21 Market Square, Downtown
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TEQUILA!
equila is one of the world’s oldest and most popular spirits. It is made from the Blue Agave plant found primarily in the area surrounding the Mexican city of tequila and in the highlands of Jalisco, a state in the central western part of Mexico. The red volcanic soil in this region is most suited for growing Blue Agave and more than 300 million of these plants are harvested each year!
Tequila is recognized as a Mexican designation of product and protected by NAFTA in the United States. To be imported and sold in the US, our law requires Tequila to contain at least 40% alcohol (80 Proof). Currently, more than 100 distilleries produce over 900 bands of tequila and more than 2,000 brand names have been registered. As you can see, multiple brands of tequila come from the same areas. The production and distilling of tequila is still primarily a manual process. The harvesting procedure is intimate and traditional and has been handed down for many generations. Harvesters of the Blue Agave, Jimadores, must be able to sense when each plant is ready for harvesting and handle the plant carefully so that they can be properly fermented. Any tequila fan knows that the liquor comes in three colors, white, gold and Reposado or Anejo. White tequila is aged the
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least of the three varieties. The addition of grain alcohols and caramel color create the gold tequilas and Reposado or Anejo also has the grain alcohols and coloring added but is aged for up to 3 years and this can create or enhance various flavors and aromas. Extra Anejo is aged a minimum of 3 years in oak barrels. Being spirituous liquor, tequila does not change much once bottled. To properly maintain the quality of the tequila 3 conditions must be met: • Constant moderate temperature (60-65 degrees) • No direct exposure to sunlight • Maintaining the proper seal of the bottle By following these simple steps your tequila will stay enjoyable for quite some time although it is best consumed within a couple of years. In Mexico, the most popular way of drinking tequila is neat. In the US it is most popular as a shot with salt and lime. Tequila is used in many popular cocktails including the Margarita, Matador and Tequila Sunrise. Tequila is also becoming a popular ingredient in martinis. Las Velas, in Market Square, features a full bar with more than 100 Tequilas. Their attentive staff will answer all your Tequila questions! They are within walking distance of all downtown hotels.
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