Distilled from blue agave (Agave tequilana) which is found near the city of Tequila and in the Jaliscan Highlands
Blue agaves grown in the highlands Los Altos region are larger and sweeter in aroma and taste
Agaves harvested in the valley region have a more herbaceous fragrance and flavor
Mexican laws state that tequila can be produced only in the state of Jalisco and limited municipalities in the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas
Must be distilled at least two times
Plants grown in the highlands often yield sweeter and fruitier-tasting tequila, while valley agaves give the tequila an earthier flavor
Production
Harvesting largely done manually by jimadores
The stalks (quiotes) are regularly trimmed, preventing flowering and allowing ripening
The leaves are cut and the succulent cores (piñas) are slowly baked to break down fructans into fructose
The baked piñas are mashed under a large stone wheel (tahona)
The pulp (bagoza) left behind can be added back later for a stronger flavor
The juice is poured into stainless steel or wooden vats and allowed to ferment
This (wort) is then distilled once to produce ordinario and then again for clear "silver" tequila
Reposado (rested) tequila is aged for 2 months and Añejo (aged) for 1 year, both in white oak