JOSE CUERVO
TEQUILA TERMINOLOGY

Aguamiel (ah-gwah-mee-el)
The name literally means “honey water” and it is the sugary, unfermented solution used to make Tequila. It is obtained by pressing the steamed piñas in a mill. This sugar can be extracted by repeatedly washing the plant’s crushed fibers. If done properly, 98 percent of the agave’s sugars can be extracted.

All Natural
In order to receive the NOM. mark, all Tequilas must have natural ingredients, which may include other types of sugar beside agave that assist in creating the smoothness of the Tequila.

Añejo (an-yay-ho) Tequila
Añejo means “aged.” The aging takes place in small barrels made from American or French oak. Mexican government regulations require a minimum of one full year of aging to earn the coveted designation. Typically, this is the most costly Tequila to produce.

Barrica
Barrel.

Blanco/White Tequila
All Tequila begins as white Tequila and no barrel aging is required.

Blue Agave (Agave azul)
A prehistoric plant related to the lily. The blue agave plant takes up to 10 years to mature properly and yields a pineapple-type heart, the piña. By law, blue agave plants can only be grown and harvested in the Mexican states of Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacan, Nayarit and Tamaulipas. Also by law, all Tequila must be produced from no less than 51 percent of reduced sugars from the blue agave, with the remaining content from other natural sugars. Tequilas containing more of the blue agave sugars are not necessarily better Tequilas, they simply have a more pronounced agave taste. Caballito (ca-ba-yee-toh)
A tall, thin Mexican shot glass used for Tequila.

Caramel
A tasteless, natural burnt color used sometimes for color consistency in the manufacture of Tequilas.

Coa de jima (co-a-de-hema)
A specialized tool used by the Jimador for harvesting agave.

Corazon
The “heart” of distillation, containing the best flavors and aromas for Tequila.

Fabrica
A Tequila distillery.

Gold Tequila
Also known as “Joven Abocado,” this gold, young Tequila develops an amber hue from the oak casks in which it is stored.

Hijito (ee-hee-toh)
A baby agave offshoot of the mature agave that is replanted and develops into a mature agave plant.

Horno (orno)
The traditional oven used to cook agave piñas.

Jalisco (ha-lees-coh)
The state in Mexico where the majority of all the Tequila in the world is produced.

Jimador (heem-a-dor)
The skilled laborer who harvests the agave plants.

Jose Cuervo
If you are fluent in Tequila, but not Spanish, here’s a short language lesson—Jose Cuervo translated into English means “Joe Crow,” though translated into any language, Jose Cuervo means great Tequila. Jose Cuervo is the number-one-selling Tequila in Mexico, the United States and throughout the world.

Jose Antonio de Cuervo
In 1758, Jose Antonio Cuervo received a land grant from the King of Spain to grow the agave plant from which Tequila is derived.
Then, in 1795, Jose Maria Guadalupe Cuervo, the father of Tequila, was granted an exclusive permit from Spain to produce mezcal wine from the town of Tequila. Today, Tequila still comes from the fertile volcanic soil of the land where Jose Cuervo first set up his business and the direct descendants of the Jose Cuervo family still make the world’s most popular Tequila.

Legitimate Tequilas
Any legitimate Tequila produced under the NORMAS must carry the letters NOM (Norma Official Mexicana) on the label, followed by the producer’s four-digit registration and identification number. Look for NOM identification, since it is the Mexican government’s control mechanism and the guarantee of legitimacy. By Mexican law, all Tequila must be produced at no less than 38 percent alcohol by volume.

Maguey (mah-gay)
The name given to the agave plant by Spanish explorers. The term Maguey is still used in Mexico as a generic description of agave plants.

Margarita
Surveys show that the margarita is the most popular drink ordered in bars and restaurants around the world. The authentic margarita is mixed from Tequilas, sour mix and triple sec (sweetened lime juice and Cointreau or Grand Marnier may also be used). Today, about 60 percent of the margaritas consumed are ordered on the rocks and 40 percent are frozen.

