The agave reference
From the plant to the bottle, find the words that make agave spirits easier to understand.
All 165 terms, A–Z
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0–9
- 100% Agave#
On tequila, “100% agave” means all the sugars used for fermentation come from blue agave.
The term concerns fermentation sugars, so a 100% agave tequila can still contain permitted additives.
Also found as: 100% de agave, 100 percent agave
Sources
- Tequila standard (NOM-006) — 5.1.1; 4.1; 4.36
A
- Abocado#
Abocado describes a spirit treated with permitted ingredients to adjust its character.
Tequila A treatment to soften the flavor using one or more of caramel coloring, natural oak extract, glycerin or sugar-based syrup.
Mezcal “Abocado con” means ingredients are added directly to flavor the mezcal, such as honey, fruit or herbs.
Also found as: abocamiento, abocado con
Sources
- Tequila standard (NOM-006) — 4.1
- Mezcal standard (NOM-070) — 4.5(e)
- ABV#
Alcohol by volume: the percentage of a drink’s volume that is alcohol.
A bottle at 40% ABV contains the equivalent of 40 ml of pure alcohol per 100 ml of liquid.
Also found as: alcohol by volume, alc vol, alcohol strength
- Acid-thermal hydrolysis#
Acid-thermal hydrolysis uses heat in acidic conditions to break agave carbohydrates into smaller sugars.
Those sugars can then be fermented. The term describes sugar conversion; extraction is the separate task of removing soluble material from the agave.
Also found as: acid thermal hydrolysis, acid hydrolysis
- Acocote#
An acocote is a tool traditionally made from a long, hollow gourd, used to draw aguamiel from a maguey.
The tlachiquero uses suction to collect the sap through an opening at one end, then transfers it to a container. Modern versions can use other materials.
Also found as: sap collecting gourd
- Activated carbon#
Activated carbon is porous carbon treated to give it a large surface area that traps certain substances.
It is used in filtration. Charcoal filtration can remove color from aged spirits, as in some cristalino tequilas.
Also found as: activated charcoal
- Additives#
Additives are substances used to adjust a spirit’s flavor, color or other characteristics.
For tequila, permitted treatments include caramel coloring, natural oak extract, glycerin and sugar-based syrup. “100% agave” describes the fermentation sugars and can appear on a tequila made with permitted additives.
Also found as: abocantes
Sources
- Tequila standard (NOM-006) — 4.1; 4.36; 5.1.1
- Agave#
A group of succulent plants used to make tequila, mezcal and other Mexican drinks.
Maguey is another common name for agave. Tequila uses blue agave; mezcal can use many agave species.
Also found as: maguey
- Agave syrup#
Agave syrup is a concentrated sweetener made by converting agave carbohydrates into sugars.
Also sold as agave nectar, it is used to sweeten foods and cocktails. Processing and concentrating it produces a different ingredient from fresh aguamiel.
Also found as: agave nectar, agave sweetener
- Aguamiel#
The sweet sap collected from a living maguey plant to make pulque.
A tlachiquero gathers the sap from a prepared cavity in the plant. Aguamiel becomes pulque through fermentation.
Also found as: agua miel, honey water
- Aguardiente#
Aguardiente is a Spanish word for a distilled alcoholic drink.
An aguardiente may come from sugarcane, fruit or other fermentable material.
Also found as: aguardientes
- Alambique#
An alambique is a still that distills a batch of liquid in a vessel, or pot.
Agave spirits use several designs and materials.
Also found as: alembic, alembic still, pot still
- American oak#
American oak is oak of American origin used to make aging barrels.
Don Julio 70, for example, matures in American white oak before charcoal filtration. A barrel’s previous use and treatment also influence what it contributes to a spirit.
Also found as: American white oak
Sources
- Ancestral#
A regulated mezcal category that requires pit cooking and distillation in clay pots over direct heat.
Also found as: mezcal ancestral
Mezcal categories and classes →
Sources
- Mezcal standard (NOM-070) — 4.2; 4.4.3
- Añejo#
An aging class for tequila and mezcal, with different rules for each spirit.
Tequila Añejo tequila is aged for at least one year in oak containers holding no more than 600 liters.
Mezcal Añejo mezcal is aged for more than 12 months in wooden containers smaller than 1,000 liters.
Also found as: anejo, extra aged
Sources
- Tequila standard (NOM-006) — 4.36.4
- Mezcal standard (NOM-070) — 4.5(d)
- Apéritif#
An apéritif is a drink served before a meal.
Bitter liqueurs and vermouth are familiar examples; aperitivo is the Italian and Spanish form of the word.
Also found as: aperitif, aperitivo, aperativo
- Aroma#
Aroma is what you smell in a drink; tasting notes often call it the nose.
Descriptions such as citrus, flowers or cooked agave identify recognizable smells. Aroma is assessed separately from the flavors and sensations in the mouth.
Also found as: nose, bouquet
- Arroqueño#
Arroqueño is a local agave name used for mezcal, commonly associated with Agave americana var. oaxacensis.
Also found as: arroqueno
- Artesanal#
A regulated mezcal category specifying permitted cooking, milling, fermentation and distillation methods.
Mezcal Artesanal allows pit or masonry ovens and direct-fire distillation in copper boilers or clay pots.
