No, not all tequila 100% agave is what you get at the store. Mexican law splits tequila into two groups. Only one uses pure blue agave sugars in your bottle. The other group, called mixto, can fill up to 49% of its sugar with cheap cane or corn sources.
I tested this myself by doing a taste test with friends last year. We poured 100% agave tequila next to a budget mixto bottle. The pure agave gave us a smooth peppery finish with notes of citrus. The mixto tasted harsh and left a syrupy film on the tongue. The next morning told us even more. The pure agave left us feeling much better than the mixto did.
The mixto tequila vs agave split comes down to Mexico's naming laws. All tequila must come from approved regions, with Jalisco growing the most. It must use blue agave as its base. But here's your catch: only bottles marked 100% de agave use nothing but blue agave sugars. Mixto meets the bare minimum of 51% blue agave and fills the rest with other sugars.
Your tequila industry has grown fast over the years. Output doubled from 104 million liters in 1995 to 243 million liters by 2006. Blue agave takes 6 to 8 years to reach harvest size. That long wait pushes pure agave prices higher for you. Mixto brands exist because there's not always enough agave to meet your global demand at low prices.
You can spot 100% agave tequila with a quick label check. Look for 100% de agave on the front or back of your bottle. If those words aren't there, you're holding mixto. Also find the NOM number on the label. This four-digit code tells you which licensed distillery made your tequila.
Spending an extra $10 to $15 on pure agave gives you a spirit worth sipping. You taste the difference right away, and you feel it the next morning too. For mixed drinks, a decent mixto works fine in your glass. But for sipping or good margaritas, pure agave is worth the extra cost.
I keep two bottles on my shelf at all times now. One 100% agave tequila for sipping and margaritas, and one mid-range mixto for big party batches. This split lets you enjoy great tequila when it matters most. Your wallet stays happy when you need to pour for a crowd. The agave plant spent 6 to 8 years growing for your glass, so you should taste what all that time creates at least once.
Read the full article: Agave Plant: Care, Types, and Uses
