tequila

Distilled liquor, usually clear in colour and unaged, made from the fermented juice of the Mexican agave plant. (See agave family.) It contains 40–50% alcohol. It was developed soon after the Spaniards brought distillation to Mexico, and is named for the town of Tequila. It is mixed with lime juice and orange liqueur to make the margarita cocktail, which is served in a glass rimmed with salt. Mescal, a stronger-flavoured liquor, is made from a wild agave from Oaxaca.

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