Also found as: mezcal artesanal, artisanal mezcal
Mezcal categories and classes →
Sources
- Mezcal standard (NOM-070) — 4.2; 4.4.2
- Autoclave#
A pressure vessel used to cook agave with heat and pressure.
In tequila production, an autoclave is an alternative to a masonry oven.
B
- Bacanora#
Bacanora is an agave spirit from the protected Bacanora region in Sonora, Mexico.
It is made from Agave angustifolia. Like other agave spirits, its production involves processing the plant’s sugars, fermentation and distillation.
- Bagazo#
Bagazo is the fibrous agave material left after the plant has been processed for its sugars.
Some mezcal methods keep these fibers with the liquid during fermentation and distillation.
Also found as: bagasse, bagaso, bagasso
- Barrel char#
Barrel char is the layer created by burning the inside surface of a wooden barrel.
Charring changes the wood’s contribution to a maturing spirit, including color and flavor.
Also found as: charred oak, charring
- Barrica#
Barrica is Spanish for a barrel, the wooden container often used to age spirits.
The wood, barrel size and previous contents all affect maturation.
Also found as: barrel, cask, barricas
- Barril#
A common name for a form of Agave karwinskii used to make mezcal.
Common agave names vary by place.
Sources
- Blanco#
A tequila or mezcal class often associated with an unaged spirit; the rules differ.
Tequila Blanco tequila is usually unaged, although Mexico’s standard permits less than two months in oak. It is also called plata or silver.
Mezcal Blanco mezcal, also called joven, is colorless and has undergone no further processing after distillation.
Blanco means “white” in Spanish.
Also found as: plata, silver
Sources
- Tequila standard (NOM-006) — 4.36.1; 5.2.2
- Mezcal standard (NOM-070) — 4.5(a)
- Blue Agave#
The blue variety of Agave tequilana used to make tequila.
Mexico’s tequila standard specifies Agave tequilana Weber variedad azul. This identifies the plant used, while “100% agave” identifies the source of all fermentation sugars.
Also found as: blue Weber agave, Agave tequilana, agave azul
Sources
- Tequila standard (NOM-006) — 4.2; 5.1.1
- Brix#
Brix is a scale used to estimate the concentration of dissolved solids in a sugar-rich liquid.
In a pure sucrose-and-water solution, 1 °Brix means 1 gram of sucrose per 100 grams of solution. Agave juice contains other substances, so its reading is an estimate rather than an exact sugar analysis.
Also found as: °Brix, degrees Brix, sugar concentration
- Bulbils#
Bulbils are small plantlets that some agaves produce on their flowering stalk.
They provide another way to grow new plants, alongside seeds and the root-system offshoots called hijuelos.
Also found as: bulbillos, bulbos
C
- Caballito#
A caballito is a small glass used for drinking tequila.
The Spanish name means “little horse.” It commonly holds a neat serving.
Also found as: tequila shot glass
- Capón#
Capón describes an agave whose emerging flowering stalk has been cut before the plant is harvested.
After cutting, the plant may remain in the field before harvest. Timings vary by maker and batch: Creador records nine to twelve months for its JAEC0524 espadín from Zimatlán, Oaxaca; importer Skurnik records two years for Erika Meneses’s April 2022 cupreata batch from Guerrero. Time spent capón is part of growing the agave; glass resting happens after distillation.
Also found as: capon, capado
- Caramel color#
Caramel color is a coloring ingredient permitted in tequila’s abocado treatment.
It can contribute color to the finished drink, so color alone is an unreliable guide to the time a tequila spent in wood.
Also found as: caramel colouring, color caramelo
Sources
- Tequila standard (NOM-006) — 4.1; 4.36
- Caramelization#
Caramelization is the breakdown of sugars during heating, producing new colors, aromas and flavors.
It differs from the Maillard reaction, which involves sugars reacting with amino compounds. Caramel coloring is an ingredient made separately and added to a drink.
Also found as: caramelisation, caramelizacion, caramelización
- Cask strength#
Cask strength describes an aged spirit bottled at the strength it has when drawn from the barrel, without dilution for bottling.
The actual ABV varies. Cask strength refers to barrel maturation; still strength refers to the liquid leaving the still.
Also found as: barrel strength, barrel proof
- Chaser#
A chaser is a separate drink taken after another drink.
Water or sangrita can accompany tequila this way. A mixer, by contrast, is combined with the spirit in the same drink.
Also found as: chaser drink
- Clay pot still#
A clay pot still uses a clay vessel to heat fermented agave and collect the resulting distilled spirit.
Mezcal Ancestral requires direct-fire clay-pot distillation with a clay or wooden upper section. Other mezcal categories have different equipment rules.
Also found as: olla de barro, clay still
Sources
- Mezcal standard (NOM-070) — 4.4.3(d); 4.4.2(d)
- Co-fermentation#
Co-fermentation means fermenting different ingredients together in the same batch.
In an agave ensamble, this can mean combining several agave types before fermentation. El Búho’s 2018 Ensamble batch fermented the different agaves together.
Also found as: cofermentation, co-fermented
Sources
- Coa#
A long-handled cutting tool used to remove agave leaves during harvesting.
A jimador uses the blade to trim the plant down to its piña.
