One Single Agave
Only One Single Agave
Tequila permits only a single agave variety: the Blue Weber Agave. Mezcal, by contrast, uses up to a dozen different species depending on the region. Why this one particular plant became the rule has to do with sugar, cultivation, and history.
What Makes the Blue Weber Agave Special
Shimmering blue-green with sharp, tough leaves, the Blue Weber Agave – botanically Agave tequilana Weber, variety Azul – grows in the fields of Jalisco. Its core, the so-called piña, named for its resemblance to a pineapple, stores large amounts of fermentable sugar. This sugar is exactly what turns into alcohol during cooking and fermentation. By the time a piña is ready for harvest, it typically weighs between thirty and ninety kilograms, depending on age and soil.