Agave Flashcards
1
Q
4 DOs for Mexican distilled Spirits
A
- Tequila
- Mezcal
- Sotol
- Bacanora
2
Q
Tequila
- Major state of production
- 4 other states with areas of production
A
- Jalisco - West, most Tequila produced in and around the city of the same name
- Other states:
- Nayarit (N of Jalisco)
- Guanajuato (E of Jalisco)
- Michoacan (S of Jalisco)
- Tamaulipas (E coast of Mexico)
3
Q
Tequila
A
- Distilled from fermented juice of the pina, of the blue agave plant (Agave Tequiliana)
- Most Tequila is mixto, only requiring 51% blue agave, and the rest is made up with other sugars
*
4
Q
Tequila
Age Indications
A
- Blanco/Silver: Bottled immediately after distillation
- Reposado (Aged): Min 2 mo in oak or encino oak containers
- Añejo (Extra-Aged): Min 1 yr in oak or “ “, max 600 L
- Extra Anejo: Min 3 yrs “ “, max 600 L (est 2006)
5
Q
Mezcal
Age Indications
A
- White/Joven: Young mezcal (Joven being phased out)
- Reposado: Aged in oak barrels for min. 2 months
- Añejo: Aged in oak barrels for min. 1 year, max 200 L barrel
- Madurado en Vidrio: Matured in glass for 12 months in cool dark place
6
Q
Mezcal
Most common and authorized Agave varieties
A
-
Agave Angustifolia
- Espadin
- ” Esperrima
- ” Weberi
- ” Patatorum
- ” Salmiana
7
Q
Mezcal DO
Year Est.
A
1994
(last modified 2015)
8
Q
Mezcal
Number of states for production
A
9
- 5 Original States of Production:
- Oaxaca, Guerrero, Durango, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas
- Added 2003: 7 towns in Tamaulipas state
- Added 2012: Multiple towns in Michoacán state
- Added 2015: San Luis de la Paz in Guanajuato state
- Added 2016: Multiple towns in Puebla state
9
Q
Mezcal DO
Permitted Additives
A
Mezcal Permitted Additives: up to 5% of volume
- Insects
- Fruit
- Herbs
- Honey
- Coloring agents
- Meat
10
Q
Agave
Harvest
A
- Growth of quiote
- Quiote is cut
- Agave often left to rest for a few months
- Not typically harvested after heavy rains
- 5-ton truck of agave worth $25,000 (doubled in recent years)
11
Q
Agave
Plant
A
- Agave is the genus
- Not related to a cactus
- Is a succulent
- Matures after 6-30 years
- Only harvested once
- About 50 known species used for distillation
12
Q
Agave
Espadín
A
- 80-90% of Mezcal production
- Matures in 6-8 years
- Easy to cultivate, high-quality spirit, encouraged by Mexican government
13
Q
Agave
Karwinskii
A
- Takes longer to mature
- Mineral, chalky
-
Many subspecies
- Tobasiche: most notable, often wild
- Barril
- Tripon
- Largo
- Madrecuixe
14
Q
Agave
Arroqueño
A
- Very high quality
- About 18 years to mature
- Large plants (yield is 5-10 bottles per plant), looks like a big espadín
15
Q
Agave
Tobalá
A
- First “wild” variety common in the US market
- Delicate and elegant
- Recent attempts at cultivation, ripens in June
16
Q
Agave
Tepextate
A
- Can take 20-30 years to mature
- Complex and intense
17
Q
NOM
A
- Tequila and Mezcal bottles carry a NOM (Norma Oficial Mexicana), 4-digit number that identifies the distillery where the spirit was made
- Not a guarantee of quality, but legal requirement for all 100% agave Tequila
- Majority of brands share production facilities, so only a few companies have individual dedicated distilleries and therefore unique NOM numbers
- Tequila Regulatory Council (Consejo Regulador del Tequila)
18
Q
NORMA
A
- Law governing Mezcal products
- i.e. NOM-070-SCFI-1944
19
Q
COMERCAM
A
- Consejo Mexicano Regulador de la Calidad del Mezcal
- Regulatory body that certifies Mezcal producers
- Since 2005
- Only Mezcal with the COMERCAM label can “officially” be marketed as Mezcal
20
Q
Horno
A
Conical earthen pit oven
21
Q
Perlas
A
“pearls” the little bubbles that form when mezcal is shaken
22
Q
Jícara
A
“cup”
23
Q
Quiote
A
- Stalk that shoots up from an agave plant when it’s ready to reproduce
- Sign that the plant is ready for harvest
24
Q
Bagazo
A
Agave fiber left over after milling, fermentation, and distillation
25
Pechuga
**Finished mezcal redistilled with local fruits, grains, and nuts, and a raw chicken or turkey breast**
26
Ensemble
**Mezcal made from different agaves which are processed all together**
27
Silvestre
**Truly wild agave**
28
Margarita
**2oz Tequila**
**.75 oz Triple Sec**
**.75 oz Lime**
**Shake with ice, strain, salted rim**
29
Paloma
**2 oz Tequila**
**.5 oz Lime**
**Grapefruit Soda**
**Build in highball with ice, salted rim**
30
Tequila Sunrise
**1.5 oz Tequila**
**3 oz Orange Juice**
**.5 oz Grenadine**
**Build in highball with ice, do not stir**
31
Naked and Famous
**.75 oz Mezcal**
**.75 oz Yellow Chartreuse**
**.75 oz Aperol**
**Lime**
**Shake with ice, strain**
32
Mezcal
## Footnote
3 Categories
**Mezcal, Artisanal, Ancestral**
33
Mezcal
## Footnote
Requirements: Cooking, Milling, Fermentation, Distillation
(vs Artesanal and Ancestral)
* Cooking: **Piña or maguey juices in pit ovens, cement or stainless steel tanks**
* Milling: **S****tone wheel, mechanical shredder or large mill**
* Fermentation: **Wood cask, cement or staining steel tanks**
* Distillation: **A****lambic still, continuous still, copper still or stainless steel tanks**
34
Mezcal ARTESANAL
## Footnote
Requirements: Cooking, Milling, Fermentation, Distilliation
* Cooking: **Pit ovens or cement**
* Milling: **W****ooden floor, bats, stone wheel or mechanical shredder**
* Fermentation: **S****tone vessel, cement, wood, clay, earthenware or animal skins; can include maguey fiber (bagazo)**
* Distillation: **Direct fire on alembic, copper, small or large clay vessel; wood; copper or stainless tank; can include maguey fiber (bagazo)**
35
Mezcal ANCESTRAL
## Footnote
Requirements: Cooking, Milling, Fermentation, Distilliation
* Cooking: **Pit ovens**
* Milling: **Wooden bats or stone wheel**
* Fermentation: **Stone vessel, cement, wood, clay, earthenware or animal skins; must include maguey fiber** (bagazo)
* Distillation: **Direct fire on small or large clay vessel; wood; must include maguey fiber (bagazo)**
36
Sotol DO
## Footnote
est 2004
* **Made from Dasylirion Wheeleri plant, or desert spoon**
* **Thought to be part of the agave genus until 1990s**
* **DNA testing proved it to be a species of the asparagus family**
* **35-55% abv**
37
Bacanora DO
est 2000
* **Agave angustifolia (yaquiana)**
* **38-55% abv**
38
Raicilla
* **Like Tequila, produced in state of Jalisco, but made from various agaves**
* **“agave moonshine”, history of unregulated production**
* **Few distillers now bottling commercially**
* **Official recognition yet to be achieved**
