Spirits

Tequila

Tequila is a Mexican spirit distilled from the blue agave plant, made, the Oxford Companion says, only in Jalisco and municipalities of four other states; our recipes use 40% ABV. A label reading 100% agave means every sugar came from the plant, where plain tequila needs only 51%. Most of our 26 tequila recipes ask for 100% agave blanco.

Quick Facts

ABV40% ABVThe Oxford Companion gives Mexico’s range as 35 to 55%; our recipes count tequila at 40%.

Legal categorySpiritProtected name: made in Mexico under the tequila standard, NOM-006

OriginMexico: Jalisco and parts of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit and Tamaulipas

Flavour Strengthmedium bold

SeasonYear-round

Our keeping timeIndefinitely unopened. Once opened, years if kept sealed and upright out of the light, though the aroma fades slowly.

Storage

Store upright in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight. Reseal tightly after use to preserve aroma.

Allergens

None of the 14 listed allergens.

The ingredient

About Tequila

Flavour Profile

Primary Flavours

AgaveHerbalCitrusPepper

Tasting Notes

Bright cooked agave character with herbal and citrus notes, light peppery spice, and a clean, warming finish. Oak-aged styles add vanilla and soft spice.

Blue agave, from one region of Mexico

Tequila is distilled from the cooked heart of one plant, the blue agave. The Oxford Companion says Mexico’s tequila standard, NOM-006, confines it to Jalisco and municipalities in Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit and Tamaulipas, and allows 35 to 55% ABV. Britain protects the name, including under its spirit drinks agreement with Mexico, so tequila sold here comes from that area.

Two words on the label matter more than the price

Every fermentable sugar in Tequila 100% agave comes from the agave. Plain tequila, often called mixto, needs only 51% agave sugars, where 100% agave tequila must be bottled within its production region. On the label, the absence of 100% agave is the sign. Difford’s Guide describes curados, flavoured tequilas, as a category launched in 2006 that requires only 25% agave spirit. Price is a weak guide in either direction; those two words are the reliable one.

Time in wood sets the class

Tequila classes under NOM-006, as the Oxford Companion and Difford’s Guide set them out; the recipe column is ours.

Blanco or plata

Time in wood: None, or up to 59 days
Our recipes: 22, including the Margarita and Paloma

Joven or oro

Time in wood: None of its own: blanco mixed with aged tequila
Our recipes: None

Reposado

Time in wood: Two to twelve months
Our recipes: Three: Rosita, Picante de la Casa, Oaxacan Old Fashioned

Añejo

Time in wood: At least one year
Our recipes: One: Añejo Old Fashioned

Extra añejo

Time in wood: At least three years
Our recipes: None

Class	Time in wood	Our recipes
Blanco or plata	None, or up to 59 days	22, including the Margarita and Paloma
Joven or oro	None of its own: blanco mixed with aged tequila	None
Reposado	Two to twelve months	Three: Rosita, Picante de la Casa, Oaxacan Old Fashioned
Añejo	At least one year	One: Añejo Old Fashioned
Extra añejo	At least three years	None

Blanco’s peppery, vegetal agave is what citrus drinks like the Margarita, Tommy’s Margarita and Paloma are built around. The oak in a reposado rounds the Rosita, while our Añejo Old Fashioned stirs añejo like a whiskey, with agave syrup and mole bitters. For smoke, mezcal is the neighbour to reach for.

Using it

Using Tequila

Usage

50ml of blanco is the usual base: Margarita, Paloma, Batanga, Mexican Mule. Party drinks take 15ml beside four or five other spirits. Reposado leads in a Rosita and a Picante de la Casa; añejo in an Añejo Old Fashioned, stirred as a whiskey would be.

Pro Tip

When a Margarita tastes harsh, check the label before the lime. A tequila without the words 100% agave is usually the cause, and changing the bottle fixes more than adjusting the sugar.

Top Tips

Look for 100% agave on the front label. Without it, up to 49% of the sugars can come from other sources.
Buy blanco first: 22 of our 26 tequila recipes call for it.
The NOM number on the label identifies the producer; several brands can share one distillery’s number.
Keep it sealed and upright like any spirit; tequila does not age in the bottle.