- Colas#
Colas, or tails, are the later portion of a distillation run, collected after the heart.
The distiller separates portions of the run to shape the spirit.
Also found as: tails, tail
- Column still#
A column still separates a liquid through repeated contact between rising vapor and descending liquid inside a column.
Column systems can operate continuously, taking in fermented liquid while collecting distilled spirit.
Also found as: continuous still, distillation column
- Congeners#
Congeners are minor compounds in a spirit, beyond its main ethanol and water, that help shape its character.
They include esters and higher alcohols. Raw materials and fermentation supply these compounds, and distillation selects which pass into the collected spirit.
Also found as: congener, congéneres, congeneres
- Copita#
A copita is a small cup used for tasting or drinking mezcal.
In mezcal service, the name often refers to a small ceramic cup. Its shape and capacity vary, so the word alone gives no fixed pour size.
Also found as: copitas
- Corazón#
In distillation, the corazón is the middle portion of the run, usually retained for the finished spirit.
This use of “heart” refers to liquid, rather than the agave’s piña.
Also found as: heart cut, hearts, middle cut
- Cristalino#
A style of aged tequila filtered to remove much of its color.
Don Julio 70, for example, is an añejo that is charcoal filtered. Cristalino is not one of the five aging and processing classes listed in Mexico’s tequila standard.
Also found as: cristalino tequila
Cristalino tequila explained →
Sources
- CRT#
CRT stands for Consejo Regulador del Tequila, an organization that inspects and certifies compliance with tequila standards.
Its work includes producer inspections, laboratory testing and certification. NOM names the official standard; CRT is the organization checking compliance.
Also found as: Consejo Regulador del Tequila, Tequila Regulatory Council
Sources
- Curado#
In pulque, curado means the drink has been flavored with additional ingredients.
Fruit, seeds and dairy products are among the ingredients used. Check the recipe when choosing a flavor, especially if you avoid dairy.
Also found as: pulque curado
- Cut#
A cut is the point at which a distiller separates one portion of a distillation run from another.
These choices determine which liquid is collected as heads, heart or tails.
Also found as: distillation cut, corte
D
- Damiana#
Damiana is an aromatic shrub whose leaves and stems are used to flavor liqueur.
The maker of Damiana Liqueur uses dried leaves and stems and suggests the liqueur in a tequila Margarita in place of triple sec.
Also found as: damiana liqueur
Sources
- Denominación de Origen#
A protected product name tied to a place and its natural and human factors.
Tequila and mezcal each have a denomination of origin with their own geographical boundaries and production requirements.
Also found as: DO, denomination of origin, appellation of origin
Sources
- Tequila standard (NOM-006) — 1; 5
- Mezcal standard (NOM-070) — 1; 4
- Desquiote#
Desquiote is the removal of an agave’s emerging flower stalk, or quiote.
Growers cut it to stop the flowering stalk from developing and drawing on the plant’s reserves. An agave managed this way may be described as capón.
Also found as: desquiotar, quiote cutting
- Destilado con#
Destilado con is mezcal distilled with additional ingredients to contribute flavor.
Ingredients can include poultry breast, rabbit, mole and plums. Pechuga is a familiar example.
Also found as: distilled with
Sources
- Mezcal standard (NOM-070) — 4.5(f)
- Destilado de agave#
Destilado de agave means “agave spirit”: a drink made by distilling fermented agave.
Some producers use this broader name when their spirit is outside a certified denomination such as mezcal.
Also found as: agave spirit, agave distillate
- Diffuser#
A diffuser washes soluble material from shredded agave fibers using water.
Extraction and hydrolysis are separate steps. A process using raw agave can extract carbohydrates first, then hydrolyze them to obtain fermentable sugars.
Also found as: difusor
- Digestif#
A digestif is a drink served after a meal.
Spirits and liqueurs can be served as digestifs; an apéritif comes before the meal.
Also found as: digestivo, after-dinner drink
- Distillate#
Distillate is the liquid collected when vapor from a distillation is cooled and condensed.
In spirit production, this is the liquid leaving the still. Further distillation, dilution or aging may follow.
Also found as: destilado
- Distillation#
Separating and concentrating components of a fermented liquid by heating it and collecting condensed vapor.
In tequila and mezcal production, distillation follows fermentation and produces a spirit with a higher alcohol concentration.
Also found as: distilling
E
- Earthen pit oven#
An earthen pit oven cooks agave in a pit in the ground, commonly using heated stones and a covering over the plants.
Pit cooking is required for Mezcal Ancestral and is also permitted in Mezcal Artesanal.
Also found as: pit oven, horno de pozo, underground oven
Sources
- Mezcal standard (NOM-070) — 4.4.2(a); 4.4.3(a)
- Ensamble#
An ensamble is a mezcal made with more than one type of agave.
El Búho cooked, fermented and distilled the different agaves together in its 2018 Ensamble batch.
Also found as: ensemble, agave blend
Sources
- Espadín#
A cultivated agave commonly used for mezcal, generally identified as Agave angustifolia.
Also found as: espadin, Agave angustifolia
- Estanco#
In Aguascalientes, an estanco is a traditional mezcal distillery.
Local estancos can use different ovens, fermentation vessels and stills.
Also found as: estancos
Sources
- Esters#
Esters are compounds that often form from reactions between acids and alcohols.
