Blue Agave: Indians' favorite plant for making famous tequila

Many countries have their own national alcoholic drinks, which are made from local plant materials. In the United States, one of these is bourbon, which is made from corn, in England they like gin obtained from cereals and juniper berries, and drinks based on fermented rice are typical for eastern countries. For Mexico, tequila, which is produced from a desert plant - blue agave, has become the national alcoholic beverage.

Its leaves really give a bluish color, they are thick and juicy, like all succulent plants that live in the desert. In the wild, blue agave is found in alpine desert regions in western Mexico. It is able to grow on poor sandy and rocky soils and endure the long absence of rain. Blue agave lives about 5 years, after which the plant blooms and dies, giving life to a new generation.

Historians find it difficult to answer when exactly the Indians who lived in the territory of modern Mexico began to make alcoholic beverages from agave. It is known that even before the arrival of the Spaniards, a drink called octley was widely distributed among them, which they received from the juice of wild agave and considered it to be a gift from the gods. And even Mexico in the Aztec language, according to one version, means nothing more than “a place where agave grows,” which indicates the important role of this plant in the culture of the Indians who inhabited this part of America.

The Spaniards and other Europeans who appeared here are used to drinking stronger rum and brandy, so the Indian drink from agave was not very impressive. But then they tried to improve the method of fermentation and distillation of agave juice and, having obtained a product with a higher alcohol content, came to the conclusion that it was worth setting up the production of the resulting drink. Thus appeared tequila, which was named after the city of Tequila, founded by conquistadors.

Gradually, the drink became popular not only in Mexico, but also in the neighboring USA and outside the continent. Blue agave was grown on agricultural fields to cover raw material needs.

Today, tequila is a national Mexican brand, and its production is under strict control. Tequila is allowed to be produced only in 5 states of Mexico, where the entire technological chain is implemented - from growing agave on huge plantations to getting the finished product. All products undergo strict quality control.