Tequila
Tequila may have a shorter history than many spirits, but agave drinking in Mexico goes back centuries. Long before Europeans arrived, Indigenous peoples fermented agave sap into pulque. Distillation arrived later, during the Spanish colonial period, eventually producing the broader family of agave spirits known as mezcal.
Commercial tequila began taking shape around the town of Tequila in Jalisco. In 1758, José Antonio de Cuervo received land in the region for cultivating agave, and in 1795, King Carlos IV of Spain granted José María Guadalupe de Cuervo the first official license associated with commercial tequila production. For much of the 1800s, the spirit was known as mezcal de Tequila—mezcal from Tequila—before “Tequila” gradually became the name of the spirit itself.
Today, tequila is protected by a Denomination of Origin and can legally be produced only in authorized areas of Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas—181 municipalities in all. It must be made from Agave tequilana Weber variedad azul, better known as blue Weber agave.
Tequila has also become a global superstar. More than 400 million liters are exported annually, with the United States receiving roughly 81 percent of exports. And on July 24, 2026, Mexico officially celebrated its first National Tequila Day after the date received federal recognition.
And then there are the celebrity tequilas. George Clooney helped turn Casamigos into a billion-dollar acquisition, and the category has attracted everyone from Dwayne Johnson and Kendall Jenner to Michael Jordan, Eva Longoria, Guy Fieri, Sammy Hagar, and countless others.
Apparently, once you've conquered Hollywood, sports, or music, the next logical career move is agave.
The Top Things to Know About Tequila
• Tequila can only come from Mexico. More specifically, it can legally be produced only within designated areas of five states: Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas.
• Only one agave variety can make tequila: Blue Weber agave (Agave tequilana Weber variedad azul). Hundreds of agave species and varieties exist, but tequila uses only one.
• Tequila comes in two categories: Tequila and Tequila 100% Agave. Tequila labeled 100% Agave must obtain all of its fermentable sugars from blue agave. The category simply labeled Tequila must derive at least 51 percent from blue-agave sugars; up to 49 percent may come from other permitted sugars. This second category is commonly called mixto, although you generally won't see that word printed on the bottle.
• All tequila is an agave spirit, but calling all tequila “mezcal” gets complicated. Historically, tequila developed as a regional type of mezcal—hence the old name mezcal de Tequila. Today, however, Tequila and Mezcal are separate legally protected denominations with their own production rules. So the old bartender shortcut “all tequila is mezcal, but not all mezcal is tequila” makes historical sense, but isn't the best explanation of the modern legal categories.
• The heart of the agave is called the piña. After years of growing, skilled jimadores remove the long leaves in a process called jima, leaving a pineapple-shaped heart that is cooked to convert its carbohydrates into fermentable sugars. From planting the agave to finished tequila, the entire process can take five to eight years.
• Look for the NOM number. Every certified tequila carries a NOM number identifying the authorized producer responsible for making it. Different brands can share the same NOM because one distillery may produce many brands. It's one of the most useful little numbers on a tequila bottle.
• Making tequila is labor-intensive. Agave must grow for years before harvesting, and traditional harvesting is still performed by jimadores using a sharp round-bladed tool called a coa. The piñas are then cooked, crushed or milled, fermented, distilled, and—depending on the style—rested or aged.
• Salt and lime aren't requirements. The famous lick-salt, shoot-tequila, bite-lime ritual became strongly associated with tequila drinking outside Mexico. Good tequila—particularly 100% agave tequila—is also commonly sipped and enjoyed without anything chasing it.
• The Margarita is tequila's most famous cocktail, but I would remove your statement that it's Mexico's national cocktail. I can't find an official designation supporting that. Even the Mexican government describes it as a cocktail strongly associated with Mexico, not its official national cocktail. The Paloma is another enormously important tequila drink.
• And yes, there really was a worm—but not in tequila. The “worm” found in some bottles of mezcal is actually an agave-associated moth larva. It became a marketing gimmick during the 20th century. A legitimate bottle of tequila does not come with a worm.
Types of Tequila
There are five official classes of tequila under Mexican regulations: Blanco, Joven, Reposado, Añejo, and Extra Añejo.
Blanco
Blanco, also called silver or white, is essentially tequila in its unaged expression. Under the current standard, it comes from the still and is adjusted to bottling strength with water. It showcases the agave and production process without extended barrel maturation.
Joven
Joven means “young” and is also called oro (gold). Here's an important correction to your existing page: legally, joven is a blend of blanco tequila with reposado, añejo, or extra añejo tequila. Your current definition—blanco with coloring, oak extract, and sugar—is not the official definition of the class.
Reposado
Reposado means “rested.” It must mature in direct contact with oak for at least two months. Barrel influence generally adds color and flavors such as vanilla, spice, and oak while allowing plenty of agave character to remain.
Añejo
Añejo means “aged.” It must mature for at least one year in oak containers no larger than 600 liters. Longer wood contact typically produces a darker color and richer oak, vanilla, spice, and caramel-like flavors.
