The Tippling Point | It's the tequila that shot to dizzying heights

Jose Cuervo Tradicional is made with 100% agave while Especial Silver and Gold are mixto - only 51% of the alcohol comes from agave.

"Jose Cuervo you are a friend of mine

I like to drink you with a little salt and lime

Did I kiss all the cowboys?

Did I shoot out the lights?"

When Cindy Jordan wrote the lyrics of that song, she was working as a cocktail waitress in a southern Californian restaurant. She never thought her ode to her favourite drink would find its way to become No. 1 on the Country charts in 1983, thanks to that amazing singer Shelly West who took an instant liking to the lines.

So who is Jose Cuervo? Or what is it? Well, today this spirit from Mexico is the best-selling tequila brand in the world.

Don José Antonio de Cuervo was reportedly a farmer who peacefully settled in Jalisco, an economically and culturally important state, at the beginning of the 18th century. Jalisco, you must know, was an interesting place where Blue agave was planted widely in the countryside. People harvested it to make mezcal wines, a crude form of tequila, which was then exported to Mexico city.

In 1742 Don José registered to produce mezcal wines at his popular tavern La Chorrera. Soon in 1758, a royal decree from King Ferdinand VI of Spain gave him the exclusive right to cultivate Agave for producing tequila. By the time he passed away in 1764, he had already established a reputation for his brand.

By 1781, the family was producing eight lakh litres of tequila per year. But the smooth ride was soon hampered when Spanish King Charles III stepped up. He issued an order banning all liquor save the Spanish ones. Cuervo's tequila went underground. But its popularity didn't decline a bit. Wisdom soon dawned among the authorities. They realized that taxing the Mexican product that had made such a mark among people was more viable than banning it outright.

Jose Cuervo resurfaced and shot to dizzying heights of prominence when Spain accorded it with the first licence to make 'official' tequila. Jose Cuervo's day arrived.

The brand had already established itself in the US, taking advantage of railway transportation and bottling (Jose Cuervo was the first to use glass bottling). But when prohibition hit America at the beginning of the 20th century, sales of tequila also dipped for a short period. Jose Cuervo now needed a boost, some kind of a savior to see itself cross the dry years.

Enter Margarita.

The cocktail was normally made using brandy or Bourbon. Legend has it that a bartender accidentally tossed tequila in. Abracadabra! His customers fell in love with the new magical taste. Reeling in the intense thirst created by Prohibition, they were already looking for new experiences. Margarita with tequila fit the bill. When the ban on spirits was finally lifted, Jose Cuervo hit the market capitalising on the new cocktail with the ad slogan - ‘Margarita: It’s more than a girl’s name’

What are the different kinds of tequila Jose Cuervo has brought to the market?

The profile begins with Jose Cuervo Especial Silver and Gold which are both mixto (a name given to a tequila in which only 51% of the alcohol comes from agave). If you want to taste 100% agave, go for Cuervo's Tradicional Silver. Each bottle of the elite Reserva de La Familia Reposado is handmade, dated, numbered, and sealed in wax.

The ultra-aged Jose Cuervo Aniversario is produced from agave harvested from a single crop field. Aged in French, American oak barrels, and finally in sherry barrels sourced from Spain, this nectar of a drink with its gentle notes of agave will give you nothing short of a spiritual experience.

With more than 250 years behind its back, Jose Cuervo is presently run by the 11th generation of the Cuervo family. That calls for a song:

"Jose Cuervo you are a friend of mine

I like to drink you with a little salt and lime..."