Spirits

Tequila

Tequila is a Mexican spirit distilled from the blue agave plant, made only in Jalisco and parts of four other states, and most bottles are 38 to 40% ABV; our recipes use 40%. 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% ABVMexican rules allow 35 to 55%; most bottles sold in Britain are 38 to 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. Mexico’s tequila standard, NOM-006, confines it to Jalisco and named 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, and it must be bottled in the origin area. Plain tequila, often called mixto, needs only 51% agave sugars and may be shipped in bulk and bottled elsewhere. Mixto is not a name the standard uses, so it is not printed on labels: the absence of 100% agave is the only sign. 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

Blanco or plata

Time in wood: None
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	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. Tequila 100% agave uses only agave sugars and must be bottled in the origin area; plain tequila needs at least 51% agave sugars. Reposado rests two to twelve months in wood, añejo for a year or more, extra añejo for 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. Tequila labelled 100% agave has no sugar from any other source; plain tequila needs at least 51% from agave and may make up the rest from other sugars.

What does 100% agave mean on tequila?

That no sugar other than blue agave went into the ferment, and that it was bottled in Mexico. Without those words, the bottle needs only 51% agave sugars and may have been bottled abroad. 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. In law they are separate protected names with separate Mexican standards. Tequila draws on one species, blue agave, and can contain other sugars; mezcal may draw on many species and allows none.

How strong is tequila?

Mexican rules allow 35 to 55% ABV, but most tequila sold in Britain is 38 to 40%, and 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 bottled unaged and keeps the sharp, peppery agave. Reposado rests two to twelve months in wood and turns rounder; añejo spends at least a year, extra añejo at least three, and takes on vanilla and spice from the oak. The agave and the distilling are the same.

Which tequila should I use for a Margarita?

Blanco, 100% agave, at 40%, which is the IBA spec and ours. 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?

A four-digit number from Mexico’s tequila regulator, the CRT, identifying the company that produced the tequila. Several brands can share one number, because one distillery may make tequila for many labels. It confirms the tequila is certified and traceable, not that it suits a particular drink.

Make something

Made with Tequila

Often Used With

Updated 10 October 2026

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