Before the arrival of the Spanish in our country, the ancient indigenous codices already gave testimony of the existence of the agave and its use. The oldest of the codices, called "Tonalmatinahuatl", reveals a direct link between ancient man and the agave.
Señor del Maguey y Mayahuel. (2012) by Carlos TerrésFundación Beckmann A.C.
For the Mexican indigenous people the agave (maguey) was a sacred plant they loved.
it provided them with food, clothing and drink.
The priest Joseph De Acosta, chronicler of the Spanish period, wrote: “The tree of wonders is the maguey”, the priest's words when recounting with amazement all that the natives got from mezcal: “Wine, vinegar, honey and syrup and needle thread, among a hundred other things. It is a tree that grows in New Spain and is highly esteemed by the Indians ”.
Agave Tequilana Weber (2020) by Mundo CuervoFundación Beckmann A.C.
The Swedish naturalist and scientist Carl von Linné later baptized it in the 18th century as "agavus" which in Greek means "admirable,"
Los visionarios (2012) by Carlos TerrésFundación Beckmann A.C.
Indeed, the blue agave plant, which the Spaniards named Wonderful, is a stem-less, short-rooted plant, which flourishes and produces fruit once in their life, after 8 to 10 years of cultivation, and then dies. Each plant measures up to 6.8 feet in height and 7 feet in width and has a center called "mazontle" or "pineapple" (because of its similarity to the tropical fruit) in which the large amount of sugars provided by this plant are concentrated.
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Agave Fields View
In the first decade of the 20th century, the tequila agave was described by the French botanist Frederic Albert Constantin Weber in 1902, and received the scientific name "Agave tequilana Weber, blue variety".
Agave tequilana Weber, variedad azul Mayahuelt (2020) by Mundo CuervoFundación Beckmann A.C.
However, its description was recently carried out again to update the knowledge and officially register the plant as “Agave tequilana Weber, Mayahuelt blue variety” and to protect the tequila agave internationally as a plant native to Mexico.
Paisaje agavero (2020) by Mundo CuervoFundación Beckmann A.C.
In the twenty-first century, UNESCO nominated the agave landscape as Cultural Heritage of Humanity for its outstanding characteristics and for the interaction of human beings and nature thanks to the work of the tequila agro-industry.
The region of the agave landscape of Tequila
The most significant part of the agave landscape is found in the area consisting of the Jalisco towns of Tequila, Teuchitlán, Magdalena, Amatitán and El Arenal, where there are material and natural remains from different historical periods that, together, can be recognized in the heritage category of Cultural Landscape of Humanity.
Photograph: Calle Jose Cuervo in Tequila, Jalisco.
Volcán de Tequila (2020) by Museo Nacional del TequilaFundación Beckmann A.C.
These natural and historical remains are found in the foothills of the majestic Tequila Volcano and the imposing ravine of the "Rio Grande de Santiago".
Paisaje agavero (2020) by Mundo CuervoFundación Beckmann A.C.
In this area we find the exceptional agave landscape consisting of the plantations of the blue agave Tequilana Weber of admirable beauty for its metallic blue color, unique in the world.
Gran Kiosco, Hacienda Centenario (2020) by Mundo CuervoFundación Beckmann A.C.
This landscape co-exists with diverse archaeological sites, numerous historical distilleries, traditional communities and a valuable intangible heritage represented by primal agricultural uses, traditional gastronomy and popular festivities.
Parroquia Santiago Apóstol (2016) by G. TroconniFundación Beckmann A.C.
In the second half of the 19th century and thanks to the management of Tequila Cuervo, the drink "mezcal wine" takes the generic name of "Tequila", because that is the place of origin of the oldest and most traditional distillery that exists.
The old industrial tequila facilities have examples such as: La Rojeña, producer of the Jose Cuervo tequila, with more than 250 years of history, is the oldest distillery in the world that continues to operate now. There are also the historical distilleries of La Perseverencia, manufacturer of tequila Sauza; La Mexicana of Orendain tequila and Hacienda del Refugio, manufacturer of Tequila Herradura.
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Agave Fields
Campos de agave (2016) by G. TroconniFundación Beckmann A.C.
The international acceptance of Tequila has led to the proliferation of brands and the planting of large extensions of agave in the Denomination of Origin zone that only covers the states of Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit and Tamaulipas because it presents similar climate conditions as the State of Jalisco.
Cantina del Tren Jose Cuervo Express (2020) by Mundo CuervoFundación Beckmann A.C.
To enjoy the cultural and historical values of tequila, the Company Jose Cuervo has launched an ambitious program of investment in tourist infrastructure in the city of Tequila, to create a truly global cultural destination, putting in operation the train "Jose Cuervo Express" , the concept of "Mundo Cuervo" and the spectacular Juan Beckmann Gallardo Museum in honor of the founder of the Beckmann Dynasty.
Bar Chucho Reyes, en Tequila, Jalisco, México. (2020) by Mundo CuervoFundación Beckmann A.C.
The tourism services sector has also been developed in all the towns on the Ruta del Tequila, and hotels and restaurants of traditional Mexican food have been started up. Among those that stand out are the high-end hotel "Solar de las Ánimas" in Tequila and is part of the collection of Relais & Chateau for its high quality.
