Leave work early today! Why? Because it’s National Tequila Day, of course! Time to celebrate that golden elixir synonymous with fiestas and good times. But, did you know that tequila as we know it wasn’t always a party shot? It was the drink of the gods, going back hundreds of years ago. In honor of its big day, let’s take the spirited journey of tequila (pun intended), from an ancient agave to the global icon it is today.
The Spirited Journey of Tequila Begins
Tequila didn’t start as the party shot we know today. The Aztecs, around 1000 B.C., revered a fermented drink called pulque, crafted from the sap of the agave plant.
Legend has it that atop Volcán de Tequila, a spiky blue agave exploded after being struck by lightning. The Nahua tribe tasted its sweet nectar, blessed by Mayahuel, goddess of agave. This divine encounter started it all. It introduced the world to tequila. Kind of.
“The milky liquid was so important to Aztec culture that they worshiped two gods known for their relationship to booze,” Liquor.com writes. “The first was Mayahuel, the goddess of the maguey, and the second was her husband Patecatl, the god of pulque. Though the first documentation of pulque — on stone walls, of course — appeared around 200 A.D., the drink really caught on centuries later when the Aztecs received a surprise visit from the Spanish.”
In the 16th century, the Spanish explorers improvised with mud and agave to create what we now recognize as mezcal (remember, all tequilas are technically mezcals). The Spanish trade route between Manila and Mexico in the mid-1500s, fueling agave distillation and leading to the birth of tequila in the early 1600s.
The Marquis and the Blue Agave
Tequila’s true historic birthplace lies in the town of Amatitán, outside Tequila, Jalisco. The Marquis of Altamira built the first large-scale distillery there, refining the art of agave distillation. Don Cenobio Sauza, a key figure, identified blue agave as the best for producing tequila. By the 1700s, the Cuervo family commercially distilled tequila, followed by the Sauza family in 1873.
According to Delish, “Don Cenobio Sauza is also said to have been the one to identify blue agave as the best option for making tequila. Today, in order to be classified as tequila, it must be made from blue agave specifically.”
Today’s Tequila Scene
Tequila has transcended borders. It’s not just about shots and salt anymore. Bartenders worldwide respect it alongside bourbon and scotch. George Clooney even invested in a tequila brand.
“… Last June, the British spirits conglomerate Diageo paid $1 billion for Casamigos, the five-year-old tequila company co-founded by actor George Clooney and model-turned-entrepreneur Rande Gerber, husband of supermodel Cindy Crawford,” National Geographic writes.
The multi-billion-dollar tequila industry has no signs of slowing down. From Mexicans to gringos, and millions in between, the world loves tequila.
As the Mexican Chamber of the Tequila Industry likes to say, tequila is Mexico’s “Regalo de México para el mundo,” aka Mexico’s gift to the world. Thanks, Mexico! Salud!