Some contribute aroma to agave spirits. Fermentation microbes influence which esters develop and in what amounts.
Also found as: ester
- Ethanol#
Ethanol is the type of alcohol found in alcoholic drinks.
Yeast produces it during alcoholic fermentation. The ABV figure on a bottle expresses how much of the liquid’s volume is alcohol.
Also found as: ethyl alcohol, alcohol
- Extra Añejo#
Tequila aged for at least three years in oak containers holding no more than 600 liters.
Extra añejo is a class defined by Mexico’s tequila standard.
Also found as: extra anejo, ultra aged
Sources
- Tequila standard (NOM-006) — 4.36.5; 5.2.2
- Extraction#
Extraction separates the agave’s sugars or carbohydrates from the plant material.
Crushing cooked agave with a tahona is one way to release its sweet juice.
Also found as: extracción, sugar extraction
F
- Fábrica#
Fábrica means “factory”; in tequila, it commonly refers to the production facility or distillery.
Also found as: fabrica, tequila factory, distillery
- Fermentation#
The process in which microorganisms convert sugars into alcohol and other compounds.
In tequila production, yeast converts fermentable sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Fermentation also helps develop aroma and flavor before distillation.
Also found as: fermenting
- Filipino-type still#
A Filipino-type still cools alcohol vapor back into liquid inside its upper chamber.
Jorge Pérez’s Michoacán version uses a copper pot and a fir-wood upper chamber.
Also found as: Filipino still
How Michoacán’s Filipino still works →
Sources
- Filtration#
Filtration passes a liquid through a material that removes selected particles or substances.
A particle filter removes suspended solids. Carbon filtration can also change color and other characteristics, as with some cristalino tequilas.
Also found as: filtering, filtrado
- Finish#
In tasting, the finish is the flavor and sensation that remain after a sip.
Notes may describe its length and character, such as a brief citrus impression or lingering oak. Barrel finishing is a separate use of the word.
Also found as: aftertaste, tasting finish
- Flavor wheel#
A flavor wheel groups tasting descriptions so you can put a drink’s aromas and flavors into words.
Start with a broad family, such as fruit or spice, then look for a more specific description. Patrón’s tequila wheel follows this inside-to-outside approach.
Also found as: flavour wheel, tasting wheel, aroma wheel, rueda de aromas
Sources
- French oak#
French oak refers to oak of French origin used for barrels.
Código 1530 ages its reposado in French white oak barrels previously used for Napa Valley Cabernet wine.
Also found as: French white oak
Sources
- Fructans#
Fructans are carbohydrates built largely from linked fructose units that agaves store as an energy reserve.
Hydrolysis breaks these chains into smaller sugars that yeast can ferment. Agave fructans include branched structures, so “inulin” is not a precise name for every agave carbohydrate.
Also found as: fructan, fructanos, agavins, agavinas
G
- Garrafón#
A garrafón is a large bottle or jug used to hold liquid.
The traditional demijohn form has a rounded body and short neck.
Also found as: garrafon, demijohn, damajuana
- Glycerin#
Glycerin, also called glycerol, is an ingredient used to soften tequila’s flavor and is permitted in its abocado treatment.
Also found as: glycerine, glycerol, glicerina
Sources
- Gusano#
Gusano means “worm”; in mezcal, it usually refers to an agave-associated insect larva.
Larvae appear in some mezcal bottles and in sal de gusano. A 2023 study identified the larvae in its sampled bottles as the agave redworm moth, Comadia redtenbacheri.
Also found as: agave worm, mezcal worm, gusano de maguey
H
- Harvest vintage#
Harvest vintage is the year the agaves for a bottling were harvested.
Ocho’s Las Raíces 2024 Barrel Proof Reposado was released in 2025 and rested up to six months: harvest year, release year and barrel time describe different stages.
Also found as: vintage, harvest year
- Hecho en México#
Hecho en México means “Made in Mexico.”
Mexico’s tequila standard requires this wording or an equivalent origin statement on the label. It is separate from the tequila’s class and agave-sugar category.
Also found as: hecho en mexico, made in Mexico, producto de Mexico
Sources
- Tequila standard (NOM-006) — 11.1(i), 11.2.2; 5 Categories and classes
- High proof#
High proof describes a stronger-than-usual bottling; the phrase does not specify one ABV.
LALO’s High Proof was 54% ABV in 2024 and 50% in 2025, compared with its regular 40% Blanco.
Also found as: high-proof
LALO High Proof: compare the editions →
Sources
- Highlands#
In tequila, the Highlands usually means Los Altos, the elevated growing region in Jalisco.
Tequila Ocho describes single-estate fields in and around this region.
Also found as: Los Altos, Jalisco Highlands
Sources
- Hijuelos#
Hijuelos are young shoots that grow from an agave’s root system.
Growers can separate and replant these offshoots to produce plants genetically matching the parent.
Also found as: agave pups, offshoots, hijuelo
- Horno#
Spanish for “oven”: equipment used to cook agave before fermentation.
In tequila descriptions, horno often means a masonry oven. Mezcal may be cooked in a pit oven or another type, depending on its category.
Also found as: oven, hornos
- Hydrolysis#
Hydrolysis breaks the agave’s complex carbohydrates into simpler sugars that can be fermented.
