Is Tequila Gluten-Free?

Is tequila gluten-free? Let’s take a closer look at the distilled spirit used to craft popular cocktails like Margaritas and Palomas.

What is tequila?

Tequila is a distilled Mexican liquor derived from the Blue Weber agave plant. 

Some canned tequila-based beverages, like Modelo Ranch Water and High Noon Tequila Seltzers, are gluten-free. Other popular brands of Ranch Water and Tequila Seltzers (like Dos Equis) contain malt liquor and are NOT gluten-free. So, it’s essential to check with the manufacturer or scan the label carefully before kicking a few back!

Our favorite gluten-free tequila cocktails

Tequila Facts: Everything you never needed to know

Where do the agave plants used to make tequila grow?

Much like Champagne, Tequila is region-designated, meaning to be called “tequila” it must be produced in one of five specific regions of Mexico: the state of Jalisco and certain municipalities in Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. Most of the world’s Tequila occurs in and around the town of Tequila in Jalisco. In fact 90% of all tequila production takes place in Jalisco, and the town itself produces upwards of 50 million liters a year!

Can agave grow outside of the designated regions?

Agave’s characteristics vary depending on the terroir, which helps to explain why Mexico is so particular about what regions are able to produce tequila. However, agave plants can be grown outside of the designated regions. Farmers produce agave in different parts of Mexico, and agave farms have started to pop up in parts of Texas, California, Utah, New Mexico and Hawaii. The liquor from these plants cannot legally bear the word tequila on the label, but rather must say Blue Agave spirits. 

How is tequila made?

Harvesting the agave plant

Good things come to those who wait! The Blue Weber agave plants used to craft tequila takes up to 8-9 years to mature. Once the plants are ready to harvest, the teams use a special knife called a coa to cut away the plant’s leaves. Removing the leaves are makes the piña bulb visible. Due to size, the harvest team can’t simply pull this beauty from the ground. Unlike the tulip or daffodil bulbs you may be familiar with, this baby weighs between 80 and 200 pounds (let’s not forget it’s been chilling in the ground for almost a decade). After using a machete to cut at the bottom of the bulb, worker carefully uproot the piña. 

Baking + shredding the piña

After harvest, the piña, or agave bulb, is baked in a special oven called a hornos. Traditionally processed, baking occurs in a rock-lined pit, but most modern makers use brick or clay hornos. After baking, crushing and shredding of the piña takes place to extract its juices. These juices are called mosoto.

Fermenting the juice

Once extracting of the juice occurs, it’s time to start the fermentation process. The juice, or mosoto, is combined with yeast and left to ferment for 3-12 days. The fermentation process transforms the juice from a non-alcoholic beverage to an alcoholic spirit. Fermentation of the Tequila takes place in stainless steel tanks or wooden barrels. Like wine, the type of vessel or barrel used for fermenting affects the tequila’s ultimate expression.

Distilling the fermented juice

Tequila goes through the distilling process twice. The initial distillation occurs in steel tanks to remove some of the unnecessary water, and the second to clarify and concentrate the beverage.

Bottling and aging

Aging of tequila takes place in wooden casks over a 2-3 week period. This allows for the flavor to mature. Aging is what makes the different types of tequila. Let’s take a look:

Want to learn more about whether your favorite alcoholic drinks are gluten-free?