Five burning questions about tequila, answered
Tequila inspires strong opinions in people, just like the Beatles, goat cheese, and the 1988 Detroit Pistons. Some can’t stand the smell or taste of it; others relish every sip and wait for the “tequila!” feeling to hit.But the fact is, tequila and its smokier sister, mezcal, have never been more popular outside of their Mexican homeland. The spirits rocketed to the top of the US drinking charts in 2019, and are projected to surpass rum in buying volume in the next few years. And while they both may be mainstream at this point, there’s still a lot consumers don’t know about the distillation process. Here are five essential questions and answers about the fiery desert libations.Am I basically drinking cactus juice?Tequila and mezcal come from the fermented sap of agave plants, which look cactus-y but belong to a completely different botanical family. In fact, they’re more closely related to...