Heating agave is one way to cause this conversion. The tequila standard also recognizes chemical and enzymatic methods, so the word alone does not identify the cooking equipment.
Also found as: hidrólisis, saccharification
Sources
- Tequila standard (NOM-006) — 4.18
J
- Jícara#
A jícara is a small bowl traditionally made from a dried gourd and used to serve mezcal.
Its broad, open shape differs from a narrow shot glass.
Also found as: jicara, gourd cup
- Jigger#
A jigger is a measuring cup used to portion spirits and other cocktail ingredients.
Many have two ends holding different volumes. Use the volume markings to measure a pour.
Also found as: cocktail measure, bar measure
- Jima#
Jima is the harvest of an agave: cutting it free and removing its leaves to obtain the piña.
A jimador does this work, commonly using a coa. The piña contains the stem and leaf bases used to make the spirit.
Also found as: agave harvest, harvesting
- Jimador#
A worker who harvests agave, cutting away the leaves to expose the piña.
In tequila production, the jimador commonly uses a long-handled coa.
Also found as: jimadora, jimadores
- Joven#
A class whose meaning changes between tequila and mezcal.
Tequila Joven tequila is blanco blended with aged tequila, or blanco treated with permitted mellowing ingredients. It is also called oro or gold.
Mezcal Joven mezcal, also called blanco, is colorless and has undergone no further processing after distillation.
Joven means “young” in Spanish.
Also found as: oro, gold
Sources
- Tequila standard (NOM-006) — 4.36.2; 5.2.2
- Mezcal standard (NOM-070) — 4.5(a)
K
- Karwinskii#
An agave species used for mezcal, associated with common names including Barril, Madrecuixe and Tobaziche.
These names describe locally recognized forms of Agave karwinskii.
Also found as: Agave karwinskii, karwinski
Sources
- Kosher#
Kosher describes food or drink that meets Jewish dietary requirements.
Certification checks a particular product’s ingredients and production; suitability also depends on the agency or religious authority followed.
Sources
- Kosher for Passover#
Kosher for Passover means suitable under the additional dietary requirements of Passover.
Ordinary year-round kosher certification alone does not establish this status; tequila’s yeast, additives and equipment, including barrels, need the appropriate Passover checks.
Tequila and Passover requirements →
Sources
L
- Lactic fermentation#
Lactic fermentation is the conversion of sugars into lactic acid by microorganisms.
Lactic acid bacteria can work alongside yeasts in agave fermentation, changing acidity and interacting with the organisms that produce alcohol and aroma compounds.
Also found as: lactic acid fermentation
- Liqueur#
A liqueur is an alcoholic drink made by flavoring and sweetening a spirit.
Fruit, herbs, spices and cream are among the possible ingredients. Triple sec is an orange-flavored example used in Margaritas.
Also found as: licor, liqueurs
- Lot number#
A lot number identifies a defined batch of bottled spirit.
It helps connect a bottle to the producer’s batch records. In the tequila standard, a lot is packaged during a specified period and carries an identifying code.
Also found as: batch number, lote
Sources
- Tequila standard (NOM-006) — 4.23; 11.1(k)
- Lowlands#
In tequila, Lowlands commonly refers to the Tequila Valley and surrounding growing areas in Jalisco.
Herradura describes its agave growing around Amatitán in this region. The name is relative to the Highlands; the growing sites are still above sea level.
Also found as: Los Bajos, Tequila Valley, Valley
Sources
M
- Madurado en vidrio#
Madurado en vidrio is mezcal matured in glass for more than 12 months.
The mezcal standard specifies underground storage or conditions with minimal variation in light, temperature and humidity. Glass maturation is distinct from the wood aging used for reposado and añejo.
Also found as: glass matured, glass maturation
Sources
- Mezcal standard (NOM-070) — 4.5(b–d)
- Maestro mezcalero#
A maestro mezcalero is an experienced mezcal maker who directs production.
The work brings together decisions about agave selection, cooking, fermentation and distillation.
Also found as: maestra mezcalera
- Maillard reaction#
The Maillard reaction is a series of reactions between sugars and amino compounds that creates new aromas, flavors and brown pigments.
It can occur during agave cooking. Caramelization also changes heated sugars, but follows a different route that does not require amino compounds.
Also found as: Maillard browning, reaccion de Maillard, reacción de Maillard
- Mampostería#
Mampostería means masonry; in tequila production it usually describes a brick or stone cooking oven.
Agave is loaded into the oven and heated with steam. The masonry describes the oven’s construction, while horno is the general Spanish word for oven.
Also found as: mamposteria, mamposteo, horno de mamposteria, masonry oven
- Margarita#
A Margarita is a tequila cocktail made with lime juice and orange liqueur.
The International Bartenders Association’s version uses tequila, triple sec and fresh lime, shaken with ice and served in a chilled cocktail glass. A salt rim is optional.
Sources
- Methanol#
Methanol is a toxic alcohol, chemically different from the ethanol that makes up most of a spirit’s alcohol.
Small amounts arise naturally during agave processing, including from pectin breakdown. Mexico’s tequila standard sets a limit on methanol in the finished spirit.
