That was how, tragically, the mission was accomplished. The two gods managed to awaken the joy in men, but at great personal cost. Represented as a young woman with multiple breasts from which the aguamiel, or honey water, flows, Mayahuel feeds the Centzon Totochtin, or 400 Rabbits, gods of drunkenness and pulque. The cult to Mayahuel has come to be associated with fertility, Earth and the plant world.
A NOBLE PLANT
Agave (n.) From Greek agauos ‘noble, illustrious’
It is no coincidence that the taxonomical name for this genus of plants stems from the Greek word for nobility. In Mexico, referred to locally as maguey, agave plants are scattered throughout the Mexican landscape, from the northwestern state of Sonora all the way down to the southeastern Yucatan Peninsula. Food, drink, medicine, fuel, fibres, fertiliser and the construction of homes are just some of the things this plant was used for by the early settlers of Mesoamerica, and the use of agave in cooking and fibres persists in Mexico to this day.
As a key part of the survival and establishment of these tribes, Mexico became the centre for domestication and diversification of agave plants. Varietals were selected for their fibres, their aguamiel (honey water) or for the high sugar content provided after the hearts were cooked. As a result, agaves have their highest concentration of varietals in Mexico. Of the more than 200 species of agaves known to exist in the Americas, more than 150 of them are found in Mexico, and 129 – or 69 per cent – are exclusive to Mexico. This makes them one of the most conspicuous symbols of the Mexican territory. Found mostly in arid and semi-arid regions of Mexico, agaves can be seen in more than 75 per cent of the country’s landscape and have the capacity to adapt to the most unfavourable conditions, including long periods of drought and high temperatures.
One of the most remarkable aspects of agaves is their age. The larger species can reach their maturity between 10 and 25 years, while smaller species can grow up to four and five years. This often-overlooked characteristic of agaves is what makes tequila and mezcal production so unique and rare. While other neutral spirits acquire flavour and character from being aged for years in wooden barrels, agave spirits acquire these characteristics from years of the plants remaining in the fields, absorbing properties from the soil and energy from the moon and sun, giving rise to the term reposado en campo, or aged in fields.
FROM MEXICO WITH LOVE
Protected designations of origin
A designation of origin is the differentiator used to recognise products that have originated from a specific region, whose quality and characteristics pertain to the environment in which they were developed. Mexico proudly boasts 14 protected designations of origin, which include spirits such as tequila, mezcal, bacanora, sotol and charanda.
Not only are these designations intended to preserve the tradition and production processes that make each product unique, they also protect the integrity and quality, by making it impossible to be replicated outside of their designated regions. Protected designations of origin exist all over the world. In Mexico, they are protected and governed by the Law of Industrial Property, but some of the PDOs are also recognised and protected worldwide by the Lisbon Agreement, of which Mexico has been a member since 1958. The first Mexican PDO recognised by the Lisbon Agreement, and one of the most emblematic, was tequila in the year 1974.
Tequila: the universal word for Mexico. Say ‘Mexico’ anywhere in the world, and the immediate response is almost certain to be: ‘TEQUILA!’ Tequila, as the title of this book suggests, has made us dance till the break of dawn, given us the courage to finally go up to that person at the bar or simply let go of the worries of the world. Recognised worldwide as Mexico’s national drink, tequila is synonymous with celebration, Mexican pride and romance. But what exactly is tequila, and why can’t we get enough of it?
The original term for the spirit now known as tequila was Vino de Mezcal de Tequila. Long before the declaration of any PDO, the New Spain recognised any agave spirit as a Vino de Mezcal; ‘de Tequila’ referred to its region. In this case, the village of Jalisco has become known as the birthplace of this popular spirit. It wasn’t until 1887 that the term Vino de Mezcal was dropped, and ‘tequila’ became recognised around the world.
Tequila is the product made from the fermentation and distillation of cooked agave juices. In this case, the Agave tequilana Weber – a blue agave varietal that grows in arid and semi-arid regions of Mexico. As one of Mexico’s most recognisable PDOs, it can only be produced within the states of Jalisco, Guanajuato, Nayarit, Michoacan and Tamaulipas over nearly 120,000 acres. Each plant takes eight to ten years to mature to be harvested. Enter the jimador, who skillfully slashes all the leaves from the agave, leaving only the piña, or heart.
Today’s production process is essentially the same as in the 15th century, with a few technological advances. The agaves were cut into two to four pieces and placed in an extensive stone-lined hole/oven in the ground, with wood at the bottom. The oven remained covered with dirt until the agaves were fully roasted, a process that could take 24 to 72 hours. Once cooked, the juices were extracted in a tahona: a circular track where a large round stone would turn several times over the agaves, pulled by a mule, crushing and separating the sweet juice and fibres, or must. The juices were then carried by buckets into fermenting tanks (often made of wood, clay or leather hide). The musts were agitated and left to ferment naturally (using wild yeasts) over the course of 12 to 18 days.
Once fermentation was completed, the liquid was placed in copper pots or alembic stills. The fermented liquid was boiled to separate water from the alcohol through evaporation, to be condensed in an iron cauldron with cold water. The alcohol was again distilled to reach the desired proof and to separate the heads and tail – undesirable byproducts of distillation. The alcohol obtained in the middle of the process was the desired quality, known as the tequila real.
Changes to production have been minimal. Instead of underground ovens, brick ovens or steel autoclaves are used. The use of mechanical crushers has also reduced time and increased juice extraction. Including non-agave sugars and controlled yeasts has accelerated fermentation. Stainless steel has replaced traditional wooden tanks, and steel stills for copper pot stills.
THE RISE OF TEQUILA
After the 7th-century invasion of the Iberian Peninsula by Muslim forces, distillation knowledge was adopted by the Spaniards, who brought it to the New World. There, they encountered an indigenous population that enjoyed the inebriating effect of sweet fermented agave juice. Once the conquerors ran out of their high-proof brandy, they shared their distillation techniques with local tribes, to transform the local fermented drink into a spirit known as mexicali (meaning ‘cooked agave’).
While initially, tequila was produced for consumption only, the hacendados could see commercial potential. It wasn’t long before the popularity of Vino de Mezcal began to pose an economic threat to Spanish alcohol, and authorities of New Spain banned agave spirits. In 1785, the first formal prohibition took place, in the form of a Royal Order. This led to clandestine production and an underground market. However, controlling the distilleries became a costly task, and in 1795 the Spanish King gave consent to Juan Antonio Cuervo to produce tequila.
Over the years, Mexico rode out tumultuous times, and tequila’s popularity reflected the contemporary situation.