🥃 Tequila 100% agave (100% de agave)
Tequila made only from sugars of blue agave from the area of origin, unlike the “Tequila” category, where other sugars may make up to 49%.
Tequila 100% agave is one of the two tequila categories under the Mexican standard NOM-006-SCFI-2012. Its must is not enriched with any sugars other than those of Agave tequilana Weber, azul variety, grown in the area of the designation of origin. Such tequila is aged and bottled only in this area, at a plant controlled by the authorised producer itself.
On the label this category may be marked only with one of four inscriptions: “100% de agave”, “100% puro de agave”, “100% agave” or “100 % puro agave”. The word “azul” may be added at the end. The ageing classes, from blanco to extra añejo, are the same for this category as for ordinary tequila.
The second category is called simply “Tequila”. In it up to 49% of the reducing sugars may come from other sources, but not from just any species of agave: the rest, at least 51%, comes only from blue agave from the area. Blending finished distillates “cold” is prohibited. The word “mixto”, by which this category is sometimes called in trade, does not appear in the standard.
“Tequila” may also be bottled outside the producer's plant if the bottler holds a certificate from the Ministry of Economy, reports every quarter to the conformity assessment body and takes tequila from one supplier per brand. Such a bottler may only filter the tequila and dilute it with water, but not age or soften it. Every agave plantation for tequila is entered in the register no later than the year of planting.
Why this matters to you. The inscription “100 % de agave” guarantees that all the sugars come from blue agave and that bottling took place in the area of origin. Without it, up to 49% of the sugars may not come from agave. Ageing is shown by the class, not by the category. WHO: there is no safe dose of alcohol.
Facts
| Legal basis | NOM-006-SCFI-2012, points 5.1.1, 5.1.2, 6.3, 6.5.4 |
|---|---|
| Raw material | only sugars of Agave tequilana Weber azul grown in the area of origin |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 35–55% ABV at 20 °C |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Tequila 100% agave (100% de agave) → kind of → 🌵 Agave: tequila and mezcal → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 Alcoholic fermentation, 🍷 Yeast
- Packed in
- 🍷 Wine label, 🍷 Glass
- Made from
- 🥃 Blue agave
- What it contains
- 🍬 Sugar
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Mexicans
- Products
- 🌵 Tequila
- Part of
- 🌵 Agave: tequila and mezcal, 🌵 Tequila
- Similar and different
- 🌵 Mezcal, 🥃 Tequila classes, 🥃 Tequila classes
Frequently asked questions
How does “100 % de agave” differ from plain “Tequila”?
In “100 % de agave” all the sugars come from blue agave grown in the area of origin, and bottling takes place there too, at the plant of the authorised producer. In “Tequila” up to 49% of the sugars may come from other sources, and it may be bottled outside the plant (NOM-006-SCFI-2012).
Is it true that tequila without “100 %” may contain other species of agave?
No. Up to 49% of the sugars in “Tequila” may come from other sources, but the standard expressly prohibits taking them from any species of agave. The agave in tequila is only blue Weber from the area of origin.
May tequila 100% agave be bottled outside the area of origin?
No. It is aged and bottled only in the area of the designation of origin, at a plant under the control of the authorised producer. Only the “Tequila” category may be bottled outside the producer's plant, and only under the conditions of a bottler's certificate.
What is “mixto”?
This is what the “Tequila” category, where up to 49% of the sugars may not come from agave, is sometimes called in trade. The word does not appear in the standard NOM-006-SCFI-2012 itself.
How is it checked that tequila really comes from agave?
Agave plantations are registered no later than the year of planting, and the entry is updated every year. The producer keeps records of purchases of agave and other sugars, and the conformity assessment body continuously inspects production and every bottling batch.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Alcoholic fermentation — Yeast eats the sugar in the must and releases alcohol and carbon dioxide.
- 🍷 Wine label — The sticker on a bottle: who made it, where from, the year and strength.
- 🍷 Yeast — Microscopic fungi that turn sugar into alcohol and gas.
- 🌵 Mezcal — A Mexican distillate of 100% agave of any species: 35–55% vol.; categories mezcal, artesanal and ancestral; appellation of origin since 1994.
Similar
🥃 Mezcal artesanal and ancestral · 🥃 Mezcal with worm (con gusano) · 🥃 Tequila classes · 🍸 Berenburg · 🥃 Rhum agricole · 🍸 Distilled gin
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- NOM-006-SCFI-2012, Bebidas alcohólicas — Tequila — Especificaciones (DOF 13.12.2012, Mexico)
- Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT): Denominación de Origen Tequila
- Wikipedia: Tequila (additional source)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)