History of Tequila

The etymology of "Tequila" can be traced to two plausible interpretations. The first suggests that it comes from the combination of the Nahuatl words "tequitl" (work or trade) and "tlan" (place), implying a site dedicated to a specific labor, such as the manufacture of obsidian tools, known in Nahuatl as "tecatlis". The second theory proposes that it derives from "Tecuilan" or "Tecuila", which in Nahuatl means "Place of tributes". During the pre-Columbian era, the tequila-producing region was part of the Aztec Empire, and tribute was required in the form of a fermented agave beverage, consumed in religious rituals and celebrations. This theory is reinforced by the use of Nahuatl terms such as "Tecuin" or "Tejuino" to refer to fermented beverages and "Tepache", which derives from "Tepitl" or "Tepaitl", in the same region.

Tequila is obtained by distilling the fermented juice extracted from the core of the blue agave plant. This core, which visually resembles a large pineapple, is also known as "mezcal". The term "mezcal" has two possible etymological origins: the first indicating "The house of the moon" comes from the Nahuatl words "metztli", meaning "moon" or "center", and "calli", meaning "house", alluding to the heart or essence of something; the second, more widespread, indicates that "mezcal" derives from "mexcalli", which in Nahuatl means "cooked maguey", composed of "metl" (maguey) and "ixcalli" (cooked).

In Mexico, various spirits are made from more than two hundred varieties of agave. These beverages, collectively known as mezcal, adopt the name of the locality of their origin, resulting in denominations such as mezcal de Oaxaca, Cotija, Quitupan, Tonaya, Tuxcacuesco, Apulco, among others. However, Tequila mezcal is the most internationally recognized, named after the historic and vibrant town of Tequila, located approximately fifteen leagues north of Guadalajara, en route to the port of San Blas de Nayarit on the Pacific coast. The surrounding region, which during the colonial era was part of the Corregimiento de Tequila, is particularly conducive to the cultivation of blue agave. This area is home to numerous distilleries, both large and small, dedicated to the production of the renowned liquor that, before the era of modern marketing, was known as "Tequila mezcal wine".

Tequila in historical writings

In the dictionary of Aztecisms written by Dr. Cecilio A. Robelo, he mentions the words "mezcal, mescal or mexcal (Mexcalli: metl, maguey; xcalli, apheresis of ixcalli, cocido, boiled or cocimiento: cooked or boiled maguey or cooked or boiled maguey). The Indians called mexcal to the roasted heads of penca of a certain maguey that are sweet. It does not take much knowledge to go from the sweet-tasting roasted heads to a piece of mezcal fermented over the days, already with alcoholic content, and from there, to the artisanal manufacture of agave juice. Although there is no historical or archaeological evidence of distillation in pre-Hispanic times, it is not difficult to imagine that the Indians thought of boiling and condensing the fermented beverage, perhaps even by accident. Whether this hypothesis is true or not, what is truly genuine is that, upon the arrival of the Spaniards, they found many alcoholic beverages that they did not know.

In the text "Ancient History of Mexico" in 1780, Francisco Javier Clavijero writes: They used several species of wine or equivalent beverage that they made from maguey[.... ...] the way of making maguey wine, which was the most usual among the Mexicans, undoubtedly the best, was the following: when the common maguey reached a certain age, they castrated the most tender blossoms or leaves in the center until they discovered a certain cavity formed in the innermost and thickest part of said leaves; they slit the inner surface and extracted with a long narrow cane or calabash the juice that the leaves distilled in the cavity, which is very liquid and sweet [. ...] and they kept it until it fermented, which took less than 24 hours. To shorten the fermentation and give it greater strength, they mixed a certain herb, which for this purpose they called octpatli (wine medicine). The color of this wine is white and the taste is somewhat rough, it has competent strength and intoxicating, but not as much as grape wine.

Clavijero is undoubtedly referring to pulque, a fermented alcoholic beverage produced and consumed in central Mexico. This is the same drink that Hernán Cortés mentioned in his letters of relationship. Don Matías de la Mota y Padilla, in his work "Historia de la conquista del Reino de la Nueva Galicia" of 1742, dispels any doubt about the distinction between pulque and mezcal wine. Mezcals are similar to magueys, although the plant is much smaller and, although there are many magueys in Galicia, the Indians do not use the pulque drink as much as in New Spain, because they prefer mezcal wine due to its greater strength [...] (De la Mota y Padilla, 1920:407).

The commercialization and exploitation of agave is born as a monopoly, and the lineage of leaders is where the power resides that allows them to take advantage of the benefits of this raw material, mainly for the production of mezcal wine. Lázaro de Arregui in 1621 writes with greater precision what was the antecedent of the wine-mezcal-Tequila: "the mexcales are very similar to the maguey, and the root and seats of the stalks are eaten roasted, and of them themselves, squeezing them thus roasted, they extract a must from which they extract wine by alquitara clearer than water and stronger than aguardiente and of that taste". (Lázaro de Arregui, 1980:106). Supported by Lázaro de Arregui, Jiménez (2008), sustains the thesis that distillation existed in pre-Columbian times. [...] Once the fermentation was finished, it was distilled twice, thus obtaining an eau-de-vie 'clearer than water' which, as far as we know, by 1637 the Spaniards had already called "mezcal wine".

