in that all of the agave used in tequila is blue agave, and the methods of production are different. Tequila is commonly served neat in Mexico and as a shot with salt and lime around the world. Tequila must have between 35% and 55% alcohol content (70 and 110 U.S. proof). Prior to

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2912-574: The Hebrew Language publish from time to time short dictionaries of common name in Hebrew for species that occur in Israel or surrounding countries e.g. for Reptilia in 1938, Osteichthyes in 2012, and Odonata in 2015. Tequila Tequila ( / t ə ˈ k iː l ə / ; Spanish: [teˈkila] ) is a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in

3003-573: The House of Roosevelt, a well-known club located on The Bund – an area with a long tradition of importing alcoholic beverages in China. The latest version of the tequila standard (NOM-006-SCFI-2012) updated the standard to specify that the silver class of tequila cannot contain additives, to allow the aging time for the ultra-aged class to be displayed on the label, and to prohibit the selling of bulk tequila through vending machines, and required registering

3094-545: The Mediterranean Basin, Africa, the Canary Islands, India, China, Thailand, and Australia. Despite being called "American aloe" in common parlance, Agave americana is not a member of the same family as Aloe , although it falls under the same order, Asparagales . The common name "century plant" stems from its semelparous nature of flowering only once at the end of its long life. After flowering,

3185-710: The SSAR switched to an online version with a searchable database. Standardized names for the amphibians and reptiles of Mexico in Spanish and English were first published in 1994, with a revised and updated list published in 2008. A set of guidelines for the creation of English names for birds was published in The Auk in 1978. It gave rise to Birds of the World: Recommended English Names and its Spanish and French companions. The Academy of

3276-534: The Secretariat for the AFNC. SSA is an accredited Standards Australia (Australia's peak non-government standards development organisation) Standards Development The Entomological Society of America maintains a database of official common names of insects, and proposals for new entries must be submitted and reviewed by a formal committee before being added to the listing. Efforts to standardize English names for

3367-524: The Southeastern United States, it is a favored choice for landscaping. When grown as a houseplant, A. americana is tolerant of light levels ranging from direct sunlight to shade and requires minimal watering. It undergoes a winter resting period at temperatures around 10 to 12 °C (50 to 54 °F). It thrives in a highly porous, sandy potting soil, should be allowed to dry out between waterings, and should be repotted annually in

3458-525: The United States and Mexico signed an agreement allowing the continued bulk import of tequila into the United States. The agreement also created a "tequila bottlers registry" to identify approved bottlers of tequila and created an agency to monitor the registry. The Tequila Regulatory Council of Mexico (TRCM) originally did not permit flavored tequila to carry the tequila name. In 2004, the Council decided to allow flavored tequila to be called tequila, with

3549-507: The United States said Mexico just wanted to create bottling jobs in their own country, and also claimed this rule would violate international trade agreements and was in discord with usual exporting practices worldwide. The proposal might have resulted in the loss of jobs at plants in California, Arkansas, Missouri, and Kentucky, because Mexican tequila exported in bulk to the United States is bottled in those plants. On January 17, 2006,

3640-542: The agave during the calendar year of its plantation and required annual updates. In 2018, the Mexican government approved a proposal to celebrate the third Saturday of March as National Tequila Day. Tequila is made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila 65 km (40 mi) northwest of Guadalajara , and in the Jaliscan Highlands ( Los Altos de Jalisco ) of

3731-456: The agave plant remains a manual effort, largely unchanged by modern farm machinery and relying on centuries-old expertise. The people who harvest it, the jimadores [ximaˈðoɾes] , have intimate knowledge of how the plants should be cultivated, passed down from generation to generation. By regularly trimming any quiotes [ˈkjotes] (a stalk at the center of the plant that could grow several meters high if not cut back),

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3822-420: The aging process and the type of wood used for storage. The white (blanco) version of tequila, also nicknamed "silver", is the product with no aging, or may be aged less than two months. It is the purest form, as little has been done to change it. What is known as gold, joven or oro tequila is usually white tequila with the addition of grain alcohols and caramel color; however, some higher-end gold tequilas may be

3913-505: The amphibians and reptiles of North America (north of Mexico) began in the mid-1950s. The dynamic nature of taxonomy necessitates periodical updates and changes in the nomenclature of both scientific and common names. The Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR) published an updated list in 1978, largely following the previous established examples, and subsequently published eight revised editions ending in 2017. More recently

