17 Interesting Facts About Tequila You Won't Remember In the Morning

1. Tequila is a plant-based drink that comes from the blue agave, or, if you want to sound smarter, the agave tequilana.

2. The gentlemen who chop agave leaves for tequila are known as “Jimadors” use a tool called a “Coa” which is a machete with a circular blade.

3. Only the heart of the blue agave plant is used to make the tequila.

4. The heart of the agave, otherwise known as the Piña, can weigh anywhere from 80-200 pounds. It is removed of all leaves and then cooked, fermented, then distilled.

5. There was a time during the mid-20th century in which tequila sales experienced a massive spike in California after a rumour went around that tequila was a psychedelic.

6. Physicists at the National Autonomous University of Mexico found a way to turn tequila into synthetic diamonds. However, they are far too small to be used for jewelry. They are just right, however, for a plethora of uses in the electronics and industrial industries.

7. As is the case with an aficionado of any beverage, aficionados of tequila choose not to take shots of tequila, but rather to sip on it in order to capture ever nuance of what makes it so great to them.

8. A good bottle of tequila can last unchanged for several years. However, opened bottles of tequila will start to “go bad” in anywhere from 3-6 months.

9. At Patron, the process in which the tequila is made is so meticulous and so traditional, that by the time the bottle is shipped to stores it will have gone through more than 60 pairs of hands- each doing a different specific job.

10. For it to be “true tequila” it must be made in Mexico. Specifically, it must be made in the region of Jalisco. Other states in which tequila may also be considered to be “true” are Guanajuato, Michoacan, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas.

11. The infamous worm, or Gusano, is never found in high-quality tequila. In fact, the worm itself was simply a marketing ploy used by mezcal, the lower quality “cousin” of tequila.

12. The ritual of involving salt and limes to shots of tequila started in the late 19th century because the taste of cheap tequila (which was being mass-produced at the time) was so god awful they needed a way to cope with it.

13. Pure tequila is low in sugar, calories, and carbs, all thanks to the distillation process. In fact, drinking the stuff can actually hep aid in weight loss and help with your digestive system. Suspect? To be sure. But apparently, it’s true.

14. Jay Leno owns one of three remaining 1964 Chrysler cars that can run entirely on tequila.

15. There is a tequila that essentially leaves you with no hangover. It is called Blanco tequila. It’s 100% pure agave and has zero sugars, syrups, or congeners. These are all things that lead to hangovers.

16. According to a 2016 Neilsen Survey, a whopping 44% of Americans 21 and over prefer tequila-based drinks over others.

17. At one point during the 1930s, tequila was prescribed by some doctors in Mexico to help fight off colds.