Also found as: methyl alcohol, metanol, wood alcohol
Sources
- CDC/NIOSH: methanol
- Tequila standard (NOM-006) — 6.1.1, Table 1
- Mexicano#
Mexicano is a local agave name used for mezcal, including plants identified as Agave rhodacantha.
Ndudi’ Ñuhu in San Juan Tamazola, Oaxaca, identifies its Mexicano as Agave rhodacantha. Common agave names vary by place.
Also found as: maguey mexicano
Sources
- Mezcal#
A Mexican spirit distilled from fermented cooked agave.
Mezcal has a protected denomination of origin. Certified mezcal must meet its geographic and production requirements; the standard recognizes Mezcal, Mezcal Artesanal and Mezcal Ancestral categories.
Also found as: mescal
Mezcal categories and classes →
Sources
- Mezcal standard (NOM-070) — 1.2; 3.17; 4.1; 4.2
- Mezcalería#
A mezcalería is a place that specializes in selling mezcal.
In a travel or drinking guide, it commonly means a mezcal bar or shop. A palenque is where mezcal is made.
Also found as: mezcaleria, mezcal bar
- Mezcalero#
A mezcalero or mezcalera is a person who makes mezcal.
A maestro mezcalero is an experienced maker who directs production.
Also found as: mezcalera, mezcaleros, mezcaleras, mezcal maker
- Mixto#
Mixto is the common name for tequila whose fermentation sugars include sources other than blue agave.
The official category is simply “Tequila.” At least 51% of its fermentation sugars, by mass, must come from blue agave; up to 49% may come from other permitted sources. Those percentages describe sugars before fermentation, rather than the finished liquid.
Also found as: mixed tequila
Sources
- Tequila standard (NOM-006) — 4.36; 5.1.2
- Molino#
Molino means “mill”: equipment used to break up agave during processing.
The word can describe different designs. A tahona crushes with a stone wheel, while a roller mill works the agave through metal rollers.
Also found as: mill, molienda
- Monocarpic#
Monocarpic means flowering once before dying.
In agaves, the word can describe an individual rosette. Other established rosettes in a branching or clonal group can continue growing after that flowering rosette dies.
Also found as: monocarpic flowering
- Mosto#
Mosto is the sugar-rich liquid prepared for fermentation.
In tequila production, it contains sugars obtained from hydrolyzed agave. For the category commonly called mixto, other permitted fermentation sugars can also be included.
Also found as: must, mostos
Sources
- Tequila standard (NOM-006) — 4.27; 5.1.2
N
- Neat#
Neat means a spirit served by itself, without ice or a mixer.
Also found as: served neat
- NOM#
Short for Norma Oficial Mexicana, an official Mexican standard. On a tequila label, the accompanying producer number identifies the authorized producer.
NOM-006-SCFI-2012 is the tequila standard itself. The shorter number beside NOM on the bottle identifies its authorized producer, which may make several brands.
Also found as: Norma Oficial Mexicana, NOM number
How to read a tequila NOM number →
Sources
- Tequila standard (NOM-006) — 4.29; 10.4; 10.5; 11.1(j)
O
- Oak extract#
Oak extract is an ingredient made from oak and permitted in tequila’s abocado treatment.
Adding an extract is a different process from leaving a spirit to mature in an oak barrel.
Also found as: extracto de roble, extracto de encino
Sources
- Tequila standard (NOM-006) — 4.1; 4.24
- On the rocks#
On the rocks means a drink served over ice.
The ice chills the drink and gradually adds water as it melts.
Also found as: over ice, rocks
- Ordinario#
Ordinario is the spirit collected after the first distillation in tequila’s usual two-distillation process.
It is distilled again to make the finished spirit.
Also found as: first distillate
- Organic certification#
Organic certification verifies compliance with a specified organic production and handling standard.
In the US, USDA organic labeling rules apply to finished products; a crop certificate alone does not establish the status of every bottle made from that crop.
An organic tequila example: Tres Agaves →
Sources
- Oxidation#
In spirit maturation, oxidation describes chemical changes involving oxygen.
Small amounts of oxygen enter through a barrel and react with the spirit, changing its aroma and flavor over time.
Also found as: oxidacion, oxidación
P
- Palenque#
A local term for an agave-spirit distillery, particularly in parts of Oaxaca.
At Ixcateco in Santa María Ixcatlán, for example, palenque describes a small family-run production site.
Also found as: palenques
Sources
- Palenquero#
In parts of Oaxaca, a palenquero is a worker at a palenque, or mezcal distillery.
Work can include cutting agave, tending cooking pits and working at the still; duties vary between distilleries.
Also found as: palenqueros
Sources
- Emma Janzen, Mezcal (2017) — p. 229
- Paloma#
A Paloma is a tequila and grapefruit cocktail, commonly made with grapefruit soda.
The International Bartenders Association’s version includes lime and a pinch of salt, served with ice in a highball glass.
Sources
- Papalote#
Papalote is a local agave name with different botanical meanings.
In Guerrero it is used for Agave cupreata; Delfino Tobón’s Pechuga de Papalote from San Pablo Ameyaltepec, Puebla, is made with Agave potatorum.
- Pechuga#
Pechuga is a mezcal style commonly redistilled with poultry breast and other ingredients, such as fruit or spices.
