A SHOOTER ABOUT TEQUILA!
Okay, we all have our stories about the evils of Tequila...they often start out very similar..."I can't drink Tequila anymore, because once I..." and then the victim goes on to tell how the ravages of this wild spirit turned their life upside down for a week one night! Tequila does seem to be able to bring out the best and worst in people...usually bringing out more of what an individual already has going on when they are sober!
The good people of Mexico alone consume over 45,000,000 liters of tequila each year, and this unique drink is quickly circling the globe as a premier ingredient for cocktails, or taken straight up. Exports to the world are now close to $400,000,000 per year. Retail sales of Tequila in the U.S. (Mexico's largest export market) are now approximately 3.5 billion U.S. dollars. As Donald Trump would say..."that's huge!"
Mexico is the only country in the world that produces Tequila. In order for any tequila maker to be able to call their product "Tequila" the contents must contain a minimum of 51% agave from the tequila plant. Three fourths of the Tequila that the U.S. buys from Mexico is composed of a mixture of at least 51% agave and 49% distilled sugar. This level of quality is not that high and most of this tequila is used for the well brands in bars that are used to mix tequila with other juices such as margarita mix, orange juice, etc.
Tequila that is made up of 100% agave is the highest qualtiy tequila, and the label will proudly state that the contents contain "100% agave". This tequila is often used for sipping, straight on the rocks, or for shooting. It is also the most expensive.
