Tequila was originally a drink primarily favored by the locals and bandidos that inhabited the Mexican countryside.
Legend said that the Aztec rule Montezuma welcomed the Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez with a wine made from the agave plant. Cortez took the agave wine, and stilled it to make tequila.
The Aztecs brewed a kind of wine called pulque from agave plants. The Spanish introduced distillation, which upped pulque’s alcohol content, turning it into a liquor today known as mezcal. Mezcal can be produced form any agave, but tequila comes only from Weber Blue agave.
Tequila was first produced in the 16th century near the location of the city of Tequila which was not officially established until 1656.
In 1758, a young man by the name of Jose Antonio Cuervo received permission from King of Spain to start producing tequila as a product for exporting.
Tequila in history
