Distilled by Rob DeSalle & Ian Tattersall

Distilled by Rob DeSalle & Ian Tattersall

Author:Rob DeSalle & Ian Tattersall [DeSalle, Rob & Tattersall, Ian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780300265101
Published: 2022-07-14T16:00:00+00:00


The outlook for tequila, like its history and its country of origin, is complicated. Distillers’ clever blending of modern technology and ancient knowledge has given the spirit an authentic, almost mythical aura that has helped to drive its recent surge in popularity. Tequila retains an intimate association with its source—the agave—and the indigenous traditions associated with the cultural uses of this plant. Moreover, the production of tequila and other mezcals still hinges on the experience and knowledge that traditional producers have transmitted through generations, as an intangible cultural patrimony. Sadly, however, this heritage is in danger of being lost, as is the biocultural diversity that once characterized agave-producing regions and landscapes, due to tequila’s dramatic, worldwide increase in popularity over the past century. It’s exactly because the world now knows and loves tequila that its future is at risk.

Tequila has evolved dramatically over time in its ingredients, its production processes, and even its alcohol content. The changes have resulted in a fundamental reformulation in the chemical composition of the ancestral mezcal from which it derives, to the point where tequila is hardly recognizable as a descendent of traditional mezcals. Almost all these changes have been driven by market forces: greater demand leads to increased production, regardless of the consequences that such transformations may bring. The endorsement of such modifications by the NOM, TRC, and AO, among others, may provide legal justification; but at its heart these groups are simply leveraging the cultural and historical integrity of this iconic beverage for commercial purposes. Consider, for example, the supposedly “Mexican credentials” of tequilas produced and marketed by large, multinational corporations such as Beam Suntory (the U.S. subsidiary of a Japanese holding company, and current owner of Sauza Tequila).

Worse, most artisanal production methods are disappearing because of the great physical effort and time required. Some boutique distilleries have emerged, offering premium 100 percent agave tequilas produced via traditional techniques; Los Abuelos, for example, uses a vintage tahona—a large, volcanic stone wheel—to crush cooked agave piñas. Their production capacity is, however, insignificant in comparison with large commercial distilleries. Moreover, for economic and tax reasons these premium products may be available only outside Mexico, that is, removed from the land of their origin and separated from the inheritors of the cultural traditions that created them. Some have questioned how much longer tequila can remain a truly Mexican industry and a Mexican icon if the country loses control of a large portion of its producers. Bearers of traditional knowledge may no longer reap the benefits that their centuries-long heritage should provide.

In terms of genetic and biological diversity, tequila’s explosion in popularity has fundamentally altered the landscapes in which agaves are cultivated. As we noted earlier, agave-based spirits are distilled from approximately fifty-four different species, of which only four are currently intensely cultivated and linked to large industries (the vast majority are either extracted directly from wild populations or managed in traditional agroforestry systems). Over time, constant production and artificial selection of specific characteristics like sweetness and size have resulted in distinct domesticated varieties that did not exist in nature.



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