¡Tequila!

 "Cuervo, no salt." That's how I order my margarita.

I never thought much about Cuervo, where it comes from, or who makes it. I was just happy to put the glass to my lips on a hot summer day and partake of the tasty concoction of tequila, triple sec and lime.  

Until Mr. Ginley and I stumbled on the display at Giant Eagle of a large, studly guy with a hoe and a sign that simply said, "Jose Cuervo." 

"What's that big round thing," Mr. inquired, pointing to a large, round ball beneath the gentleman's foot.

I shrugged, preoccupied with the next thing on my shopping list. 

"It's probably an agave," Mr. said, knowledgeably.

I found it mildly annoying that I didn't know this. I'm the one that orders the margaritas, after all. On the other hand, Mr. does crossword puzzles all the time, so I suppose that's how he knew.

Still, I wanted to know more. The logical thing seemed to be to go to the Cuervo website. (How benighted we were before the internet!) Cuervo.com did not disappoint. Now I know the rest of the story, which I will share with you. (Hold the applause, please.)

In 1758, the King of Spain granted land to Jose Antonio de Cuervo y Valdes, who started making tequila. His enterprising son (also a Jose) got the first official charter from the King to start producing tequila commercially in 1795. (Fun fact: Mexico didn't gain its independence until 1821.) 

And yes, they use the best blue agaves, which look like cacti but are actually from the lily family. The Spanish called the center of the agave a "pineapple," or "piña," (because, as you can see from the picture, it kinda looks like a pineapple). The heart of the agave is where all the good stuff comes from to make tequila. 

According to Mexican law, beverages can only be called "tequila" if they're made with blue agave or agave azul, which is grown in five particular states in Mexico. And growers must be patient – it takes 6-12 years for the agave plant to mature. 

Another fun fact: people sometimes mistake tequila for mezcal, but tequila requires a lot more fuss. Mezcal is only distilled once (compared to double distillation for tequila), and it can be made from any old agave. You've probably heard of the worm in the bottle thing. It only appears in certain varieties of mezcal – not tequila. 

If you're interested in sustainability (and who isn't, or shouldn't be), you'll be pleased to know that other parts of the agave don't go to waste at Cuervo. Thanks to the Agave Project, they're using discarded parts of the plant to make other stuff, like biodegradable drinking straws. Some ingenious folks have made other things like a surfboard and a Stratocaster® guitar. 

Who knew?

Well, thanks for hanging out in the rabbit hole with me today. I know I'm feeling inspired.

And, given the scorcher it promises to be today, it looks like it will be the perfect evening for a margarita. 

P.S. Props to those of you who, like me, visualize Pee Wee Herman when they hear "Tequila!" (I linked it here for Kim and Chris.)