Learn
Know what's in the bottle — and who made it
Tequila marketing is loud and labels say very little. These are the basics that let you read past both.
Guides
Start here. The process and the label, end to end.
How tequila is made
From mature blue Weber agave to bottle in seven steps — harvest, cook, crush, ferment, distill, age, bottle. The choices a producer makes at each step are most of what you taste.
Read GuideHow to read a tequila label
Five things on the label tell you most of what you need — "100% de agave", the category, the NOM, the alcohol content, and any production details the producer chose to brag about.
ReadTerms
The words you'll see on bottles and in tasting notes.
What is a NOM number?
NOM stands for Norma Oficial Mexicana — a number assigned to every certified tequila distillery. Bottles with the same NOM come from the same plant, even when the brands are different.
Read TermWhat does "additive-free" mean?
Tequila labeled "100% agave" can legally contain up to 1% additives — glycerin, sweeteners, caramel color, oak extract — without saying so. Additive-free tequila contains none of them.
Read TermThe types of tequila
Blanco (unaged), Reposado (2–12 months in oak), Añejo (1–3 years), Extra Añejo (3+ years), plus Cristalino — aged, then filtered clear. Each one shows the agave differently.
Read TermThe rules that define tequila
Tequila must be made in five designated Mexican states from blue Weber agave — at least 51%, or 100% for "100% de agave" bottles — under the supervision of the CRT.
Read TermTahona
A huge volcanic-stone wheel, weighing a ton or more, that slowly crushes cooked agave in a circular pit. The original way to make tequila, and still used by a handful of traditional distilleries.
Read TermDiffuser
An industrial machine that strips sugar from raw, shredded agave with hot water and pressure — no slow cooking. Very efficient, and widely blamed for flat, characterless tequila.
Read TermHighlands vs. valley tequila
Jalisco's two big growing regions. Los Altos (the highlands, around Arandas) is known for sweeter, fruitier, floral tequila; the valley around the town of Tequila for earthier, herbal, peppery tequila.
Read TermWhat does "organic" mean for tequila?
Organic is about how the agave is grown and processed — no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, certified by a third party. It's a separate claim from additive-free; a tequila can be one without the other.
ReadPeople
The families and distillers behind the bottles.