>> Narrator: THE STORY OF
TEQUILA BEGINS MANY CENTURIES
AGO WHEN MEXICO'S AZTEC
FERMENTED THE JUICE OF THE
AGAVE PLANT
TO PRODUCE A LOW-ALCOHOL
DRINK CALLED PULQUE.
WHEN THE SPANISH CONQUISTADORS
ARRIVED, THEY ADDED
DISTILLATION TO THE PROCESS FOR
A MUCH STRONGER DRINK, AND
TEQUILA WAS BORN.
TEQUILA IS TO MEXICO, AS
CHAMPAGNE IS TO FRANCE.
TEQUILA IS ONLY MADE IN THIS
PART OF THE WORLD, AND MEXICO
HAS CLAIMED EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS
TO THE WORD "TEQUILA."
FOR CENTURIES, WORKERS CALLED
JIMADORES HAVE GROWN AND
HARVESTED THE AGAVE PLANT
FOR TEQUILA.
IT TAKES SEVEN YEARS, ON
AVERAGE, FOR A SPECIES CALLED
WEBER BLUE AGAVE, TO MATURE.
AND EVEN TODAY, IT'S HARVESTED
ENTIRELY BY HAND. USING A
LETHALLY SHARP, HOE-LIKE
TOOL, THE JIMADORES CHOP AWAY
THE GREENERY UNTIL ALL THAT'S
LEFT IS THE HUGE CORE
CALLED THE PIÑA.
FILING THE ROUND BLADE
FREQUENTLY KEEPS IT RAZOR SHARP,
ALLOWING THEM TO REMOVE MOST
OF THE BITTER-TASTING
LEAVES FROM THE PIÑA.
THE TEQUILA DISTILLED FROM
THIS CROP WILL BE A PREMIUM
GRADE MADE FROM 100%
AGAVE JUICE.
THE JIMADORES ROUTINELY
REMOVE A SMALL PIECE,
AND MEASURE THE
STARCH CONTENT OF THE CROP.
ONLY IF IT'S DEEMED TO BE
SUFFICIENT IS THE AGAVE PIÑA
SENT TO THE DISTILLERY.
WORKERS WIELD SPECIAL HATCHETS
TO CARVE THE HUGE PIÑA
INTO QUARTERS.
THEY'RE A MORE MANAGEABLE SIZE
FOR BAKING.
THEY TRANSFER THE CHOPPED PIÑA
TO A BRICK OVEN, WHERE IT'S
STEAM-BAKED FOR 79 HOURS.
THIS THOROUGH COOKING CONVERTS
THE AGAVE STARCH TO SUGAR.
IN THE PROCESS, THE FLESH
SOFTENS AND THE COLOR TURNS
FROM WHITE TO REDDISH BROWN.
THE BAKED AGAVE PIÑA NOW SPILLS
INTO A SHREDDER THAT ROTATES
TO TEAR THE FRUIT INTO LONG,
THIN FIBERS.
THE FIBERS EXIT ONTO A
CONVEYOR.
THE SHREDDED PIÑA LANDS IN A
PIT, WHERE A WORKER FORKS IT
UP, AND MOVES IT INTO THE PATH
OF A HUGE STONE WHEEL
CALLED A TAHONA.
OPERATED MECHANICALLY, THE
TAHONA WHEEL TURNS TO CRUSH
THE FIBERS AND SQUEEZE OUT THE
PRECIOUS AGAVE NECTAR.
IT TAKES TWO HOURS OF CRUSHING
TO EXTRACT ALL THE JUICES.
THEY PIPE THE JUICY MASH INTO
WOODEN TANKS AND ADD YEAST.
THE YEAST CAUSES FERMENTATION --
A PROCESS BY WHICH SUGAR IS
TRANSFORMED INTO ALCOHOL.
AFTER 72 HOURS OF FERMENTATION,
THE ALCOHOL CONTENT REACHES
5%.
THE FERMENTED PULP AND JUICES
HAVE AN EARTHY, ACIDIC BOUQUET
AND THE AROMA FILLS THE AIR.
THEY TRANSFER THE FERMENTED
MASH TO SMALL COPPER STEELS.
INSIDE THE STILLS, THE ALCOHOL
IS BOILED OFF AND THE VAPOR
CONDENSED INTO A MORE
POTENT LIQUID.
THIS IS CALLED DISTILLATION.
AFTER TWO DISTILLATION CYCLES,
THEY HAVE TEQUILA.
A TECHNICIAN MEASURES
THE ALCOHOL CONTENT
AND IT'S 55%.
AFTER STRAINING OUT THE PULP,
THEY TRANSFER THE TEQUILA TO
TO STEEL TANKS --
THEY ADD PURIFIED WELL WATER
TO DILUTE THE ALCOHOL CONTENT
AND BRING IT DOWN TO 40%.
THIS TEQUILA IS NOW READY TO
DRINK, SO IT'S OVER TO THE
BOTTLING LINE.
WITH THE BOTTLES UPSIDE DOWN
ON A REVOLVING CAROUSEL, THEY
SPRAY THE INSIDE WITH
REAL TEQUILA FOR A QUICK RINSE.
THE GRIPPERS FLIP THEM RIGHT
SIDE UP, SO THEY CAN BE
FILLED WITH 100% AGAVE TEQUILA.
THIS AUTOMATED SYSTEM KEEPS
THE FILL LEVEL PRECISE.
AN EMPLOYEE CORKS THE BOTTLES
AND THEN SENDS THEM DOWN THE
LINE.
THE NEXT WORKER PRESSES
ADHESIVE-BACKED TRANSPARENT
LABELS ONTO THEM.
THE SEE-THROUGH LABELS SHOWCASE
THE CLARITY OF THIS FRESH,
PREMIUM TEQUILA.
FOR A DRINK WITH A LITTLE MORE
COMPLEXITY, THEY AGE THE
TEQUILA IN OAK CASKS FOR
TWO MONTHS OR
MORE, DEPENDING ON THE GRADE.
DURING AGING, THE TEQUILA
TAKES ON A WOODY FLAVOR, AND
TURNS A WARM SHADE OF AMBER.
THE MASTER DISTILLER
PERSONALLY APPROVES EACH BATCH.
HE CHECKS THE COLOR, INHALES
THE AROMA, AND PUTS HIS
OBSERVATIONS DOWN ON PAPER.
HE ALSO TAKES A LITTLE SIP.
NO LONGER A ROUGH SWILL FOR
BANDIDOS, TEQUILA HAS GONE
UPTOWN AND EVOLVED INTO A MORE
SOPHISTICATED DRINK.
