Tequila Delivery or Pickup

Tequila is a spirit made from the blue agave plant. The plant takes 6-12 years to mature, and then it produces a single flower before it dies. As the plant starts to flower, harvesters called Jimadors cut off the stalk with a curved blade called a coa, allowing the heart of the plant to continue to ripen.  

It's called a piña for its resemblance to a pineapple, and each one weighs about 150lbs. After harvesting, it's roasted in a traditional brick oven called a horno or a modern oven for 24-48 hours. After the starches in the piñas become fermentable sugars from cooking, the piñas are shredded to release aguamiel or honey water, the juice of the plant—the water ferments in tanks with added yeasts or yeasts from the air. Before distillation, the resulting liquid has 6% alcohol content. Some tequila makers shred the piñas first and then cook the honey water.

People first made tequila in the Mexican city with the same name in the 16th century. Mexican laws restrict tequila production to the state of Jalisco and parts of Michoacán, Guanajuato, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. Anything made outside these areas isn't considered authentic tequila, and tequila must contain at least 40% alcohol by volume to be sold in the United States.

Tequila is a popular drink with a unique flavor, and it tastes great in cocktails or neat. It also pairs well with spicy Mexican food. People often drink tequila shots with salt and lime. You can also sip it slowly and enjoy the flavor or use it to make a margarita. Other tequila drinks include a tequila sunrise with tequila, orange juice, and grenadine and a Paloma with fresh grapefruit juice or grapefruit-flavored soda and tequila. You can also try a Long Island iced tea with tequila, rum, gin, and orange liqueur.

There are four main types of tequila. Silver or Plata and Blanco or white tequila is un-aged. It has lots of flavors, heat, and a slightly sweet taste. Resposado or rested tequila is aged at least 2 months but less than a year in oak barrels, while Añejo or vintage tequila spends at least one year but less than 3 years in oak barrels. Extra Añejo is aged more than 3 years.

More aged tequila takes on the aroma and flavors of the barrels it spends time in, and it becomes gold instead of clear. Cristalino is aged tequila that's charcoal filtered to make it clear again and produce a unique flavor. Mixto tequila contains at least 51% blue agave, and the rest is cane sugar and other additives. It's less expensive, but tequilas made from 100% blue agave provide the best flavor.

Many different tequila brands are available, and you can choose chili, cucumber, mango, pineapple, coconut, and many other flavors. The woody aroma of aged tequila makes it ideal for cooking seafood or chicken, and it's a common ingredient in many sauces. You can even make cakes and pies with tequila.