Tequila is primarly the spirit of the Agave plant. The origin of the Agave goes back to the time of Aztecs. The Aztec people had previously made a fermented beverage from the agave plant, which they called octl.
The spanish arrived in Mexico in 1521 and started colonizing the region. When they ran out of their alcohol brandy, they started to distill agave near the city of Tequila. The city of tequila was only established in 1656, years after the drink existed. Tequila became the first North American indigenous spirit.
Around 1600, Don Pedro Sánchez de Tagle began mass-producing tequila at the first factory in the territory of modern-day Jalisco, Mexico. By 1608, the colonial governor of Nueva Galicia had begun to tax his products. Tequila was first imported to USA around 1885 and the name was shorten from "Tequila Extract" to Tequila. Since then, Tequila spirit has grown to become the most famous latin spirit.
Nowadays, most well-known low quality tequila brands are owned by large multinational corporations. Their harsh product is highly industrialized and bottled for mass consumption. Premium quality tequila still remains a family owned business in Mexico.