4004-430: The area surrounding the city of Tequila 65 km (40 mi) northwest of Guadalajara , and in the Jaliscan Highlands ( Los Altos de Jalisco ) of the central western Mexican state of Jalisco . The red volcanic soils in the region of Tequila are well suited for growing the blue agave, and more than 300 million plants are harvested there each year. Agave grows differently depending on the region. Blue agaves grown in

4095-515: The author introduced into it so many new English names, that are to be found in no dictionary, and that do not preclude the necessity of learning with what Latin names they are synonymous. A tolerable idea may be given of the danger of too great a multiplicity of vulgar names, by imagining what geography would be, or, for instance, the Post-office administration, supposing every town had a totally different name in every language. Various bodies and

4186-493: The authors of many technical and semi-technical books do not simply adapt existing common names for various organisms; they try to coin (and put into common use) comprehensive, useful, authoritative, and standardised lists of new names. The purpose typically is: Other attempts to reconcile differences between widely separated regions, traditions, and languages, by arbitrarily imposing nomenclature, often reflect narrow perspectives and have unfortunate outcomes. For example, members of

4277-445: The central western Mexican state of Jalisco . Aside from its geographical distinction, tequila is differentiated from other varieties of mezcal in that all of the agave used in tequila is blue agave, and the methods of production are different. The red volcanic soils in the region of Tequila are well suited for growing the blue agave, and more than 300 million plants are harvested there each year. Agave grows differently depending on

4368-408: The choice of the name "thick-knees" is not easy to defend but is a clear illustration of the hazards of the facile coinage of terminology. For collective nouns for various subjects, see a list of collective nouns (e.g. a flock of sheep, pack of wolves). Some organizations have created official lists of common names, or guidelines for creating common names, hoping to standardize

4459-490: The company Tequila Ley .925 . The bottle that contained the tequila was a two-kilo display of platinum and gold. The manufacturer received a certificate from The Guinness World Records for the most expensive bottle of tequila spirit ever sold. In June 2013, a Chinese ban on the importation of premium (100% blue agave) tequila into China was lifted, following a state visit to Mexico by Chinese Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping . The entry of premium tequila into

4550-628: The country was expected to increase tequila exports by 20 percent within the decade above the 170 million liters in 2013. Ramon Gonzalez, director of the Consejo Regulador del Tequila , estimates that each of the top 16 producers of tequila had invested up to $ 3 million to enter the Chinese market. On 30 August 2013, the first 70,380 bottles of premium tequila from ten brands arrived in Shanghai . The arrival happened during an event held at

4641-472: The dark color and more complex flavors of the añejo tequila. After aging of at least one year, the añejo can be removed from the wood barrels and placed in stainless steel tanks to reduce the amount of evaporation that can occur in the barrels. TMA ( tristeza y muerte de agave – "agave depression and death") is a blight that has reduced the production of the agave grown to produce tequila. This has resulted in lower production and higher prices throughout

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4732-469: The early 21st century, and due to the long maturation of the plant, will likely continue to affect prices for years to come. Only certain mezcals , usually from the state of Oaxaca , are ever sold con gusano (with worm). They are added as a marketing gimmick and are not traditional. The tequila regulatory council does not allow gusanos or scorpions (which are sometimes also added to mezcals) to be included in tequila bottles. The worm in some mezcals

4823-521: The exception of 100% agave tequila, which still cannot be flavored. A new Norma Oficial Mexicana (NOM) for tequila (NOM-006-SCFI-2005) was issued in 2006 and, among other changes, introduced a class of tequila called extra añejo or "ultra-aged" which must be aged a minimum of three years. A one-liter bottle of limited-edition premium tequila was sold for $ 225,000 in July 2006 in Tequila, Jalisco, by

4914-404: The fermentation process also greatly affects the alcohol content of the resulting product. For example, a study conducted by Pinal et al. found that cultivating two strains at a temperature of 35 °C as compared to a temperature of 30 °C produced more isoamyl alcohol. The higher temperature appears to be favorable for the action of the yeast. The age of the agave plant is also a factor:

5005-473: The fermentation process, the raw material used, and to a lesser degree during the maturation. The components that make up tequila do not act individually to give tequila its distinctive flavor and aroma, but rather, depend on the interaction and quantity of each volatile compound. The volatile compounds responsible for the flavor and aroma profiles of the tequila are put into a category called organoleptic compounds and are known to increase in concentration with

