Happy National Tequila Day!

Cheers to National Tequila Day! I know there are lots of food and drink holidays out there (and holidays for all sorts of things) but National Tequila Day is one I can 100% get behind. I make a mean margarita, if I do say so myself (and if I don’t, any of the employees of Gluten Free & More will vouch for that due to some fun company parties), so of course I’m going to make a post about tequila.

Here are some fun facts about tequila:

1. Tequila is made from the agave plant. More specifically, the blue agave plant. It must be at least 51% derived from blue agave, yet many quality brands will use 100% blue agave.
2. The agave plant is a type of succulent, not a cactus like some may think.
3. It takes 8-10 years to harvest the blue agave plant.
4. To harvest the agave plant, workers known as jimadors use a blade tool called a Coa to chop the leaves from the heart of the agave plant.
5. The heart of the agave plant is used in tequila production. It weighs between 80-200 pounds!
6. Any spirit distilled from agave is known as a mezcal, but not all mezcals are considered tequila, since tequila must come from the BLUE agave plant.
7. The whole worm thing? Yeah, that’s something that’s added to mezcal as a fun way to entice people to buy. Typically, quality tequila doesn’t contain bugs.
8. Tequila is only tequila if it comes from one of five regions in Mexico: Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, Tamaulipas, and most commonly, Jalisco.

Now that you’ve graduated Tequila School, let’s talk about one of my new favorite tequila brands. Azuñia is made with 100% Weber Blue Agave (remember point #1 … quality brands use 100% blue agave!). It’s a smooth, clean-crafted tequila that is of exceptional quality and taste. Some things that really set Azuñia apart from other brands is that the agave is grown by one grower, not multiple growers, which allows a level of quality control that contributes to consistent taste. They also use natural fermentation instead of yeasts (unlike other tequila brands), which is actually the traditional method. It is then double distilled for purity and then filtered. It’s a family-owned brand that maintains a delicious authenticity.

Azuñia comes in 4 varieties:

• Blanco: organic tequila that is un-aged, with clean floral nose and hints of agave, lemon, and tropical fruits.
• Reposado: organic tequila that is aged in American oak barrels for up to 8 months. It has a light agave aroma with hints of butterscotch, oak, smokiness, and caramel.
• Añejo: aged up to 18 months in American oak barrels, with hints of vanilla, fruit, and caramel. Its smooth, buttery finish and notes of chocolate, cinnamon, and clove make it perfect for sipping.
• Black: private reserve Añejo that is aged for 2 years. It has a deep amber color and notes of caramel, cocoa, and spice.

Although margaritas are possibly the most popular tequila drink (at least here in the States), there are several other ways to enjoy tequila. Check out Azuñia’s cocktail section here for recipes. To get the Frida’s Crown recipe, pictured above, click here.

Have you tried this recipe? Give it a star rating and let us know your thoughts in the Ratings & Reviews section below.