# Does "100% Agave" mean "100% Blue Agave"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 24, 2006, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-100-agave-mean-100-blue-agave/341416 "2006-01-24T17:36:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-100-agave-mean-100-blue-agave/341416/1 "2006-01-24T17:36:52Z")
Patron, for instance, says “100% Agave” on the bottle. Does that mean it’s blue agave? I understand that there are many species of the agave cactus, so are some tequilas made from those other plants? Can they claim to be “100% Agave” according to Mexico’s tequila labeling laws? ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-100-agave-mean-100-blue-agave/341416/2 "2006-01-24T17:53:25Z")
All tequila comes from the same type of agave. Liquors made from any type of agave are collectively referred to as mezcals. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-100-agave-mean-100-blue-agave/341416/3 "2006-01-24T18:53:36Z")
It has to be a certain variety of [agave](http://www.crt.org.mx/eng/teq_elaboracion.asp). > [@](#): > > The production of Tequila starts in the field with the selection of the “hijuelos” (young plants) which must be of the Tequiliana Weber, blue variety agave species and can only be planted in the area protected by the General Declaration of the Appellation of Origin ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-100-agave-mean-100-blue-agave/341416/4 "2006-01-24T19:03:32Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > All tequila comes from the same type of agave. Liquors made from any type of agave are collectively referred to as mezcals. But many tequilas are made with additonal stuff. I think it only has to be 51% blue agave to be called tequila. So, can it be 51% blue agave, and 49% non-blue agave and still be called 100% agave? ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-100-agave-mean-100-blue-agave/341416/5 "2006-01-24T19:14:53Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > But many tequilas are made with additonal stuff. I think it only has to be 51% blue agave to be called tequila. So, can it be 51% blue agave, and 49% non-blue agave and still be called 100% agave? > [@](#): > > To make Tequila a minimum of 51% agave sugars are mixed with up to 49% other sweeteners (white sugar, brown sugar, glucose, fructose, molasses, etc.) before fermentation. Tequila has to be made from blue agave (from link in my first post). 100% agave means that it isn’t “cut” with alcohol produced from other sugars. BTW, my cites are from the The Tequila Regulatory Council (El Consejo Regulador del Tequila, A. C.). ---
**Author:** ![shelbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@shelbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shelbo)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-100-agave-mean-100-blue-agave/341416/6 "2006-01-24T21:00:44Z")
> [@Duke of Rat](#): > > 100% agave means that it isn’t “cut” with alcohol produced from other sugars. Like Cuervo Gold – the bare minimum agave to be legally called “Tequila”, cut for the rest, with caramel color added for the “gold” hue (which results from aging in wood barrels in a true anjeo). Puro de agave. Mmmmmmm. Cuervo Gold. Not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ass_For_A_Hat)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-100-agave-mean-100-blue-agave/341416/7 "2006-01-25T02:59:24Z")
So is there a difference between these two designations? 100% puro agave azul 100% agave azul ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-100-agave-mean-100-blue-agave/341416/8 "2006-01-25T03:49:47Z")
Does anyone know the botanical name of the mezcal agave? and is it \*impossible \*to make tequila out of the other species? If not, is it possible that not mentioning blue means it’s made out of some other generic agave? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-100-agave-mean-100-blue-agave/341416/9 "2006-01-25T03:54:27Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Does anyone know the botanical name of the mezcal agave? and is it \*impossible \*to make tequila out of the other species? There are many [agave species.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agave) That was why I asked. You can ferment almost anything… > [@](#): > > If not, is it possible that not mentioning blue means it’s made out of some other generic agave? That is my question!!! ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-100-agave-mean-100-blue-agave/341416/10 "2006-01-25T03:57:01Z")
BTW, I started thinking about this after seeing a History Channel show on Booze. It was quite interesting, focusing on whiskey, gin, vodka, scotch and tequila. I highly recommend it-- the booze and the show. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-100-agave-mean-100-blue-agave/341416/11 "2006-01-25T04:23:18Z")
