Tequila Trivia

What good site does NOT have a section devoted to trivia. The Tavern is no exception. Browse the links here for all the useless (er, useful) things you might want to know about tequila.

Tequila Trivia
TJ’s Top 10 Reasons to Drink Tequila
16 Reasons to Serve Tequila at Work
Tequila Myths
Songs and CDs About Tequila
Movies About Tequila
What Happens ...

Tequila Trivia

Tequila, the town, was founded in 1530 by a Spanish Conquistador by the name of Capt. Cristobal de Onate.
Tequila means ‘the rock that cuts’. This phrase probably originated from the fact that the town is surrounded by obsidian (a sharp rock that was created by hot lava).
The name agave comes from the Greek word for ‘noble’.
Sauza's Hornitos derives its name from the horno, the traditional stone or brick oven used to soften piñas.
There are 136 species of agave in Mexico and about 30 different alcoholic beverages made from agave.

TJ’s Top 10 Reasons to Drink Tequila

10. Drinking tequila is good for your health. (I cover this in the myths.)

9. Drinking tequila supports international trade.

8. It prevents scurvy. (Well, at least when you’re biting the limes.)

7. A good tequila, like a good woman, is complex and full of body.

6. But then, a good tequila won’t mind if you share with your friends.

5. It puts hair on your chest. -- NOT!

4. It tastes good even when it is warm.

3. Tequila complements your breakfast juice (a la Tequila Sunrise).

2. Sipping tequila is quite sophisticated.

1. Because you can!

16 Reasons to Serve Tequila at Work

It's an incentive to show up.
It leads to more honest communications.
It reduces complaints about low pay.
Employees tell management what they think, not what they want to hear.
It encourages car pooling.
Increase job satisfaction because if you have a bad job, you don't care.
It eliminates vacations because people would rather come to work.
It makes fellow employees look better.
It makes the cafeteria food taste better.
Bosses are more likely to hand out raises when they are wasted.
Salary negotiations are a lot more profitable.
Employees work later since there's no longer a need to relax at the bar.
It makes everyone more open with their ideas.
Eliminates the need for employees to get drunk on their lunch break.
Employees no longer need coffee to sober up.
Sitting "Bare ass" on the copy machine will no longer be seen as gross.

Myths About Tequila

Tequila is made from fermented cactus juice.

Tequila is made from the sugar-rich heart of the blue agave (maguey) plant. The agave is a succulent that is related to the lily and amaryllis. It matures in 8-10 years and may have a lifespan up to 15 years. A mature agave is 7-12 feet in diameter and has leaves 5-8 feet tall. The agave hearts (piñas) are generally harvested when they are 50-80 pounds, but they may weigh as much as 300 pounds or more. The sap from the roasted piñas is fermented and double or triple distilled to produce tequila.

Tequila has medicinal properties.

Tequila is considered healthy when used in moderation; however, there is no firm scientific evidence confirming the medicinal properties of either tequila or the agave plant.

On the other hand, there have been some studies indicating that, like wine, tequila increases the good cholesterol levels in our blood and decreases the bad by helping dissolve the fats. Similarly, 100% agave tequila is reported to be low in carbohydrates. (Atkins diet, here I come!)

While the jury is still out on this one, the crew here at the BAR-T can confirm that drinking a caballito a day will definitely make you a happier person. ;-)

TJ starts each day with a T-shot.

There is absolutely NO truth to this vicious rumor. Anyone, who knows me, knows that I END each day with a T-shot.

-- TJ

There is a worm in tequila.

There is no worm in Mexican-bottled tequila, and any non-Mexican-bottled tequila that includes a worm is NOT worth drinking. Read my lips: URBAN LEGEND. 'nough said.

All tequilas are the same.

Tequilas vary according to the growing environment, the company making them, and the process used for production. Many factors affect the flavor and body of the tequila; these include soil, temperature, age of the plants at harvesting, along with equipment used and process by which the plants are baked and aged.

There is wide variation in tequila flavors. Variations extend across brands and between the styles (blanco, reposado and añejo). Thus, it may be difficult for beginning aficionados to recognize thedistinctions. Production techniques also affect the taste. Traditional methods generally produce much stronger agave flavor than modern, mass production. Barrel aging often has a significant impact on the color and the taste as the tequila picks up the essence of the wood from the barrel.

Tequila and Mezcal are the same thing.

Tequila is a type of mezcal, but mezcals are not tequilas. True tequila is made only from the blue agave, and must be produced in a specific region of Mexico. It gets its name from the town of Tequila which is located in the state of Jalisco. Mezcal, on the other hand, may be made from five different varieties of agave and may be made almost anywhere in Mexico.