Tequila is a popular strong alcoholic drink which came to Europe from Mexico. Many consider that tequila is produced from cacti, but it far not so. This drink is produced from an agave, process very long and labor-consuming.
What do tequila of
The plant an agave blue which core serves as raw materials for preparation of tequila belongs to Agavov' family. In other words, it is a succulent, differs from cacti in what accumulates water in leaves but not in a trunk. Leaves are very fleshy and big, in length reach about two meters, have quite long prickles. It is possible to make up to 12 l of tequila of one such plant.
Production of tequila is national tradition for Mexicans. They carefully watch plants and monitor their growth. But the agave is subject to a disease of TMA which considerably influences volumes of its cultivation. These can explain quite expensive price of already ready-made product.
As do tequila
Production of tequila begins with collecting leaves of a blue agave. They are cut, get a core which is divided into several parts. Within 2-3 days the pieces of a core maintain in the special furnace at a temperature 60-85os. During this time leaves are softened, further will process them much easier.
After the furnace, raw materials within 24 hours are cooled and placed in stone millstones for juice expression. The turned-out sweet juice is diluted with water and fill up special yeast in this mix. Process of fermentation happens in wooden or steel kegs in which place a semi-finished product. After 7 - 12 days, drink which has fortress about 10 degrees is formed. The last stage of preparation of drink is distillation. Process is repeated by 2 times. After that fortress already reaches 55 degrees. Before pouring of drink on bottles, he is stood in barrels for giving of signature and specific smack and aroma. Each producer has the secrets of unsurpassed taste. Tequila infuses in kegs from 2 months to 10 years, everything depends on its look. There are 4 types of tequila: silver spreads on bottles right after the end of process of distillation. If before pouring add caramel or other natural colors, then gold tequila turns out. And here in barrels maintain the last two views: Anejo and Reposado. The first look napityvatsya by oak aroma up to 10 years. Most it is interesting that many consider sign of the real tequila existence in a bottle of a worm. And it is only a marketing mix which helps to draw attention of foreign buyers. Mexicans have no such tradition.