Possible Substitutions

Mezcal: Smokier, from many agave species; start with a split base

Production Method

Blue agave hearts (Agave tequilana Weber, blue variety) are cooked, crushed, fermented and distilled. As Difford’s Guide sets it out, Tequila 100% agave uses only agave sugars and plain tequila at least 51%; reposado rests at least 60 days in wood, añejo a year or more, extra añejo three years or more.

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

What is tequila made from?

From the blue agave, Agave tequilana Weber, a succulent grown in western Mexico. Its heart is cooked, crushed and fermented, then distilled. The Oxford Companion says 100% agave tequilas use agave sugars alone, while a mixto is 51% agave sugars and 49% from other sources, usually cane.

What does 100% agave mean on tequila?

That no sugar other than blue agave went into the ferment. Difford’s Guide says a tequila not labelled 100% agave is a mixto, and that 100% agave tequila must be bottled within its production region. Most of our tequila recipes ask for 100% agave, because the cheaper style tastes hotter and thinner against fresh lime.

Is tequila a type of mezcal?

Both are agave spirits from Mexico, and tequila is often described as a kind of mezcal. The GB register on GOV.UK lists them as separate protected names, and Mexico sets a separate standard for each: NOM-070 makes mezcal 100% agave from many species, while tequila draws on blue agave alone and can contain other sugars.

How strong is tequila?

The Oxford Companion gives Mexico’s range as 35 to 55% ABV; our units use 40%, which makes a Margarita’s 50ml of tequila two UK units, with the triple sec on top. A 38% bottle makes a slightly softer drink.

What is the difference between blanco, reposado and añejo?

Time in wood. Blanco is usually bottled unaged and keeps the sharp, peppery agave. Difford’s Guide sets reposado at a minimum of 60 days in oak, añejo at a year or more and extra añejo, added in 2006, at three or more; the oak adds vanilla and spice. The agave and the distilling are the same.

Which tequila should I use for a Margarita?

Blanco, 100% agave, at 40%: the IBA spec asks for 100% agave tequila, and ours names blanco. Unaged, it has the peppery, green agave edge that lime is meant to meet; a reposado makes a rounder, oakier drink. Keep añejo for stirred drinks, or to sip neat.

What is the NOM number on a tequila bottle?

Difford’s Guide says each company bottling tequila is allotted its own NOM number, shared by all its 100% agave and aged brands. It is a mark of authenticity, not quality, and does not necessarily show where the tequila was made.

Why is tequila drunk with salt and lime?

The Oxford Companion says tequila is used in cocktails, for sipping and in shots, and that in Mexico older and local people tend to drink it neat, sipping slowly before meals. It describes sangrita as a nonalcoholic accompaniment. A good 100% agave blanco needs neither salt nor lime; we taste it neat first.

Sources.

Checked between 16 October and 20 October 2026.

The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails (Ana G. Valenzuela-Zapata), “tequila” (secondary source: 35 to 55% ABV; NOM-006-SCFI-2012; Jalisco and municipalities in Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit and Tamaulipas; 100% agave and mixto at 51%).
GOV.UK, “Tequila: protected spirit drink name”.
GOV.UK, “Mezcal: protected spirit drink name”.
Consejo Regulador del Mezcal, “NOM-070-SCFI-2016, Alcoholic beverages: Mezcal: Specifications (English translation)”.
IBA, “Margarita”.
Difford’s Guide, “Tequila classifications: mixto, 100% agave, curados” (secondary source: 100% agave bottled in its production region; mixto 51%; blanco 0 to 59 days, reposado 60 days, añejo a year, extra añejo three years (2006); curados from 2006).
Difford’s Guide, “Tequila appellation and regulatory bodies: CRT and NOM” (secondary source: each bottling company has its own NOM number; authenticity, not quality).
The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails (Misty Kalkofen), “sangrita” (secondary source: a nonalcoholic accompaniment served with tequila).

Make something

Made with Tequila

Often Used With

Updated 20 October 2026

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