All You Need To Know About Tequila
In case you didn’t already know, we love our tequila at the Super Loco Group – whether we’re taking it neat, shooting it or shaking it into a margarita. So here’s our essential guide on everything you need to know about tequila and why you should get on it too!
#1: All tequila are mezcals, but not all mezcals are tequila.
While both distilled spirits are made from the harvested core or “piña” of a mature agave plant, which contains aguamiel, “honey water”, the regions in which the agave is procured, and the distillation processes they undergo set them apart. For starters, tequila is exclusively sourced from the Blue Weber agave that grows across specific regions in the Mexican state of Jalisco, most notably its namesake, Tequila. In order to qualify as a tequila, it must contain at least 51% blue agave. Mezcal, while typically produced in the Oaxaca region, can be made from over 30 varieties of agave.
Tequila is typically produced by steaming the agave inside industrial ovens before being distilled two or three times in copper pots. In contrast, its smokier cousin is produced when piña is roasted underground in earthen pit ovens lined with lava rocks and filled with wood and charcoal for three days. The roasting caramelises the piña, giving mezcal its characteristic intense and smoky flavour.
#2: Tequila is traditionally drunk neat.
We’re all familiar with the ritualistic practice of drinking tequila with our friends on a particularly rambunctious Friday night out, probably founded on a healthy dose of booze-fuelled courage: sprinkle salt on the back of your hand, throw back a tequila shot and follow up by biting down on a slice of lime. In Mexico, however, tequila aficionados prefer their tequila neat without any lime or salt, to be sipped and slowly savoured in sifters.
#3: The tequila bottle worm does not exist.
Ever heard that true tequilas are served from a bottle with a worm deposited in it? Tequila lovers with vermiphobia can rest easy: it was invented as a marketing ploy in the mid-20th century. As a matter of fact, the Normas Oficiales Mexicanas authority board prohibits the placement of worms in tequila. This popular belief probably originated from the traditional practice of drinking mezcal accompanied with a side of worm salt, specifically the gusano del maguey, which can be found on the agave plant and are pulverised before being added to salt.
#4: Tequila is your new boning buddy.
As it turns out, perhaps tequila was given by the gods, after all: tequila promotes bone health and is an excellent source of probiotics. Blue Weber agave is an excellent source of fructans, which increases the body’s ability to absorb calcium and supplies probiotics, known as gut flora that aid in regulating digestion and maintaining a healthy digestive tract.
#5: There is a tequila that won’t give you a hangover.
It all has to do with purity. Tequila cops a bad rep for the hellish hangovers you experience after a night out, but in truth, it is the mix of different sugars and corn syrup found in other spirits that are responsible for that massive migraine you’re greeted with the next morning. You heard it from us: blanco tequila is 100% blue agave and void of such sugars, so knock yourself out without worrying about nursing a hangover. Which brings us to our very own in-house Arquitecto Tequila, a clean, crisp and pure highland tequila made from highland agave grown in the lands of Master Tequilero, Arq. Enrique Fonseca near Altotonilco. A low-waste, low-carbon, environmentally sustainable and responsibly produced blanco tequila with no non-agave fermentation sugars or additives, our Arquitecto Tequila is 100% responsible fun. The best part? You can do your part by drinking tequila to save the environment.
Pick up a bottle of Arquitecto Tequila on our website here. If a tequila cocktail is really what you fancy, swing by our venues at Robertson Quay, Customs House, Lucha Loco and Chico Loco for a cheeky afternoon drink. Salut!
