NATIONAL TEQUILA DAY
National Tequila Day is dedicated to appreciating Tequila, a distilled alcohol made from the blue agave plant. Celebrate national tequila day at Paraiso in Capitol Hill, Washington D.C. We offer $9 classic margaritas, tequila flights and you can sign up here for our tequila tasting dinner with Enemigos.
ABOUT TEQUILA
Tequila is the modern name for a regional mezcal born in the Jaliscan valley of the same name. It is made from a single subvarietal of agave – A. tequilana Weber, blue variety – commonly known as the blue agave. While tequila was the first mezcal to become widely know outside of Mexico, since 1974 it has not legally been classified as a mezcal.
Like Scotch, Cognac and Champagne, tequila is a “Denomination of Origin” beverage, meaning that it can only legally be produced in a certain region of the world. The Mexican state owns the right to the word “tequila,” and determines the territory where it can be produced. The tequila DO includes the entire state of Jalisco, as well as parts of the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. Jalisco is the birthplace of tequila, where the vast majority is still made.
What does Tequila mean?
The word tequila probably comes from the Nahuatl (Aztec) language and translates to "the place where plants are harvested," or possibly "the place where a lot of work is done," according to Jose Maria Muria in his book, "A Drink Named Tequila."
Tequila versus mezcal
The famous explanation about the difference between mezcal and tequila is: all tequila is mezcal, but not all mezcal is tequila. Tequila must be made in specific regions of Mexico and from blue agave. The core difference between mezcal and tequila is that mezcal is made with different types of agave. The most common varieties of agave used for mezcal are tobala, tobaziche, tepeztate, arroqueno and espadin. These are the most common agave and accounts for up to 90% of mezcal.
How to celebrate national tequila day
While National Tequila Day is not an official holiday, it is a day to celebrate the rich history of one of the oldest spirits from Mexico. Tequila was created in the 1600s when the first tequila license was issued by the king of Spain. This year National Tequila Day is on a Sunday.
Come celebrate at Paraiso with our tequila tasting dinner on Sunday July 24th, 7pm hosted by Erlinda Doherty. We will also be offering classic margaritas for $9 and our mezcaleria in Capitol Hill, Washington D.C. has a variety of mezcal and tequila-based cocktails, mezcal and tequila flights, Mexican beer and wine. Here’s an overview of the brands you will find in our Mezcaleria.
Or celebrate at your house preparing a Margarita cocktail. You can find the best recipe for that popular cocktail here.
