Stepping off the bus into this picturesque town, one might mistake it for a new place, rushed into being to make a buck off the burgeoning tequila industry.
But Tequila, located about 35 miles northwest of Guadalajara, became a municipality in 1824 and has long been the center of tequila production.
The majority of tequileros–tequila-makers–including the world’s largest producers, Tequila Cuervo and Sauza Tequila, are located in or around the town, which is nestled among hills lined with row upon row of spiky blue agave, the succulent used to make tequila.
Horses clopping down cobblestone streets pulling flower bedecked carriages for hire, a gazebo in the town square and well-kept, brightly colored buildings with arched windows and wrought-iron balconies, make Tequila the charming home for the Feria Nacional del Tequila, or Annual International Tequila Festival. (The festival, which usually runs the last of November and first week in December, just celebrated its 28th year in 2004.)
Despite the Bacchanalian implications of a tequila celebration–made easy by the many free samples from the tequileros–the festival also appeals to families with its rodeos, carnival rides and parades. Also, dancing, singing and theatrical productions take place at the open-air Teatro del Pueblo.
The scene continues at the distilleries. A store inside the Jose Cuervo Distillery features the high-end folk art of Mexican artisans. In the Cuervo gardens, a father and his young son perform lariat tricks and at the end of their show, remove their large sombreros to take a deep bow.
No festival would be complete without street food and here, as in many Mexican towns, the street food is great for the adventuresome. A young woman stands beside a griddle patting what look like thick pancakes. They are sweet gorditas, tasty buns filled with a sugared thick cream, four for a dollar. It is money well spent. Other vendors sell corn on the cob, potatoes, brightly colored candies and small corn tortillas filled with meat and potatoes.
“The food is great,” said Angelica Gonzalez of Guadalajara, who attended the festival with a friend. “But we like the tequila.”
And indeed, everyone seems to like the tequila. Bottles are everywhere, in some areas standing six deep on tables where free samples of both well known favorites and new brands are poured into glasses–the colors ranging from clear to varying hues of amber. The tastes vary as much as the colors, from fiery and raw burning the throat while it goes down, to smooth and calming with aromatic hints of subtle flavors such as cinnamon and cherry. For those who want to overindulge, samples are there for the taking. But for those with a respect for this ancient drink, it is just a sip here and there to try new tastes.
Tequila history
The first tequila factory was built here in 1600. Cuervo has been in business since 1758; Sauza started exporting tequila in 1873. Museums honoring the history of both are steps from the town square. Those lucky enough to visit them at the right time–and during the two-week tequila festival, it’s always the right time–get free samples.
Tequila-making starts in the agave fields where machete-wielding jimadors (agave workers) chop off the spikes of the agave plants exposing their sugar-ladened pinas, or hearts. Hundreds of pinas are loaded on trucks and shipped to distilleries where huge mounds of them are placed in cookers. Once cooked, the pinas are transported to crushing mills to separate the fibrous matter (think very sweet balsa wood) from the juice. Next comes fermentation.
At Cuervo’s distillery, it’s all gleaming copper vats and high-tech machinery. But just as tequila comes in numerous varieties, so does tequila-making. At the small family-owned Tequila Tapatio Distillery, premium tequilas are handmade: Electricity is eschewed and workers pulp the pinas by walking barefoot on them in large barrels.
The good stuff
Premium, or small-batch, tequilas are popular in Mexico, according to Cristina Fernandez, international affairs coordinator for Consejo Regulador del Tequila. The non-profit private organization (the Tequila Regulatory Council) verifies and certifies tequila in Mexico. According to the National Chamber of Commerce of the Tequila Industry, during 2004 the production levels of premium tequila rose by 25 percent and exports rose 8 percent.
This same trend is also noted in the U.S. From 2003 to 2004, premium tequila sales ($14 to $19 a bottle) rose nearly 6 percent, high end premiums ($19 to $27) were up 15 percent and super premiums (over $27) saw a gain of 5 percent, according to Shawn Kelley, public relations director for the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. Chicago restaurants definitely see the trend.
“We’re selling a lot of premium tequilas,” said Michael Taylor, a sommelier at Salpicon restaurant, which sells about 150 tequilas. “Fans of premium tequila are finding all these subtleties as they would with wine.”
At Mas restaurant, co-owner Hubie Greenwald said that there are several styles of tequila including plata, or silver, which is usually not aged, and reposado, which has rested in oak whiskey barrels for 60 days to 11 months. The aging adds hints of vanilla, spice, almonds and cedar to the taste. Anejo tequilas are aged in small oak barrels for at least one year. The longer aging imparts notes of vanilla, cedar, spice, butterscotch and caramel, he said.
“Aged tequilas are getting to the point where they’re enjoyed like a fine Scotch,” Taylor said. They can be as expensive. At Salpicon, a 3/4-ounce serving of Cuervo 1800 Coleccion costs $75.
Back in Tequila, the popularity of Mexico’s national drink fuels the ever-growing festival.
“We are expecting 5,000 visitors a day,” said Juan Francisco, director of tourism for Tequila. “Each year we grow more and more.”
Tequila tips
Learning about tequila is as complex and time-consuming as learning about wines, and aficionados talk about bouquet and purity with a professorial solemnity. Discussions center on such aspects as the aromatic components of tequila and the flavors imparted by aging.
Michael Taylor, a sommelier at Salpicon, said that when trying tequila, start with quality. “Look for 100 percent blue agave on the label,” he said. “Then find your stylistic choice, whether it’s a crisp, caramel or woody taste.”
Salpicon, 1252 N. Wells St., 312-988-7811, offers tastings of tequilas in flights of four. Tasters pick the four 3/4-ounce pours in one category: blancos, $20; reposados, $22; anejos, $25; ultra-premiums, $35; or connoisseurs’ flight (1/2 ounce each) $65. The restaurant will also sell half shots, a good option when trying from the connoisseur’s category, where shots go from $25 to $150 apiece. The tequilas and prices are listed online at salpicon.com.
Mas, 1670 W. Division St., 773-276-8700, occasionally holds tequila tasting dinners (the next is scheduled for the end of May).
Salud Tequila Lounge, 1471 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773-235-5577, offers flights that include one blanco (1 ounce), one reposado and one anejo (1 1/2 ounces each). Diners choose among the different flights, which run from $16 to $50. Also, the fourth Thursday of every month, Salud offers tasting dinners: a tequila flight, four-course dinner and a different tequila-based drink with each course, all for $35. For reservations, call 773-276-7582 as seating is limited.
Also, try “Tequila: A Traditional Art of Mexico,” a comprehensive collection of all things tequila, edited by Alberto Ruy-Sanchez and Margarita de Orellana (Smithsonian Books, $25). It’s full of facts, history and recipes–both for drinks and food made with the spirit–and beautiful photographs, illustrations and paintings. It ends with a “Gallery of Tequilas” that may help in your education.
–J.A.
