tequila

tequila
/teuh kee"leuh/, n.
1. a strong liquor from Mexico, distilled from fermented mash of an agave.
2. the plant itself, Agave tequilana.
[1840-50; after Tequila, a town in Jalisco, Mexico, a center for its production]

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Distilled liquor, usually clear in colour and unaged, made from the fermented juice of the Mexican agave plant.

(See agave family.) It contains 40–50% alcohol. It was developed soon after the Spaniards brought distillation to Mexico, and is named for the town of Tequila. It is mixed with lime juice and orange liqueur to make the margarita cocktail, which is served in a glass rimmed with salt. Mescal, a stronger-flavoured liquor, is made from a wild agave from Oaxaca.

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      distilled liquor, usually clear in colour and unaged, that is made from the fermented juice of the Mexican agave (century plant) plant, specifically several varieties of Agave tequilana Weber. Tequila contains 40–50 percent alcohol (80–100 U.S. proof). The beverage, which was developed soon after the Spaniards introduced distillation to Mexico, is named for the town of Tequila in the Mexican state of Jalisco where it is produced.

      Upon maturity the pineapple-like base of the agave plant fills with sweet sap, or agua miel (“honey water”). The bases are steamed to aid in extracting the sap; this juice is fermented and then distilled twice to achieve the desired purity. Some brands are aged in oak vats, which allows the distillate to mellow and take on a pale straw colour.

      Tequila is mixed with lime juice and an orange-flavoured liqueur to make the Margarita cocktail, which is served in a glass rimmed with salt. Mexicans usually prefer tequila unmixed, accompanied by salt and a wedge of lime. The drinker takes salt, tequila, and lime in rapid succession, thus combining all the flavours.

      Mescal (also known as mezcal), a similar distilled beverage, is less expensive and stronger in flavour and is made from an agave plant that grows wild in the Oaxaca region.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Tequila — Tequila …   Deutsch Wörterbuch

  • Tequila — is an agave based spirit made primarily in the area surrounding Tequila, convert|65|km in the northwest of Guadalajara and in the highlands ( Los Altos ) of the western Mexican state of Jalisco. The volcanic soil in the region surrounding Tequila …   Wikipedia

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  • tequila — [ tekila ] n. f. • 1954; de (l agave) tequilana, du district de Tequila au Mexique ♦ Alcool d agave du Mexique. On boit la tequila avec une pincée de sel. On écrirait mieux téquila. ● tequila nom féminin (de Tequila, nom propre) Eau de vie… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • tequila — (n.) 1849, from Amer.Sp. tequila, from Tequila, name of a district in central Mexico noted for the fine quality of its tequila. Tequila sunrise is attested by 1965 …   Etymology dictionary

  • Tequila — Te*qui la, n. An intoxicating liquor made from the maguey in the district of Tequila, Mexico. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • tequila — CHÍ LA/ s. f. alcool obţinut prin fermentarea sucului de agave, fabricat în Mexic. (< fr. tequila) Trimis de raduborza, 15.09.2007. Sursa: MDN …   Dicționar Român

  • tequila — ‘Bebida alcohólica mexicana que se obtiene del agave’. Es voz masculina en México, y con este género se emplea mayoritariamente en todo el ámbito hispánico: «Acepté el tequila y el lechón al horno» (Ibargüengoitia Crímenes [Méx. 1979]). Se… …   Diccionario panhispánico de dudas

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  • tequila — ► NOUN ▪ a Mexican liquor made from an agave. ORIGIN named after the town of Tequila in Mexico …   English terms dictionary

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