Busting 5 Myths about Tequila

Hattiesburg, MS

“Take life with a grain of salt,” the old saying goes, but the newer version continues as such, “a slice of lemon and a shot of tequila.” Tequila is the party drink, the focal beverage of many songs, and a drink we’ve all tried or mixed in a fun way. Alternatively, some myths about tequila give it an unusual reputation. Lincoln Road Package Store is here to dispel those myths. Load up on these fun tequila facts, so your party conversations never go dry.

1. Myth: You can eat agave leaves

You can drink its juice, so you should be able to eat the leaves of the agave plant, right? Wrong. Blue agave leaves, otherwise known as tequila agave, are not edible, although they look like nopales (a popular non-toxic cactus leaf). Agave leaves contain a compound meant to ward off unwanted pests animals that would eat the plant. This compound is a mixture of acrid oils, saponins, and oxalate crystals. It will give you lethal diarrhea if you consume its leaves.

2. Myth: Tequila is all the same

Lincoln Road Package Store wants to tell you that’s not true. We carry a variety of tequilas made in different ways. Today there are 193 tequila distilleries—132 of them active. Combined, these distilleries produce 2,025 different brands of tequila. If that isn’t variety, then we don’t know what is. If you would like to find out more about the various tequila varieties, stop by our store and ask us for assistance.

3. Myth: People don’t drink that much tequila

A whopping 271.4 million liters of tequila was produced in 2017, according to the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT) and the National Tequila Industry Chamber. That’s 516 liters produced per minute—365 days a year. Just over 50 percent of all tequila produced was 100 percent agave tequila. The other half was a mix of 51 percent agave and 49 percent sugar.

4. Myth: Tequila is a simple liquor

Actually, tequila is often considered one of the most complex liquors. Tequila has nearly 600 different aromas. Cognac, often considered the most complex liquor, only has 300. Whiskey only contains 150 aromas, and it has a bidding market of connoisseurs.

5. Myth: Tequila is everywhere

The United States imports about 80.5 percent of the world’s tequila, according to the CRT. In some regards, we’re doing the most to keep the tequila industry booming. Germany imports about 2.5 percent. Spain follows, with a low 2.2% percent. You might be thinking, “Where does Canada come in? I mean, they are NAFTA partners, right?” Unfortunately for Canadians, their liquor purchases are run on a provincial level. That means unless a province is run by tequila lovers who push for extremely large orders, their citizens don’t get the variety we do. Our dearest sympathies go out to tequila lovers in other countries, sincerely from Lincoln Road Package Store.

Tequila in Hattiesburg, MS

The rest of the world outside of the U.S., and Mexico doesn’t get the opportunity to drink tequila enough. If you live in the Hattiesburg area of Massachusetts, don’t fear. Lincoln Road Package Store has a variety of tequilas and other spirits available. If you’re looking for a specific brand of tequila, an old favorite, or you’d like to try something new, feel free to come down to our store located at 2800 Lincoln Road, Suite A, in Hattiesburg, MS. Got questions? Contact our professional staff by phone at (601) 268-3677 or send an email to jamiefarris@gmail.com.