5096-442: The former and 12 months for the latter. There are, however, more than 50 different companies producing tequila in the Mexican province of Jalisco , with different maturation times according to the variety of tequila and desired quality of the final product. All companies producing tequila have their aging processes regulated and fiscalized by the Mexican government. The maturation process causes four main chemical transformations to

5187-403: The fruit-like flavors and smell. One of the most abundant esters is ethyl acetate which is synthesized during fermentation by the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae , using alcohol transferase enzyme which links acetic acid to ethanol. In general, the longer the controlled fermentation period, the higher yield of esters produced. During the fermentation process, ethanol is oxidized and one of

5278-522: The genus Burhinus occur in Australia, Southern Africa, Eurasia, and South America. A recent trend in field manuals and bird lists is to use the name " thick-knee " for members of the genus. This, in spite of the fact that the majority of the species occur in non-English-speaking regions and have various common names, not always English. For example, "Dikkop" is the centuries-old South African vernacular name for their two local species: Burhinus capensis

5369-401: The higher-order alcohols present in tequila, which include molecules such as isobutyl alcohol and isoamyl alcohol , along with the ethanol . Factors include the strain of yeast, the age of the agave plant itself, temperature, and the ratio of carbon to nitrogen. The yeast strain used and the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio have the biggest influence on the production of higher-order alcohols; this

5460-471: The highlands Los Altos region are larger and sweeter in aroma and taste. Agaves harvested in the valley region have a more herbaceous fragrance and flavor. Due to its historical and cultural importance, the region near Tequila was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006, the Agave Landscape and Ancient Industrial Facilities of Tequila . Mexican laws state that tequila can be produced only in

5551-408: The highlands often yield sweeter and fruitier-tasting tequila, while valley agaves give the tequila an earthier flavor. Unlike other tequila production steps, fermentation is largely outside the control of human beings. Fermentation is the conversion of sugars and carbohydrates to alcohol through yeast under anaerobic conditions, meaning that oxygen is not present during the process. Fermentation

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5642-399: The highlands. If harvested too late or too early, the piñas will not have the right amount of carbohydrates for fermentation . After harvesting, the piñas [ˈpiɲas] are transported to ovens where they are slowly baked to break down their complex fructans into simple fructose . Then, the baked piñas are either shredded or mashed under a large stone wheel called

5733-475: The intensely pungent mezcal worm . Mezcal and tequila, despite being produced from agave plants, differ from pulque in their sugar extraction techniques and classification as distilled spirits . In mezcal and tequila production, the sugars are obtained by heating the piñas (or hearts) of the plants in ovens, as opposed to collecting aguamiel from the cut stalk of the plant. Therefore, if pulque were to be distilled, it would not be classified as mezcal but rather as

5824-431: The main compounds produced are acetaldehydes , which adds the flavor necessary for the final product of tequila. For example, isovaleraldehyde seems to produce a sweet, cocoa, and chocolate-like flavor. 2 and 3-methylbutanal produce a malty flavor. The agave plant contains many phenolics such as vanillin and syringaldehydes which presents a strong and fruity or herbal aroma. It also contains eugenol which can deliver

5915-409: The mid-1700s. The mezcal produced in these regions became distinctive enough as to become known as "tequila" (after the town). Don Pedro Sánchez de Tagle is considered the first person to produce tequila. In 1595, King Philip II of Spain banned the planting of new vineyards in Mexico and other Spanish colonies due to the decline of wine trade with Spain. The main reason behind this is because Mexico

6006-711: The modern (now binding) International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants contains the following: Art. 68. Every friend of science ought to be opposed to the introduction into a modern language of names of plants that are not already there unless they are derived from a Latin botanical name that has undergone but a slight alteration. ... ought the fabrication of names termed vulgar names, totally different from Latin ones, to be proscribed. The public to whom they are addressed derives no advantage from them because they are novelties. Lindley's work, The Vegetable Kingdom, would have been better relished in England had not

6097-504: The more alcohol produced), and the temperature of fermentation. The higher the temperature, the greater concentration of isobutyl and isoamyl alcohols produced. Although if temperatures are too high, this can cause the yeast to become less effective. Similarly, if the temperature is too low, the process occurs too slowly. This can become a large issue in Central Mexico, most precisely the city of Tequila, Jalisco, where most tequila

6188-420: The older the plant, the greater the production of higher-order alcohols. It was shown in a study that the concentration of amyl alcohol increased by 30% as the plant aged. Conversely, a higher concentration of methanol is found when using younger plants. This change may be due to differences in agricultural practices with plants of different ages. Tequila's color ranges from clear to a brownish amber, depending on

