How to become a tequila connoisseur
You can do more with this popular Mexican drink than make margaritas
By Phil Lempert
Food Editor
TODAY
Updated: 10:20 a.m. MT Dec 29, 2006
When most Americans think of tequila, it brings them back to their college days — and unfortunately too often the memories tend to surround bad headaches or even worse.
The truth is that tequila is much more of a complex distilled beverage than most of us realize. It is a spirit that is made from the blue agave plant, which takes 8 to 10 years to mature, and can only be harvested once. The leaves of the plant are stripped away, leaving a core that can weighs on average between 40 and 70 pounds and can sometimes grow to 200 pounds.
Be sure to "Launch" the video clip to see Julio Bermejo from Tommy's Mexican Food in San Francisco.