[http://www.ianchadwick.com/tequila/glossary.html](http://www.ianchadwick.com/tequila/glossary.html) According to the above site, tequila may not be made with any other agave, or it would be mezcal. Therefore, “100% agave” means 100% blue agave. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-100-agave-mean-100-blue-agave/341416/12 "2006-01-25T08:34:53Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > I understand that there are many species of the agave cactus. . . A nit: agaves are not cacti. They are related to lilies (liliales order). The cacti are in the caryophyllales order. The species name of blue agave is “Agave tequilana” (surprise!). More specifically, blue agave is a cultivar of this species. Other species of agave used for making alcoholic beverages (mezcal and pulque) include A. americana (century plant or maguey), A. angustifolia (mezcal agave), A. atrovirens (maguey manso), A. deserti (desert agave) and A. salmiana (maguey ceniso). ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-100-agave-mean-100-blue-agave/341416/13 "2006-01-25T09:17:29Z")
> [@Nametag](#): > > [http://www.ianchadwick.com/tequila/glossary.html](http://www.ianchadwick.com/tequila/glossary.html) > > According to the above site, tequila may not be made with any other agave, or it would be mezcal. Therefore, “100% agave” means 100% blue agave. But if it’s 51% blue agave, why does it matter what the other 49% is from? ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-100-agave-mean-100-blue-agave/341416/14 "2006-01-25T11:50:16Z")
As said, 51% is the minimum for making a tequila – that’s a _blanco_ tequila only. There are more stringent requirements for _reposados_ and _añejos_. I can’t cite; that’s what the docent told me at the Sauza facility in Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico, back in October. Yes, aged tequilas start as white tequilas, but if they only contain 51% agave, they can never become an aged tequila. The other 49% can be sugars from anything, but most commonly it’s cane sugar. Why? Well, cane sugar is dirt cheap and its available in vast quantities very close to the tequila-making region of Mexico. Using anything else would be cost prohibitive. As for other types of agave, it’s just not cultivated, and if it were, it’d still be more expensive than cane sugar. _Agave azul_ is very distinctive, and when you see fields and fields and fields of it covering an entire region, it becomes recognizable and it’s rather quite beautiful. By time you have 100% agave, double distillation, aged in used oak whiskey barrels for more than six months, you’re into something that the tequila maker actually cares about and it’ll be good, pricier stuff. Yum! What are the percentages, though? The final alcohol weight [or volume] of 51% must be due to agave? Cane sugar is dry and easy to weigh; agave only becomes sugar due to mashing [heat and enzymatic action]. The pre-distillation weights [measure the specific gravity] are the 51%? Anyone know? ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-100-agave-mean-100-blue-agave/341416/15 "2006-01-25T16:05:45Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > There are many [agave species.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agave) That was why I asked. You can ferment almost anything… > That is my question!!! NOM-006-SCFI-1994 is the letter of the law on tequila. This specification covers the strict legal definition of tequila. Again, from my earlier cites. ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-100-agave-mean-100-blue-agave/341416/16 "2006-01-27T05:33:08Z")
Tequila is a type of mezcal. Others are bacanora, lechuguilla, sotol, raicilla, comiteco, charanda, xtabentun depending on the region they are from and the type of agave used to make it. Tequila is the most famous. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-100-agave-mean-100-blue-agave/341416/17 "2006-01-27T07:04:12Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > There are many [agave species.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agave) That was why I asked. Yes I know; I just put 4 different species in a client’s garden. > [@John Mace](#): > > You can ferment almost anything… Yes, I know. THat’s why I asked. > [@John Mace](#): > > That is my question!!! My question was about terminology, not about biology. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-100-agave-mean-100-blue-agave/341416/18 "2006-01-27T15:27:21Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > My question was about terminology, not about biology. Maybe I’m missing something, but I read your question as being exactly the same as mine-- ie, if it says “agave” and not “blue agave” can it be made with non-blue agave? ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-100-agave-mean-100-blue-agave/341416/19 "2006-01-27T16:36:26Z")
I can only deduce that I’m on **John’s** ignore list. ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-100-agave-mean-100-blue-agave/341416/20 "2006-01-27T17:46:34Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > Maybe I’m missing something, but I read your question as being exactly the same as mine-- ie, if it says “agave” and not “blue agave” can it be made with non-blue agave? No. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-100-agave-mean-100-blue-agave/341416.md?page=2)