6279-544: The parent species, have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit). Agave americana has various uses starting in pre-Columbian Mexico . If the flower stem is cut before flowering, a sweet liquid known as aguamiel (“ lit.   ' honey water ' ) can be collected from the plant's hollowed heart. This liquid can be fermented to produce the alcoholic drink called pulque or octli used in pre-Columbian Mexico. In

6370-413: The plant dies but produces adventitious shoots from the base, allowing its growth to continue. Although it is called the century plant, it typically lives only 10 to 30 years. It has a spread around 1.8–3.0 m (6–10 ft) with gray-green leaves measuring 0.9–1.5 m (3–5 ft) in length, each with a prickly margin and a heavy spike at the tip that can pierce deeply. Towards the end of its life,

6461-402: The plant produces a tall, branched stalk adorned with yellow blossoms, which can reach a height of 8–9 m (25–30 ft). Taxonomically, A. americana was described by Carl Linnaeus in the 1753 edition of Species Plantarum , and its binomial name is still in use today. A. americana is cultivated as an ornamental plant , particularly valued for its large, dramatic mature form. It

6552-802: The principle that real tequila can come only from the State of Jalisco. The first tequila distillery in the United States was opened in 1936 in Nogales, Arizona by Harry J. Karns , former Arizona state senator and Nogales Mayor. In a move to take ownership of the term "tequila", the Mexican government declared the term to be its intellectual property in 1974. Although some tequilas have remained as family-owned brands, most well-known tequila brands are owned by large multinational corporations. However, over 100 distilleries make over 900 brands of tequila in Mexico and over 2,000 brand names have been registered (2009 statistics). Due to this, each bottle of tequila contains

6643-423: The product a third time, but this has not caught on as a trend, and some have said it removes too much of the agave flavor from the tequila. At this point the tequila is either bottled as silver tequila or it is pumped into wooden barrels to age, where it develops a mellower flavor and amber color. The differences in taste between tequila made from valley and highland agave plants can be noticeable. Plants grown in

6734-432: The production of either tequila or mezcal, pulque had been brewed from agave for thousands of years. The distillation technology to produce mezcal from agave heart juice was first introduced from the coastal regions of what was then Nueva Galicia (present-day Aguascalientes , Colima , Guanajuato , Jalisco , Nayarit , and Zacatecas ) into the highland valleys of Amatitán , Tequila , Magdalena , and El Arenal in

6825-740: The protection of the Appellation of Origin of "Tequila" in accordance with the current General Declaration of Protection of the Appellation of Origin of "Tequila", the Law, the Industrial Property Law, the Federal Consumer Protection Law and other related legal provisions. All authentic, regulated tequilas will have a NOM identifier on the bottle. The important laws since 1990 were NOM-006-SCFI-1993,

6916-420: The region. Blue agaves grown in the highlands Los Altos region are larger and sweeter in aroma and taste. Agaves harvested in the valley region have a more herbaceous fragrance and flavor. Due to its historical and cultural importance, the region near Tequila was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006, the Agave Landscape and Ancient Industrial Facilities of Tequila . Planting, tending, and harvesting

7007-488: The same animal. For example, in Irish, there are many terms that are considered outdated but still well-known for their somewhat humorous and poetic descriptions of animals. w/ literal translations of the poetic terms Common names are used in the writings of both professionals and laymen . Lay people sometimes object to the use of scientific names over common names, but the use of scientific names can be defended, as it

7098-411: The same woody flavor and smoothness, but in less time. Añejos are often rested in barrels previously used to rest reposados . The barrels cannot be more than 600 liters (158 gallons), and most are in the 200-liter (52-gallon) range. Many of the barrels used are from whiskey distilleries in the US or Canada, and Jack Daniels barrels are especially popular. This treatment creates many of the aspects of

7189-402: The scientific name into English or some other vernacular. Such translation may be confusing in itself, or confusingly inaccurate, for example, gratiosus does not mean "gracile" and gracilis does not mean "graceful". The practice of coining common names has long been discouraged; de Candolle's Laws of Botanical Nomenclature , 1868, the non-binding recommendations that form the basis of

7280-555: The scientific name. Creating an "official" list of common names can also be an attempt to standardize the use of common names, which can sometimes vary a great deal between one part of a country and another, as well as between one country and another country, even where the same language is spoken in both places. A common name intrinsically plays a part in a classification of objects, typically an incomplete and informal classification, in which some names are degenerate examples in that they are unique and lack reference to any other name, as

