Agave Spirits

Where it started

Indigenous Mexicans were already fermenting agave into pulque; distilling arrived with the Spanish, and the earliest records of a tequila-like spirit in Jalisco date to the 16th century.³ The modern legal map came in the late 20th century. Tequila's general declaration of protection was published on December 9, 1974, Mexico's first appellation of origin.⁹ Mezcal has held its own appellation since 1994.⁵ Sotol followed with a protection declaration published on August 8, 2002.⁸

Where and how it's made

The rules differ, but tequila's process is the template. The leaves come off a mature plant to free the heart, which is cooked to turn its inulin into fermentable sugar, then crushed; the juice is fermented and distilled.³

Tequila may use only Agave tequilana Weber, blue variety, grown in 181 municipalities across Jalisco, Michoacán, Guanajuato, Nayarit and Tamaulipas.² It must contain at least 51 percent blue-agave sugars; a "100% agave" label means no other sugar was used.³

Mezcal is always 100 percent maguey or agave, from any species of the genus, harvested inside its appellation.⁴ That appellation covers Oaxaca, Guerrero, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas and Durango plus parts of Puebla, Michoacán, Tamaulipas and Guanajuato.⁵ Oaxaca made 89.47 percent of certified mezcal in 2025.⁶

Raicilla, bacanora, sotol. Mexican standards list all three among the country's distilled spirits.⁷ Raicilla comes from Jalisco and Nayarit, bacanora from Sonora, and sotol from the Dasylirion plant of the north.⁷¹¹⁸

In the U.S., federal rules create a class called agave spirits: at least 51 percent from the genus Agave, distilled under 190 proof and bottled at 80 proof or more. Tequila and mezcal are types within that class and must be made in Mexico under Mexican law.¹ The class is also what lets a distillery outside Mexico sell a spirit made from agave: it may be labeled agave spirits, aged in wood if the maker likes, but never tequila or mezcal.¹ Mixtures of agave spirits fall in the same class.¹

How to taste it

A small copita, a Glencairn or a narrow tulip, at room temperature. Blancos show the plant: cooked agave, citrus, black pepper, green herbs. Oak brings vanilla and caramel as the age climbs. Mezcal cooked in earthen pits adds smoke, so take a smaller first sip and let it open. Pairings: grilled fish tacos with a tequila blanco, mole with an añejo, orange slices and sal de gusano alongside an espadín mezcal.