This Sunday July 24th is National Tequila Day. Cathy Isom tells us why many Americans will be reaching for the lime and salt this weekend. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
National Tequila Day
From: National Day Calendar
NATIONAL TEQUILA DAY – July 24
On July 24 grab a lime and the salt. It’s National Tequila Day!
Made from the blue agave plant, tequila has a deep and storied history. Named after the small town of Tequila in a valley west of Guadalajara in Jalisco, Mexico, the spirit was known as mezcal wine about the time the conquistadors came to the continent.
Many names we recognize on the labels today were the very first commercial producers of tequila. In fact, Jose’Antonio Cuervo held the first license for manufacturing the favored beverage, courtesy of the King of Spain. He kept well-known company. Don Cenobio Sauza and Félix López, also producers of tequila, whose businesses continue in some form today.
Agave tequilana plant to distill Mexican tequila liquor
Agave grows in a variety of forms. Blue agave, grown in the highlands region, are larger in size and sweeter in aroma and taste. Agave grown in the lowland regions have a more herbaceous fragrance and flavor. Like similar legislation for bourbon and cognac, Mexican law states tequila is only tequila if it is produced within Jalisco and limited regions in the states of Guanajuato, Michoacan, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. Distil the same ingredients anywhere else, and it’s not tequila.
While many have enjoyed tequila cocktails such as the margarita, tequila sunrise, and mojito, a good tequila can be savored like a good whiskey. Tequila is experiencing a renaissance of sorts as savvy drinkers discover tequila doesn’t have to be the firewater of our youth.
How to Observe
Enjoy National Tequila day with some friends (Remember always to drink responsibly and never drink and drive). Post on social media using #NationalTequilaDay.