Tequila is one of the misunderstood spirits in the world, long associated with drunken hangovers and salt-licked shooters. We're stepping in to its defense! Once and for all, let's clear the air on some key misconceptions!
Myth #1: The Tequila Worm
Probably the biggest mystery in the world for an average consumer is the tequila worm. It is called the tequila worm, but no one ever seemed to have found a bottle of tequila with the worm in it. Some of you may have found the worm in the bottle but it was mezcal. Long story short the phrase “tequila worm” is incorrect. Tequila regulations don’t allow producers to put a worm (or other living entity) in the bottle, sorry. However in case of mezcal, producers can add a few worms in the bottle.
Is it a thing or is it a marketing gimmick?
Well, old-school, traditional mezcal producers agree that it is a liability - the drink is already great without the worm, so no need to add extras, and none of the high end mezcals seem to have it. You should probably try one with and one without the worm and decide for yo urself!
Myth #2: Tequila is a cactus distillate
There are still many consumers out there thinking that tequila is a cactus distillate.
This is not true, and while the agave species are indeed succulent plants like cactus, they belong to an entirely different branch of plants.
It is hard to imagine, but the agave plant is closer to a lily, a pineapple, even rice and wheat than to cactus. A closer well known relative is the aloe vera plant, which resembles the shape of the agave a lot more than cactus.
Sorry again, agave is not a cactus and will probably never be.
Myth #3: Mexicans drink tequila with salt and lime
It is a common misconception that Mexicans drink tequila with salt and lime and that it is the best way to enjoy it.
First of all, most Mexicans don’t use the salt and lime these days. It is a lot more popular to either drink it neat or with a sangrita chaser, which is a tomato based spicy drink.
The best tequilas are enjoyed slowly in a champagne glass or something similar that would allow the aromas to develop.
According to some old stories, doctors were prescribing tequila with salt and lime as a remedy for the devastating Spanish Flu in the first half of the 20th Century.
Salt is necessary for your body as you’re losing water due to the high fever.
Lime has C vitamin in it so it can help your immune system.
And Tequila well... even if it doesn’t save you, at least it will make you feel better for a minute and take the fear away.
So if you think about it, it is probably not a great reminder for Mexicans to drink tequila like that. Nowadays salt and lime is primarily used to take away the bite of the tequila and make it easier to drink - it does not mean that it is the right way to do so for all tequilas as you might miss the real taste of the agave this way.
Myth #4: the darker the better
More aging, darker color, higher price tag. A common misconception is that darker tequilas have a higher quality as they are aged for a longer time and have a higher price. This is considered to be wrong on two levels.
Darker colors don’t necessarily mean more aging
as the age of the barrel and the added caramel coloring and oak extract all have their unique effect on the taste of tequila. The pricing then only follows the cost of production.
Aging tequila costs money, and so producers charge more for them. However if you go and talk with some producers, many of them prefer their unaged white tequilas as their flavors express more the flavor of the agave and the amount of work they put into the tequila.
With the help of caramel coloring and oak extract it is easy to create a flawless but less natural flavor profile. Long story short, darker tequilas can be better but not necessarily.
It all depends on your perception.
Myth #5: terrible hangover from tequila
Many people seem to remember some awful time with tequilas from their youth and drink tequila with extreme caution as it gave them a bad hangover.
While no one is entirely sure about the causes of hangover, drinking tequila does not contribute more to having one than beer, wine or other spirits.
As tequila is a distilled spirit, many impurities are removed during the process, making it a lot cleaner.
Blancos are regulated to be additive free and even aged tequilas are restricted to have only four natural additives. Compared to this, the EU legally allow wine to have 52 types of additives and is only fermented, so scientifically speaking there are a lot more molecules that could potentially contribute to hangover.
But think of it in another way. Isn’t it easier to blame that one poor tequila shot in the end after having 6 beers and a bottle of wine?
To sum it up it is unlikely that tequila alone is the major contributor of a hangover. Consuming tequila blanco only with plenty of water is one of the safest options against having a bad hangover.
Myth #6: probiotics in tequila
There are many articles about researches stating that tequila has lots of probiotics which contribute to a healthy digestion.
While drinking alcohol is generally regarded to be great for our digestion, tequila is unlikely to have any probiotics.
Probiotics is regarded as a bacteria and one of the best things about 40% abv or 80 proof spirits that such an alcohol level is not an appealing environment for bacterias so you can even regard tequila as being sort of anti-bacterial. And if it wasn’t for the high alcohol content, the bacteria dies at a temperature of around 49 C or 120F and distillation happens at temperatures a lot higher than this killing all those bacterias.
This is why some tequila distilleries even allow you to touch the fermented juice of the agave - they know that none of the bacterias from your hand will ever end up in the tequila.
Sadly not even the probiotics will ever make it into our bottle.
Myth #7: Tequila helps to get skinny
Last but not least - apart from the probiotics related articles, another popular thing to say about tequila is that it makes people skinny.
While it is obvious that losing weight is probably not going to happen because you start slamming tequilas down your throat, it does have some truth to it. Tequila being a distilled spirit is a lot lighter than fermented beverages like wine or beer.
It means that it contains less calories than the other two, making it an ideal choice for those who care about their daily calorie intake.
While tequila will not make you skinny, it can help you to get there or let you stay skinny and if losing or maintaining weight is important, tequila is a lot better choice than most of its alternatives.
(This does not qualify as professional advice, please make your own decisions or hire a professional)
This feature is brought to you by Tequila Stop and the International Tequila Academy.
Tequila Stop aims to share is love for Mexico and its beloved Spirit with fans in Asia Pacific, bringing fans the best that Tequila has to offer, through an extensive catalogue of premium Tequilas and Mezcals straight from the source. Tequila Stop works closely with Mezcaleros across Mexico, and is also partners with the International Tequila Academy.
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