| The national drink is produced
in Tequila, a small town that lies in the shadow of a volcano.
WORLD HERITAGE
The Mexican government has declared the town one of the country's
'magic villages' or pueblos
magicos, indicating the place has significant historical
and architectural value.
In July 2006 -- UNESCO
announced that the agave region of western Mexico along with
the historic tequila producing factories have become the first
Mexican site selected for their World Heritage List in the Cultural
Landscape category.
The selection committee said the region was an "exceptional
testimonial to harmonious and sustainable adaptation of natural
soil use, as well as the application of a fusion of the pre-Hispanic
maguey fermentation tradition and the European distillation
process."
Candidacy had been championed by the municipal governments
of Amatitlán, Arenal and Tequila in the Valle de Tequila
region, as well as Magdalena and Teuchitlán municipal
officials for the past four years.
The official designation delineates two nuclear zones -- the
first comprised of 34,659 hectares in the Tequila and Amatitlán
valleys (including the agave fields, factories and villages)
and the second with 360.2 hectares surrounding the Teuchitlán
archaeological site.
A second zone consists of 51,261.3 hectares around the Tequila
Volcano and the Río Santiago basin to protect the flora
and fauna.
THE DRINK
Fields of orderly rows of agave tequilana surround the remote
town, an hour north of Guadalajara.
The prickly blue agave plant dominates the valleys, although
you'll see a cow or two sharing the fields or climbing the volcano.
The drink
tequila is a relatively new invention. While indigenous
people consumed various drinks made from agave plants, most
notably pulque, the process did not include distillation. When
the Spanish arrived they distilled the agave juice, naming the
product mezcal.
The mezcal produced in the town of Tequila enjoyed wide popularity,
it assumed the special name of "tequila" by the end of the 19th
century.
Today, the drink has to be manufactured in one of two municipalities,
Tequila or Atotonilco, also known as Los Altos -- both northeast
of Guadalajara -- to qualify as genuine tequila.
Some facts are in order. Mexico's tequila industry produces
19 million gallons of the liquor each year. More than a third
of the production is exported to the United States.
The numbers are astounding. The area surrounding the town
boasts an estimated 100 million agave tequilana plants, cultivated
on approximately 40,000 hectares (98,800 acres) that produce
no less than 50 million liters of tequila each year, 40 percent
of which is exported.
Like mezcal,
there are many qualities and distinct flavors of tequila; the
best is not meant to be pounded down with lime and salt, but
rather sipped like a cognac.
A quick aside - because margaritas are made from tequila and
lime juice, Mexican farmers protested the "wine-cooler" margaritas
popularized in California. True margaritas are made from tequila,
not wine. Otherwise, this was trademark infringement! In fact,
tequila producers went to court, and the judgement came down
solely in favor of tequila-based margaritas.
If you want to do more than taste, there are plenty of tours
in the town of Tequila that will teach you the process of distillation
from start to finish. The Sauza and Cuervo distilleries offer
public tours.
And, if you want to rise above it all, it's only a short drive
from the center of the town to the top of the volcano, aptly
named Volcan Tequila. Just follow Hidalgo Street south out of
town. You'll cross the railroad tracks and get to the top in
a half hour.
The top of the Volcan Tequila is capped by a series of microwave
towers. Locals call this area El Cerro de los Enanos
(the Hill of the Dwarfs) because the trees at this altitude
don't grow very large. An added attraction is that the area
is recommended for bird watchers. More than 60 avine species
have been spotted here.
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