Blue heart of Mexico

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Tequila is more than shots. Willie Simpson explains.

THE ritual that involves licking salt, skoling a shot of fiery spirit and then biting into a lemon wedge has done little for tequila's overall image or its potential to be taken seriously as a sophisticated drink.

And if tequila is in need of an image makeover, then the suave Mexican Julio Gonzales is just the bloke for the job.

"There are many other ways to enjoy tequila besides shots and margaritas," Gonzales says.

"Tequila makes an excellent martini or cosmopolitan. It's very mixable and anything you can make with vodka, you could make just as easily with tequila."

Even in its home market, tequila has had to rise above the impression of being the drink of labourers, says Gonzales. Most people are familiar with the clear (blanco) version and its golden relative, while premium and aged tequila are more recent.

Gonzale's Sauza brand launched its blanco and oro tequilas in Mexico in 1926; its premium Hornitos brand arrived in the 1950s, while Sauza Tres Generaciones was released in 1973 to mark the company's centenary.

The latter two are made from 100% blue agave - pronounced a-GAR-vey - which, contrary to popular belief, belongs to the lily family, despite resembling an aloe vera.

"The agave takes between six to 12 years to reach maturity," Gonzales says. "It's an expensive spirit to produce because you have to harvest the whole plant and then replace it."

Only the pina (or heart) of the agave is used to make tequila and some can weigh up to 70 kilograms.

With a premium tequila such as Sauza Hornitos "you can't leave it too long in wood", Gonzales says. "You want to be able to taste the agave."

To best appreciate such Mexican spirits I recommend the Riedel specialised tequila glass - a slimline, fluted number that concentrates the subtle charms of the agave much better than any ordinary tumbler.

Tequila facts

- Tequila must be made in Mexico, within one of five approved regions, and must be made from a minimum of 51% blue agave.

- Mescal is a generic term for spirit made from agave but not necessarily blue agave.

- Tequila is the third best-selling drink in Mexico behind rum and brandy.

- Types: blanco, a clear, unaged spirit, is the most common; oro is a golden spirit, often a blend containing some aged tequila, sugar syrup or caramel colouring; reposado is aged for two months to a year, in oak barrels; anejo is aged for one to three years, in oak; and extra anejo is aged for a minimum of three years in oak.