Agave liquor

The history of the agave dates back to pre-Hispanic times, when our ancestors created beautiful legends around this plant. From 9 billion years ago and until now, the tradition continues alive. Today, the agave plant continues to be cultivated and protected in arid areas such as Tamaulipas, Oaxaca, and Puebla.

The agave belongs to the genus monocots, which are close relatives of succulents. As part of its multiple uses, the agave preserves the production of different types of agave liquor, production of sugars, fibers, pulque, mixiote, fodder, mezcal, bacanora and tequila.

With the arrival of the Spanish, many great civilizations flourished, and the agave gained popularity under another name: maguey. A new form of production was revealed with the stems where cooking, fermentation and distillation were used to transform the starch into sugar.

The fiber that this plant produces allows the elaboration of three different types of agave liquor that are traditional in Mexico: tequila, mezcal and pulque. Each of these types of liquor represent an important part in Mexican gastronomy, they are also an excellent complement to accompany the typical dishes of the different regions of the country.

Although, in other regions of Mexico, the mezcal drink is known by other local names such as raicilla and bacanora, meanwhile, the agave liquor in other regions is known as tepache, mosto, or tuba.

The following are some uses given to the maguey plant and its parts:

• The quiote: It is the stem of the maguey flower and can be consumed as energy food or as a material for the construction of houses. It is also the source of the maguey because of its flower and seeds that can be used to grow more magueys.
• Maguey leaves: The manufacture of ropes is based on the leaves of this plant, it is rough, rustic, and strong.
• Mead: Mead or honey wine is made by fermenting honey with water, but here it is born from the fermentation of the sap, where drinks such as pulque are also created.
• Distillates: The production of mezcales and tequilas is the result of working with agave liquor.

What is agave liquor?

In Mexico, agave liquor is made from the same plant as tequila, although it is a drink with lower degrees of alcohol than other maguey distillates.

But even though agave liquor comes from the sap and contains few degrees of alcohol, when it goes through the distillation process known as fermentation that is obtained from the heart of the plant, the result is schnapps; a drink with a much higher degree of alcohol.

Since it comes from fermentation, the strict requirements of alcoholic beverages are not determined, so its sale is usually at a much lower cost, and it is found in different presentations that can be blue tones, reminiscent of the plant from which it is made.

How should agave liquor be drunk?

Even though agave liquor has a lower alcohol content than other distillates. Its consumption is recommended to be moderate with “kisses” or sipping it, always taking care not to spill the liquor on the sides.

As a curious fact, the agave drink can be drunk alone or combined with soft drinks, as is the case with other products that come from the same plant, giving a different touch to the liquor.

Benefits of agave liquor

Agave liquor contains sugars that are known as agavinas, which are well known as dietary fiber. These types of sugars are not assimilated in the same way by the body, as is the case with processed sugar found in most foods that do not provide any nutritional value.

For this reason, agave liquor is the ideal drink for those who like to consume an alcoholic beverage with few calories. It is also a drink that strengthens immune function and provides the body with many antioxidants.

On the other hand, agave liquor also contains saponin; an excellent remedy to reduce inflammation and pain. Moreover, when it is in its purest state, it works as a product to disinfect wounds.

Differences between agave liquor and mezcal

Despite the agave liquor seems to have plenty of similarities with tequila and mezcal, there are differences between one and the other:

• The type of distillation process used to create mezcal makes it a drink with an alcohol content of more than 20º.
• Agave liquor contains much less alcohol in its pure state, unlike other drinks such as tequila or mezcal.
• A drink like mezcal contains at least 80% of agave sugars.
• Agave liquors differ from other beverages by having less than 1% sugar from the plant.

Agave liquor is one of the main drinks that represent Mexico because it is a drink with a unique flavor that cannot be missing in any Mexican home. If you want to buy this product, Go to the Luna Mezcal page.

La Luna Mezcal is a Mexican company that offers the tasting of the agave flavor from an artisanal production.

Visit our online store and purchase our ancestral mezcal so that you can experience the flavor of mezcal from Michoacán lands.