Tequila is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from the blue agave, primarily in the Tequila city region of the Mexican state of Jalisco, 65 kilometres northeast of Guadalajara.

The red volcanic soil of the surrounding region is particularly conducive to the growth of the blue agave, and more than 300 million plants are harvested each year. Tequilana agave grows differently depending on the region. Blue agaves planted in high areas are larger and sweeter in aroma and flavor. Agaves from lower areas have a more herbaceous taste and fragrance.

By Mexican law, it can be produced only in the state of Jalisco and in limited regions of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. The production of products called “tequila” is subject to compliance with the conditions of the designation of origin, limited to controlled regions of Mexico.

It is often made with an alcohol content of 38-40%, but can also be produced with an alcohol content between 31-55%. Pulque, a fermented drink made from the sap of the Agave americana, was already consumed in central Mexico before the arrival of Europeans. When the Spanish conquistadors exhausted their stocks of cognac, they began distilling the agave, thus creating one of America’s first distilled beverages. By Wikipedia