It is probable that around the middle of the 16th century, a Spaniard, driven by necessity, began the production of mezcal in the Tequila region, taking advantage of the abundant presence of the blue agave and its significant importance in daily life. The leaves of this plant were used in a variety of applications, including the construction of roofs, the manufacture of needles, punches, pins, nails, the production of strong ropes, the creation of paper and certain types of containers.  In addition, the dried stalks served as fuel, its ashes were used in the manufacture of soap, lye or detergent, and the sap was used medicinally for wound healing.

Initially, the colonial government, more interested in promoting the importation of Spanish wines and liquors than in encouraging abstinence, imposed a ban on the production of native alcoholic beverages that could compete with imports. As a result, tequila production went underground. However, given the growth of tequila production and the government's fiscal needs, in the mid-17th century it was decided to legalize its production and apply the corresponding taxes. This measure made it possible to finance significant public works, such as the introduction of drinking water in Guadalajara and, later, the construction of the Jalisco government palace, which is still in operation today.

Tequila towards modernity

Tequila's strategic location on the route to San Blas, a port that became important in the mid-18th century as a supply point for the new Spanish colonies in northwestern Mexico, led to the "mezcal wine of this land" becoming the first manufactured export product of the current state of Jalisco. The mezcal of Tequila played a consoling role for the Spaniards in the lonely lands of the north and, for the Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries, it was a means to alleviate and make the life of the colonized Indians more bearable, waiting for a promised eternal happiness, under a regime of life considerably different from the one they knew.

From Tequila, the demand of the workers of the nearby and elevated mines of Bolaños, whose prosperity stood out at the end of the XVIII century, was satisfied. After Mexico's Independence in 1821, the importation of Spanish liquors faced increasing obstacles, which allowed the tequila producers to increase their sales in Guadalajara and expand their market towards Mexico City and the center of the country. With the arrival of the first half of the 19th century, some distilleries were already recognized and tequila manufacturers began to have significant political influence.

At that time, the port of San Blas, accessible from Tequila, facilitated a new boom in the commercialization of tequila, benefiting from the gold rush that broke out in Alta California starting in 1849, even though this region had been ceded to the United States a year earlier. During the civil war of 1857 in Mexico, which marked the end of the old social regime of the colonial era, tequila producers were already aware of the interests of their sector and strongly supported the liberals until their victory. Curiously, after this triumph, a renowned tequila producer was appointed governor of Jalisco, in a period that also saw the defeat of the French forces sent by Napoleon III in support of the conservatives.

At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, tequila faced a great challenge with the arrival of the American railroad, which facilitated the transportation of European liquors across the continent, added to the predilection of the Mexican elite for French culture. In this context, tequila consumption remained mainly among the popular classes, although its consumption experienced a notable increase. The Mexican Revolution marked a change in perspective, favoring the appreciation of tequila. With the overthrow of Porfirio Díaz's dictatorship in 1911, the nation sought to reaffirm its identity, adopting tequila as a symbol of Mexican culture and spirit.

The preference for tequila over other imported liquors became an emblematic act, and it was even more significant when the government began to deliberately promote tequila as an emblem of national identity. This phenomenon was reinforced by the burgeoning Mexican film industry of the 1930s and 1940s, which, while perpetuating inaccurate stereotypes about Mexican culture, contributed greatly to tequila's popularity. The cinema and popular music of the time played a crucial role in the rising fame of this drink. In addition, the popular belief that tequila was an effective remedy against the Spanish influenza epidemic that struck northern Mexico around 1930, along with the availability of small bottles produced in the dynamic city of Monterrey, facilitated its distribution and increased its consumption, rather than the less practical bulk distribution in barrels.

Oil development on the Gulf Coast of Mexico during that era contributed to the increase in tequila consumption, favored by the practical half-liter cylindrical containers that were easily adapted to the transportation and clothing style of the time. These containers gained visibility in the movies of the time. Beginning in 1940, the tequila industry positioned itself to replace whiskey, whose importation to the United States was interrupted by World War II, leading to a boom in tequila exports. However, after the armistice, sales fell sharply, prompting producers to strengthen the domestic market and explore new markets in Europe and South America.

Since 1950, the tequila industry experienced significant technical advances. Distilleries were able to increase their efficiency and hygiene standards without sacrificing product quality. In addition, tequila variants with lower alcohol content were introduced into the market, making them more affordable to the average consumer. At the same time, the geographical area considered optimal for the cultivation of blue agave was expanded, making it possible to meet the growing demand without compromising the integrity of tequila.

It is a matter of concern that, despite international conventions and agreements such as the Lisbon Agreement, which stipulate that tequila can only be produced legitimately in a specific region of Mexico, there are cases of counterfeiting in various countries without adequate intervention by their authorities. Today, the agave fields, with their distinctive landscape, occupy an extensive area of Jalisco's territory. The tequila industry involves, directly or indirectly, approximately 300,000 people, who are proud to contribute to the production of a product deeply rooted in the culture of the western region of Mexico and which represents a genuinely Mexican offering to the world.