This episode traces how additive-free tequila earns its taste, step by step, from plant to bottle. We’ll move through the quiet decisions that shape sweetness, aroma, texture, and finish—how Blue Weber agave is grown and harvested, how cooking unlocks fermentable sugars and cooked-agave character, and how crushing sets the stage for what yeast can do. From there, fermentation builds personality, distillation refines it through careful cuts, and aging (when used) lets wood and time soften or transform the spirit without shortcuts. Finally, bottling choices like proof, water, and filtration decide how much of that true character reaches your glass.

This episode is about how tequila became what it is today, and how to spot additive-free bottles using what the label and the maker’s methods can actually tell you. We’ll begin in western Mexico’s Tequila region, where agave moves from everyday use into a distilled spirit shaped by colonial pressure, legalization, trade, and eventually formal standards that define tequila around blue agave and a protected place-name. Then we’ll narrow to artisan, additive-free production from field to bottle, showing how cooking, crushing, fermentation, distillation cuts, and aging choices shape flavor without added sweeteners, coloring, aromatizers, or flavorings. Finally, we’ll step into a U.S. liquor store and rely on legally defined label terms and concrete “show your work” details—rather than vague front-label claims—to guide what you pick up.