Extra Añejo
Extra Añejo became an official class in 2006 and must mature for at least three years. These are generally richer, darker, more oak-driven tequilas intended primarily for sipping.
What About Cristalino?
This is the big modern addition your old page needs.
Cristalino is not an official tequila class. It's generally an aged tequila—often añejo or extra añejo—that has been filtered to remove much of its color and some barrel-derived compounds, leaving it crystal clear or nearly clear while retaining characteristics from aging.
Cristalino exploded in popularity during the modern premium-tequila boom, which is why consumers now see entire shelves of it. But legally, the recognized classes remain Blanco, Joven, Reposado, Añejo, and Extra Añejo.
One More Modern Tequila Topic: Additives
Mexican tequila regulations permit certain ingredients and processes within defined limits in some tequila production. That has fueled a major modern consumer movement around so-called “additive-free tequila.” Enthusiasts increasingly want to know whether the vanilla, caramel, sweetness, or silky texture they're tasting comes entirely from agave, fermentation, distillation, and barrels—or has been adjusted after production.
Don't assume expensive, dark, sweet, or ultra-smooth automatically means better tequila. Learn to taste the agave first.
Fun Tequila Facts
• National Tequila Day is July 24. In 2026, Mexico officially recognized July 24 as its National Tequila Day, aligning it with the date already widely celebrated internationally.
• Agave is not a cactus. And technically, it isn’t in the lily family either—although older books often described it that way.
• Blue Weber agave belongs to the Asparagaceae family, which also includes asparagus. So tequila is much closer botanically to your side dish than to a cactus.
• In 2006, Tequila Ley .925 sold a platinum-and-white-gold bottle of Pasión Azteca for $225,000, earning a Guinness record for the most expensive bottle sold at the time. The company later created the diamond-covered Ley .925 Diamante, valued at $3.5 million—but that bottle famously failed to find a buyer at that price. Apparently even tequila has a ceiling.
• One of tequila’s most famous bits of drinking humor is:
“One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.”
Not exactly responsible-service training, but it has certainly survived the years.
• The heart of an agave plant is called the piña because, once its long spiky leaves are removed, it resembles a giant pineapple. Some piñas can weigh well over 100 pounds.
• Agave takes years to mature. Blue agave generally spends several years growing before the jimador finally harvests it. Tequila may disappear from your glass in ten seconds, but the plant had a much longer evening planned.
• The person who harvests agave is called a jimador. The traditional round, razor-sharp harvesting tool is called a coa.
• Tequila doesn’t contain a worm. That famous little critter belongs to certain mezcals and is actually a moth larva—not a worm. If you find one floating in your tequila, you have bigger questions.
• There are now more than 3,400 registered tequila brands associated with authorized producers, according to Mexico’s Tequila Regulatory Council in 2026.
Tequila Cocktails in Film
1988 Tequila Sunrise
Tequila Sunrises.
1996 Exit in Red
Margarita.
1997 Boogie Nights
Margaritas.
1997 Eight Heads in a Duffel Bag
Margaritas.
1997 My Best Friend’s Wedding
Margaritas.
1998 Practical Magic
Midnight Margaritas.
2002 Kissing Jessica Stein
Strawberry Margarita.
2003 Stuck on You
Margaritas.
2004 Ladder 49
Margarita.
2005 The Matador
Margaritas.
2007 Grindhouse
Margaritas.
2008 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
Margaritas.
2008 Never Back Down
Margarita.
2008 The House Bunny
College students talk about Marvin’s tasty Margaritas.
2010 Skyline
Margaritas.
2010 Eat Pray Love
Tequila on the rocks.
Tequila People to Know
Julio Bermejo — Tommy's Mexican Restaurant, Tommy's Margarita, tequila educator and internationally recognized ambassador for 100% agave tequila.
He spent years traveling repeatedly to Jalisco, learning directly from
tequila-producing families and distillers, then carried that knowledge
around the world through seminars, tastings, events and bartender education.
Mexico's National Chamber for the Tequila Industry recognized him as Tequila Ambassador for North America. He received the Helen David Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014 and Drinks International's inaugural Industry Icon Award in 2017.
Tomas Estes — European tequila pioneer, educator and co-creator of Tequila Ocho with Carlos Camarena.
Carlos Camarena — legendary master distiller behind Tapatío, El Tesoro and Tequila Ocho.
Felipe Camarena — master distiller, engineer and founder of El Pandillo, home of G4.
Guillermo Erickson Sauza — fifth-generation Sauza family member who revived traditional production at La Fortaleza.
Ana María Romero Mena — influential tequila sensory expert, educator and master blender.
Top Tequila Bar
Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant | San Francisco — Founded in 1965, Tommy's became an international pilgrimage destination for tequila lovers under Julio Bermejo, with an enormous emphasis on 100% agave tequila and education. It is also the birthplace of the Tommy's Margarita. Tommy's appeared repeatedly on The World's 50 Best Bars list and won World's Best Spirits Selection at Tales of the Cocktail in 2016; in 2021, Tales gave the bar its Timeless U.S. Award.