Tequila

I have a vague notion that tequila is made from cactuses… am I right? I like drinking it so fancy not knowing what it is made from! It is made from an agave plant, the blue agave… is that a cactus? No, it isn’t! How ignorant that I don’t know. It is a plant related to the lily, which comes from Mexico and likes high altitudes and rich sandy soils… well we have sandy soil here, but we are sea level so no chance of growing one except as a house plant. The Aztecs made an alcoholic drink from it, but it wasn’t until the Spanish conquered the people and colonised the area that tequila was distilled. The blue agave takes about twelve years to grow, so no hurrying the product then! It ends up about eight feet tall and up to twelve-foot in diameter. Tequila can only be produced in Mexico, and mostly in the state of Jalisco,  and is very closely regulated to ensure the standards are maintained. 

I think I might go and put some ice in the freezer… a little shot might be nice later on!