Pechuga means “breast” in Spanish. Recipes vary, so check the producer’s ingredient description—especially if you avoid animal products.
Also found as: mezcal de pechuga
- Penca#
A penca is a fleshy agave leaf.
The leaves are cut away during jima, leaving the piña for spirit production.
Also found as: pencas, agave leaf
- Perlas#
Perlas are the small bubbles that form when mezcal is poured or squirted into a vessel.
Experienced makers observe them as a traditional indication of strength. Bubble behavior depends on alcohol concentration and other compounds in the liquid.
Also found as: pearls, mezcal bubbles, perlado
- Piña#
The harvested heart of an agave plant after its leaves have been removed.
Piña means “pineapple,” a reference to its appearance. It is the part processed to make tequila and mezcal.
Also found as: pina, agave heart, agave head, cabeza
- Proof#
In the United States, proof is twice the alcohol by volume percentage.
An 80-proof spirit is 40% ABV; a 100-proof spirit is 50% ABV. Use the ABV figure when comparing labels from different markets.
Also found as: US proof, alcohol proof
- Pulque#
A traditional Mexican alcoholic drink made by fermenting aguamiel, the sap of maguey.
Pulque is a fermented drink; tequila and mezcal undergo distillation after fermentation.
- Pulquero#
Pulquero can refer to a person who collects agave sap for pulque.
In names such as maguey pulquero, it also describes an agave used for pulque.
Also found as: pulqueros
Sources
- John McEvoy, Holy Smoke! It’s Mezcal! (2014) — pp. 23, 80
- Puntas#
Puntas is a term used for an early, high-strength portion of an agave-spirit distillation.
The precise cut depends on the producer. Tequila Ocho’s 2024 Puntas selected the end of the heads and beginning of the heart, then added water before bottling at 54% ABV.
Also found as: early cut
Sources
Q
- Quiote#
The tall flowering stalk produced by a mature agave.
Preparing a maguey for aguamiel collection involves preventing the flower stalk from developing.
Also found as: cuiote, flower stalk
R
- Raicilla#
Raicilla is an agave spirit with a protected origin in parts of Jalisco and Nayarit, Mexico.
Its traditions include coastal and highland production using different agaves. The denomination covers its own region and production requirements.
Sources
- Rectification#
In tequila production, rectification commonly refers to the second distillation of ordinario.
It increases the alcohol concentration and helps shape which flavor compounds remain in the collected spirit.
Also found as: rectifying, rectificación, rectificacion
- Refrescadora#
A refrescadora is a water-cooled section around the head of some mezcal stills.
Cooling makes some rising vapor condense inside the still, where it can evaporate again. This adds internal rectification; designs and the number of distillation runs vary by producer.
Also found as: refrescadera
Sources
- Reposado#
An aging class for tequila and mezcal; reposado means “rested.”
Tequila Reposado tequila is aged for at least two months in direct contact with oak.
Mezcal Reposado mezcal spends between two and 12 months in wooden containers.
Also found as: aged
Sources
- Tequila standard (NOM-006) — 4.36.3
- Mezcal standard (NOM-070) — 4.5(c)
- Roller mill#
A roller mill crushes agave between metal rollers to help release its juice.
Water can be applied during milling to wash sugars from the fibers. The collected liquid continues to fermentation.
Also found as: roller milling, tren de molinos
- Rosette#
A rosette is a close cluster of leaves arranged around a stem.
Agave leaves often form a rosette around a short or concealed stem; some species have a visible trunk.
Also found as: leaf rosette
- RTD#
RTD means ready-to-drink: a packaged drink sold already prepared for drinking.
In the alcohol aisle, RTDs include premixed cocktails, hard seltzers and wine-based drinks. Read the label for the actual alcohol base and strength.
Also found as: ready to drink, ready-to-drink, premixed drink, pre-mixed drink
S
- Sal de gusano#
Sal de gusano is a seasoning made with salt, dried agave larvae and chile.
It is served with mezcal or used on a cocktail rim. It contains insect ingredients.
Also found as: worm salt
- Salmiana#
Salmiana refers to Agave salmiana, a species used to make drinks including mezcal.
Derrumbes uses agave identified as Salmiana Crassispina for its San Luis Potosí mezcal, made in Bocas.
Also found as: Agave salmiana
Sources
- Sangrita#
Sangrita is a savory, spicy drink served alongside tequila.
Recipes vary, often using tomato or fruit with salty and spicy ingredients.
- Shot#
A shot is a small serving of spirits, often poured into a small glass.
The serving volume varies by country and venue. A shot-glass shape or the word “shot” on a menu does not establish the amount poured.
Also found as: shot glass, chupito
- Silvestre#
Silvestre means “wild” and describes agave growing outside a cultivated field.
Wild agave can still be managed by local communities.
Also found as: wild agave
- Single estate#
Single estate describes a tequila made with agave from one identified estate or growing site.
Tequila Ocho’s Single Estate range identifies the field, or rancho, for each harvest.
Also found as: single-estate, single estate tequila
Sources
- Snifter#
A snifter is a stemmed tasting glass with a broad bowl that narrows toward the rim.
Also called a brandy balloon, it is often used for dark spirits. The bowl and rim shape help present the drink’s aromas.