7371-579: The scientific names. The Swedish common names were all binomials (e.g. plant no. 84 Råg-losta and plant no. 85 Ren-losta); the vernacular binomial system thus preceded his scientific binomial system. Linnaean authority William T. Stearn said: By the introduction of his binomial system of nomenclature, Linnaeus gave plants and animals an essentially Latin nomenclature like vernacular nomenclature in style but linked to published, and hence relatively stable and verifiable, scientific concepts and thus suitable for international use. The geographic range over which

7462-604: The spring. The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families recognizes two subspecies and two varieties of A. americana . Additionally, there are several cultivars , including 'Marginata,' 'Mediopicta,' 'Mediopicta Alba,' 'Mediopicta Aurea,' 'Striata,' and 'Variegata.' Some of these cultivars, along with the parent species, have received the Royal Horticultural Society 's Award of Garden Merit . Two subspecies and two varieties of A. americana are: Cultivars include: (those marked agm , as well as

7553-494: The state of Jalisco and limited municipalities in the states of Guanajuato , Michoacán , Nayarit , and Tamaulipas . Tequila is recognized as a Mexican designation of origin product in more than 40 countries. It was protected through NAFTA in Canada and the United States until July 2020 and through bilateral agreements with individual countries such as Japan and Israel, and it has been a protected designation of origin product in

7644-407: The sugar level is lowered substantially and continues for several hours after the alcoholic fermentation ends. In contrast, ethanol production begins in the first hours of the fermentation and ends with logarithmic yeast growth. The alcohol content in tequila is affected by three factors: the amount of isoamyl alcohol and isobutanol in the yeast strain, the carbon:nitrogen ratio (the higher the ratio,

7735-513: The supply of agave, production, bottling, marketing, information, and business practices linked to the distilled alcoholic beverage known as tequila. Tequila must be produced using agave of the species Tequilana Weber Blue variety , grown in the federal states and municipalities indicated in the Declaration. Furthermore, the NOM establishes the technical specifications and legal requirements for

7826-418: The surrounding environment. A 2023 article analyzes the diversity of yeasts found in these uncontrolled conditions. Tequila must have between 35% and 55% alcohol content (70 and 110 U.S. proof). Tequila is a distilled beverage that is made from the fermentation of the sugars in the blue agave plant once it has been cooked, the main sugar being fructose. Through the fermentation process, many factors influence

7917-488: The tequila compounds: (1) decreasing of fusel oils by the char in barrels, which acts as an absorbing agent; (2) extraction of complex wood constituents by tequila, giving specific aroma and flavor to the final product; (3) reactions among the components of tequila, creating new chemical compounds; and (4) oxidation of the original contents of tequila and of those extracted from wood. The final results of these changes are increased concentrations of acids, esters and aldehydes, and

8008-425: The tequila-producing regions of Mexico, agaves are known as mezcales . Mezcal refers to the high-alcohol product obtained through fermented agave distillation, and A. americana is among the several Agave species used for this purpose. The specific mezcal known as tequila is produced from Agave tequilana , commonly referred to as "blue agave." Mezcal comes in various types, some of which may be flavored with

8099-832: The use of common names. For example, the Australian Fish Names List or AFNS was compiled through a process involving work by taxonomic and seafood industry experts, drafted using the CAAB (Codes for Australian Aquatic Biota) taxon management system of the CSIRO , and including input through public and industry consultations by the Australian Fish Names Committee (AFNC). The AFNS has been an official Australian Standard since July 2007 and has existed in draft form (The Australian Fish Names List) since 2001. Seafood Services Australia (SSA) serve as

8190-555: The woody, floral taste of tequila. Volatile compounds that contribute to the overall taste and aroma of tequila can be quantitatively assessed and evaluated by gas chromatography . Discrimination tests such as duo-trio and triangle tests are also used to evaluate the quality of the tequila. If silver or white ( Blanco ) tequila is the desired final product, distillation is the final process it undergoes. Rested ( Reposado ) or aged ( Añejo ) tequila must be matured in 200-liter (or larger) white oak barrels for at least two months for

8281-481: Was found that higher ratios of carbon to nitrogen resulted in greater production of higher-order alcohols such as isobutyl alcohol and isoamyl alcohol. The lower level of nitrogen in the fermentation process results in deamination reactions of amino acids , which in turn leads to the synthesis of higher alcohols. The Ehrlich pathway refers to this process in which alpha-keto acids are decarboxylated and transformed to aldehydes and to higher alcohols. The temperature of

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