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Tequila

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Tequila (Spanish pronunciation:  [teˈkila])  is a spirit made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area  surrounding the city of Tequila, 65 kilometers (40 mi) northwest of Guadalajara, and in the highlands (Los  Altos) of the western Mexican state of Jalisco.

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_The red volcanic soil in the surrounding region is  particularly well suited to the growing of the blue agave, and more than 300 million of the  plants are harvested there each year. Agave  tequila grows differently depending on the region. Blue agaves grown in the  highlands region are larger in size and sweeter in aroma and taste. Agaves  harvested in the lowlands, on the other hand, have a more herbaceous fragrance  and flavor.  The agave is ready after 6 to 9 years growth in order to change the starch into sugar, particularly it is a plant that is not irrigated.

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Mexican laws state that tequila can be produced only in the state of Jalisco  and limited regions in the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. Mexico  has claimed the exclusive international right to the word "tequila", threatening  legal actions against manufacturers of distilled blue agave spirits in other  countries.

 

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_The harvesters are called “Jimador”  and he/she are in charge to harvest the agaves, cutting the leaves and keep only the center of the plant, that is called “piña”.


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_The piñas are transported to a distillery in which the process to make Tequila in very simple, the pines are cook, then  smash in order  to obtain the juices, the process of fermentation and finally distillation.


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_The methods used to extract juices from the roasted agaves are Tahona, a traditional mill moved by horses or mules; a mechanical or sugar cane presses, diffuser.
The diffuser  is a very large machine that crushes, sheds and cooks the agave with steam on conveyer belts.
The minimum percent required of agave sugar in order to be called Tequila, is 60%, previously was 51%
The  form of cooking,  is done  in a traditional brick oven autoclave stem  or pit cooking. The cooking time  in the traditional oven, and pit cooking, takes 48 to 72  hours; in autoclave 8 to 18 hours. What produces the cooking process is stem for brick ovens and autoclaves and slow baking with some steam for pit cooking. What is left after cooking, is called bagazo.

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