Tequila must be produced in Jalisco, Mexico and a few surrounding municipalities in order to have the term "tequila" on the bottle. Look for the phrase "Hecho en Mexico" on the bottle which translates to "Made in Mexico" to ensure your bottle was made in the motherland!

Blanco Tequila, which can also be referred to as Plata or Silver tequila, is an agave spirit bottled directly after the distillation process. Blanco's are typically rested in stainless-steel tanks to allow for proper oxidization, but can also be rested in Oak or Holm Oak barrels for up to 4 Weeks. Blanco is considered to be a form of Tequila in its purest form which is clear in color containing the true flavors of the Agave plant in which it originated from.

Some prefer this purity because it is young, immature, and pure. The aging process creates distance from its original form in which it develops an identity of its own.

Reposado or "rested" is a classified as a form of aged tequila. In order to be claimed as a Reposado, the tequila must be rested in barrels or tanks ranging anywhere from 2 to 11 months. There are different variations of barrels that may be used but typically the most common is in French Oak barrels.

You can identify Reposado tequila by its light golden color and is the only aged tequila that slightly resembles its original form with a combination of Agave and Oak flavoring.

Añejo or "aged" tequila is the next step up from Reposado, and must be aged for at least 1 year, and up to 3 years. Sometimes you can get lucky with particular brands and get your hands on an Añejo tequila that was aged for more than 3 years, although not common.

When aging tequila, the Distillery is not permitted to exceed a barrel size of 600 liters. You can identify an Añejo tequila by its darker amber color which takes on an identity of its own. Añejo tequila is meant to be sipped typically at room temperature, but some people do prefer their drinks on the rocks as it has a flavor and price point that isn't traditionally meant to be used in cocktails, although you're free to do whatever you want!

Extra Añejo or extra "aged" tequila is also a sipping tequila that is aged for more than 3 years in a barrel and depending on the product, is aged much longer. Extra Añejo falls more into the category of true tequila aficionados, although any person who enjoys tequila must try and cherish at least good bottle of this caliber. The aging of this class of tequila is also required to use barrels no larger than 600 liters.

Cristalino Tequila was first introduced to the market in 2011. Cristalino is known for using an Añejo Tequila and running it through a charcoal filtering process to produce a clear spirit. There are brands such as Adictivo tequila which go a step further and use Extra Añejo for their Cristalinos to give it even more flavor. The complexity of an Añejo's flavors with the Agave brightness of a Blanco Tequila is the result product.

The NOM or Norma Oficial Mexicana that you see on tequila bottles are a four digit number that is assigned to the distillery which was responsible for producing the brand of tequila. More advanced tequila sippers make decisions on purchasing tequila that comes from specific distilleries as they usually share the same process. Using websites like Tequila Matchmaker,

You can look up specific products and brands that were made by entering a NOM found on the bottle. This is also how most people find other brands to try made in a distillery that they favor.

Most people that are new to tequila are under the impression that their bottle should come with a worm inside of it. Although many believe this to be a worm, it's actually the larva of a moth which lives on the actual Agave plant. Tequila does not contain larvae, Mezcal is actually the spirit that traditionally included the larvae within the bottle, but it's not as common as one may expect. You won't many Mezcal in the United States that contain a larva or scorpion due to FDA restrictions, although there are some that have gotten FDA approval.

Mezcal is an Agave spirit which can be produced from 28 different types of Agave including the Blue Weber Agave which is what Tequila is made from. Mezcal is primarily made in the city of Oaxaca and cooked using in-ground pits as opposed to Tequila which is crafted in above-ground ovens . Mezcal is cooked using roasted Piñas which is where the smokey flavor originates from. All Mezcal's offer a smokey palate which is favored over Tequila by some, and typically pairs well with a nice cigar!

The Blue Weber Agave which is what Tequila is made from takes at least seven (7) years to reach full maturity before it can be harvested. The Blue Weber Agave needs time to mature so that it can obtain higher fructose levels, which is what creates a higher quality, smoother end product.

Mixto Tequila is a spirit which does not contain 100% Blue Weber Agave. Mixto tequila by law cannot contain less than 51% Blue Weber Agave, and can use other sugars such as cane sugar for the remaining 49%.

A clear sign that a Tequila is Mixto is by the words you find on the label, always look for "100% Blue Agave to ensure it's not a Mixto tequila. Mixto Tequilas typically advertise as "Gold" or simply stating "Tequila" on the bottle without a clear indication of 100% Blue Agave. Chances are if it's a pure agave spirit, it will be labeled on the bottle.

A Jimador refers to a Mexican farmer responsible for harvesting ripe agave plants, which are harvested primarily for the production of Tequila, Mezcal, and Sotol. The skillset of a Jimador requires the ability of identifying ripe agave, which ripens in between 7 and 12 years and harvesting them correctly. Jimadors use a tool called the Coa de Jima or more commonly called a Coa. 

A Coa de Jima (Coa) is a flat-bladed machete-like knife at the end of a long pole that resembles a hoe which is a specialized hoe used for harvesting Agaves. The Coa is used to remove the flower from the agave, which causes the central piña or "pineapple" to swell.

Tequila made its debut in America in Chicago in 1893 where smugglers would bring the Agave spirit into the US from Mexico during Prohibition.