What’s Tequila: Why am I so Drunk?

College Drinkers pride themselves on how much they can drink. But for the most part we have no real idea what we’re drinking. We have some vague idea that alcohol comes from fermentation. Fermentation of wheat or something. While your ability to take tequila shots is impressive, an expert College Drinker is knowledgeable in his craft. What’s tequila made from? I did a small amount of research and found out.

Tequila is the name of a town in Mexico, which is named after a volcano nearby. Our traditional European/American liquors like whiskey and vodka are made largely from grains like wheat, corn, or potatoes. Tequila is made from the Blue Agave plant, which kind of looks like a giant pineapple. A really giant pineapple with a core that weighs 40-70 lbs. This is why tequila tastes so unique, because it’s made from a very unique plant. The Blue Agave only grows in the Tequila region of Mexico, and tequila is only made there. Impress people with that next time you’re doing tequila shots.

If you really want to impress people you can tell them about mezcal. Not related to mescaline - a popular (well not really that popular) hallucinogen - mezcal is the type of liquor made from Agave plants. Tequila then is a special type of mezcal made from the Blue Agave in the Tequila region. Mezcal is the stuff they often put worms in, if you’ve heard about that. I was once exposed to a bottle of this, but introduced to it as “tequila with a mescaline-soaked worm in it.” Well now I know he was way wrong. The stuff was mezcal, not tequila (you’re not allowed to put worms in tequila), and eating the worm would not have made us hallucinate, it just would have been nasty.

So now you know a little bit more about the alcohol you love. As I always say the more you learn about your world, the more you can drink about your world. Cheers.

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