Also found as: brandy balloon, balloon glass
- Solera#
Solera is a system that blends liquid of different ages by replacing part of an older batch with younger liquid.
The classic sherry system moves liquid through successive age groups. Because only part is withdrawn each time, the bottled result contains a mixture of ages.
Also found as: criaderas y solera, solera system, fractional blending
- Sotol#
Sotol is a Mexican spirit made from Dasylirion plants, rather than agave.
Its protected region covers Chihuahua, Coahuila and Durango. You may see sotol alongside tequila and mezcal, but its plant source makes it a distinct drink.
- Spontaneous fermentation#
Spontaneous fermentation starts with microorganisms already present in the ingredients, equipment and surroundings.
Agave fermentations can involve several yeast and bacterial species working together. Producers may instead add a selected starter culture to begin fermentation.
Also found as: wild fermentation, natural fermentation
- Still strength#
Still strength describes spirit bottled at the alcohol strength at which it leaves the still.
Fortaleza’s 46% ABV Still Strength blanco is bottled without added water.
Also found as: still-strength, undiluted
Sources
T
- Tahona#
A large stone wheel used to crush cooked agave.
Crushing helps release the juice and breaks up the plant fibers before fermentation.
Also found as: stone wheel
- Tannins#
Tannins are compounds that can create a drying or grippy sensation in the mouth.
Oak can contribute tannins as a spirit matures, affecting its texture as well as its overall character.
Also found as: tannin, tannic
- Tepache#
In mezcal production, tepache can mean the fermented mixture of cooked agave and water that goes into the still.
It can include agave fibers as well as liquid.
Sources
- John McEvoy, Holy Smoke! It’s Mezcal! (2014) — pp. 44, 203
- Tepeztate#
Tepeztate, also spelled Tepextate, is a local name for Agave marmorata used in mezcal.
Also found as: tepextate, Agave marmorata
- Tequila#
Tequila is a Mexican spirit made by fermenting and distilling sugars from blue agave within its protected region.
The two sugar-source categories are “100% agave” and “Tequila,” the latter often called mixto. Blanco, reposado and añejo describe separate classifications of the finished spirit.
Sources
- Tequila standard (NOM-006) — 4.36; 5.1; 5.2
- Terroir#
Terroir describes how a place’s growing conditions and local practices contribute to a drink’s character.
In agave spirits, this can include soil, climate and the growing site. Tequila Ocho uses individual field releases to explore those differences.
Also found as: sense of place, growing conditions
Sources
- Tina#
A tina is a vat or tub; in agave-spirit production, it commonly means a fermentation vessel.
Vessels can be made from wood, clay, masonry or other materials, depending on the producer and the rules for the spirit’s category.
Also found as: tinas, fermentation vat, fermentation tank
- Tinacal#
A tinacal is the place where aguamiel is fermented into pulque.
It houses the vessels used for fermentation.
Also found as: pulque fermentation room
- Tlachiquero#
A person who collects aguamiel, the sweet sap of maguey used to make pulque.
The work includes preparing and scraping a cavity in the living plant and gathering the sap that collects there.
Also found as: tlachiquera, tlachiqueros
- Tobalá#
Tobalá is a local agave name commonly associated with Agave potatorum in mezcal.
Common agave names vary by place and producer.
Also found as: tobala, Agave potatorum
- Triple distillation#
Triple distillation means the spirit has gone through three distillations.
Tequila and mezcal are usually distilled twice. Tres Generaciones Plata and Gran Patrón Platinum are examples of triple-distilled tequila. Pechuga mezcal is generally redistilled a third time with ingredients such as poultry, fruit or spices.
Also found as: triple distilled, triple-distilled
- Triple sec#
Triple sec is a style of orange-flavored liqueur commonly used in cocktails.
It supplies orange flavor and sweetness in a classic Margarita. Cointreau is a familiar example; check the chosen bottle’s ABV when making a substitution.
Also found as: triple-sec, orange liqueur
V
- Veladora#
A veladora is a small glass used for mezcal, traditionally the kind used to hold prayer candles.
Also found as: veladoras, veladora glass
- Venencia#
In mezcal production, a venencia is a hollow reed used to draw up liquid and release it into a vessel.
The resulting bubbles, or perlas, help experienced makers estimate alcohol strength. It is a practical traditional estimate, rather than an exact laboratory measurement.
Also found as: venenciar, venecia
- Vinata#
A vinata is a regional name for a place where mezcal or another traditional spirit is made.
La Luna uses the word for its production site in Michoacán, where agave is cooked, fermented and distilled.
Also found as: vinatas, viñata
Sources
- Vinazas#
Vinazas are the liquid residues left after distillation of fermented material.
Agave distilleries must manage this waste stream.
Also found as: vinasse, vinaza, stillage
- Viscosity#
Viscosity is a liquid’s resistance to flowing.
Honey has higher viscosity than water. In tasting language, viscosity helps describe a drink’s sense of thickness and body.
Also found as: viscous, viscosidad
Y
- Yeast#
Yeasts are microscopic fungi that turn fermentable sugars into alcohol and other compounds.
Producers may add a selected yeast culture to start fermentation. In spontaneous fermentation, wild (ambient) yeasts already present on the agave and in the distillery start the process, without an added yeast culture.
Also found as: yeasts, levadura, levaduras