Pre-Hispanic
town, located 56kms (34 miles) northeast of Guadalajara. Nowadays
it has a population of 30,000. The hill of Tequila or hill of "Tetilla"
has a height of 3,000 meters (9842.51 feet) above sea level, and
it's an extinct volcano.
1872
- 1891:
Tequila
was the 12th largest country property in Jalisco.
XVI
Century:
"Motolinía"
describes the cooking of Mescal (heart of Maguey) "mexcalli".
Mescal wine is one of the first products that Europeans learned
to obtain from a natural product in America.
1600:
Pedro de Tagle, Marquis of Altamira, and Caballero de la Orden of
Calatrava, live in Tequila Jalisco, establishing the first tavern
for mescal wine in all Nueva Galicia (unconfirmed version).
1621:
In
the description of Nueva Galicia of Domingo Lázaro of Arregui,
he mentions that the hearts of agave were squeezed to get the must,
obtaining a wine clearer than water but strong as liquor.
The
text before refers to personal consumption products, not produced
in bulk.
1688
- 1766:
There
are many prohibitions, censorships and restrictions imposed on those
who manufacture mescal wine. They either trade with it or it is consumed
in excess.
4th
decade of XVII Century:
The
audience of Guadalajara regulates the production and trade of the
mescal wine. This subsisted until being abolished by the Independent
government.
XVIII
Century:
In
the middle of this century, the market for trading in the east grows
rapidly. The San Blas port is opened, and the Tequila drink is supplied
to the new Spanish colonies in northwest Mexico.
Tequila
is known and accepted in Mexico City, and it's recognized as superior
to the mescal wines from closer zones which have inferior quality.
1758
José
Antonio of Cuervo buys the big country property "Cofradía
de las Animas", a land rich in agave plants.
1795:
José
Guadalupe Cuervo, son of José Antonio, receives from King Carlos
IV of Spain the first official concession to market mescal wine. María
Magdalena Ignacia Cuervo, daughter of José Guadalupe, inherits
the tavern and factory for mescal. She marries Vicente Albino Rojas,
who administers the factory, and later he inherits it after the death
of his wife. According to the traditions of those times, he gives
his wife's name to the distillation factory "La Rojeña".
Late
XVIII Century and Early XIX Century:
Period
when mescal wine is restricted with prohibitions and censorships.
Early
XIX Century:
Early
in this Century there were 24 ranch and country properties, 12 in
Tequila, Jalisco, and 12 in Amatitán. José María
Castañeda founds the "La Antigua Cruz" distillery
in Tequila.
The
independence of Mexico begins:
The
production of mescal wine is increased.
1815:
The
production is reduced. Acapulco becomes the main port, and San Blas
becomes the secondary port.
1821:
The
producers of tequila encourage the authorization of free commerce.
1835:
On
October 3rd a decree determines that the federative entities have
more independence from the capital.
During
all the time after the decree, the production of tequila is inconsistent
and not very regulated.
When
the Republic is reinstalled, the handmade production is transformed
into a real industry, without reducing the quality of the product.
1860:
Jesús
Flores, owner of the taverns "La Floreña" and "La
del Puente" (also known later as "La Constancia"),
acquires "La Rojeña." He becomes the first one to
bottle tequila in glass vessels.
1870:
"La Herradura" is founded in Amatitán.
1872:
The
Tequila villa houses the 12th property instituted by the state government.
Two years later, Tequila will receive the title of City.
1873:
Cenobio
Sauza, former administrator of the distillery that belongs to José
Gómez Cuervo in San Martín, acquires the "La Antigua
Cruz" distillery. Previously he leased "La Gallardeña",
and then he ended up buying it.
1888:
The
name of the tavern "La Antigua Cruz" changes to "La
Perseverancia", the name that it still has today.
Late
XIX Century and Early XX Century:
Tequila
is considered decadent, since the elitist population prefers all the
French liquors. Tequila is a drink for poor people, they say.
1900:
Ana
González Rubio (the second wife of Jesús Flores) inherits
"La Constancia" and marries José Cuervo Labastida.
He names this distillery "La Rogeña," the name that
it still has today.
1911:
Porfirio
Díaz (President of Mexico) is overthrown. The consummation
of the Mexican Revolution causes Mexicans to become more patriotic,
and they turn their eyes to tequila. The government encourages the
production of this drink. The film industry influences the spread
of tequila, and it becomes the most popular drink in Mexico.
1930:
An
epidemic of Spanish influenza attacks northern Mexico, and tequila
becomes the best medicine to fight it. (It's said that from then
on, this drink was drunk with lemon and salt because that's how
the doctors prescribed it). Trying to avoid the hard handling and
transportation of tequila from Tequila, Jalisco, in the city of
Monterrey they start to produce cylindrical bottles of half a liter
(17 ounces), establishing the bottling of tequila there.
1934:
After
the death of Ana González Rubio, her niece Guadalupe Gallardo
inherits everything. Later on she gives everything to Virginia Gallardo,
who marries Juan Beckmann, German consul in Guadalajara. Today her
grandson, Juan Beckmann Vidal, presides over the Jose Cuervo Company.
1940:
Because
of WWII, tequila increases its exportation to the United States, whose
population drinks it instead of whisky. With the armistice, it requires
a great effort to maintain the export and even to increase it, looking
for consumption in Europe and South America.
1943:
"La
Perseverancia" is now in the hands of Francisco Javier Sauza,
son of Eladio Sauza and grandson of Cenobio Sauza, its founder.
1950:
The
tequila industry improves its production techniques. The fields for
cultivation of blue Agave Tequilana Weber increase. Different tequilas
are produced for all kinds of people.