Mezcal
This is not the same as Tequila—the two should never be confused. Mezcal is similar to Tequila in that it can be distilled from blue agave, although it seldom is, but it is distilled only once, unlike Tequila which is distilled twice. Mezcal can be made from any species of the agave plant (most typically from El Moraleño, Espadín de Oaxaca, Bermejo and Zopilote) in any part of Mexico. (If you were looking for the worm, you’ve found it—mescal is often bottled with a worm.)

Mixto
Tequila produced using a mixture of agave sugars and other plant sugars.

NOM (Norma Official Mexicana)/NORMAS
Mexican Government Standards. Look for this mark to ensure the Tequila has met the high standards set by the Mexican Government. If the Tequila does not carry the NOM seal of approval, you can’t be sure what’s in the bottle. The NOM indication will always have an official number assigned by the government that corresponds to the Tequila distillery from which it was made.

NOM (Norma Official Mexicana)/NORMAS Regulations
Agaves for Tequila must be harvested in specific growing areas, primarily in the state of Jalisco and in parts of the states of Michoacan, Nayarit, Guanajuato and Tamaulipas.

Fermented agave juice must be distilled twice. The final product must be produced from no less than 51 percent reducing sugars obtained from the cooking of the blue agave plant, technically referred to as Agave azul Tequilana Weber, with the remainder being produced from other natural sugars.

Ordinario
The first run distillate when making Tequila.

Pencas
The spiny, broad, leaves of the agave plant, used by early Indians as needles and paper. In cultivating the agave, these leaves must be cut on the proper angle. If they are cut too short, the weight of the piña could be lost; if they are too long, the plant could become difficult to handle.

Piña (peen-yah)
The piña is the pineapple-shaped heart of the blue agave plant that averages between 40 to 70 pounds, but has been known to weigh in at 150 pounds. The hearts are cooked in traditional brick ovens or modern autoclaves and then shredded or grounded into a pulp. The juice from the piña is then distilled.

Reposado (ray-po-sah-doh) Tequila
Reposado means “rested.” A Tequila must be “rested” in wood barrels, typically white oak, for a minimum of two months, but no longer than a year. This is a requirement of the Mexican government. The “resting” mellows and refines the Tequila, producing a combination of superb smoothness and great taste.

Sangrita
The traditional Mexican aperitif that is usually served chilled alongside a shot of Tequila. Sangrita is traditionally blended with the following ingredients: tomatoes, fresh lime juice and orange juice, onions, salt and hot chili peppers. Sangrita should not be confused with the popular Spanish fruit and wine elixir, Sangria.

Tequila
A distilled spirit marketed throughout the world as a 38 to 40 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) beverage. It is fermented and distilled using sugars washed from the crushed, starchy fibers of a single species of the desert-growing agave Tequilana Weber, the blue variety.

Tequila Joven
Joven (young) Tequilas are a blend of white Tequila with other rested or aged Tequilas. They can be silver or golden in color.

Tequila, the ritual
Lick the hollow of the hand, add salt, lick the salt, drink some Jose Cuervo Tequila and bite into a lime wedge.

Tequila, the town
Both the region and the town that gave the spirit of Tequila its name. The drink is named after this town in central Mexico, which was settled in 1656 and named after its early residents, a local Indian tribe. Tequila means “lava hill” in the Mexican-Indian language, and the agaves are grown on a dormant volcano.

Tequila Cuervo
The world’s oldest and largest Tequila producer.
Tequilero (tay-keel-air-oh)
Tequila distiller or anyone involved in the production of the spirit.

Tequilinos
The indigenous tribe that first settled near the Tequilán volcano, where the majority of blue agaves are harvested for Tequila production. The Tequilinos, also known as Tequiltecas or Tecuilos, were believed to be the first to harvest the agave plants primarily for medicinal purposes. Much later, their ancestors would find a better use for the plant.

Worm
Make no mistake about it—there are no worms in a bottle of Tequila. The worm, or “gusano,” is found in the mezcal plant as an insect/pest. Later, this worm is often dropped in the distilled spirit, also called mezcal, which is a common spirit produced in Mexico. It is believed that the worm, a living being, would devour any evil spirit found in the mezcal.