(28 February 2019) – The European Commission has approved today the addition of ‘Tequila’ , a Mexican spirit drink, in the register of Protected Geographical Indication (PGI).
Tequila is obtained by distilling the juices extracted from the heart of the blue agave that may be enriched and blended with other sugars.
The source of the raw material used to make the beverage and the processing are both located in several regions in the Centre and West of Mexico, including the actual town of Tequila in the state of Jalisco.
The existence of blue agave and its different uses can be traced back to the pre-Colombian era. The word ‘Tequila’ is derived from the Nahuatl terms ‘tequi’ and ‘tlan’, meaning ‘cutting place’ or ‘place of paying tax’.
There are currently 31 geographical indications protected in the EU register originating from third countries (food, wines and spirits included), benefitting from the same protection and market added-value than EU protected products.