Tequilla and worms?

Question

Why are there worms in Tequilla? What kind of worm is it and what is the purpose?

Answer 1

There are no worms in Tequila. Further, there is no Tequila made or bottled outside of a specific region in Mexico.

Mezcal is the drink that contains the worm (Tequila is a specific variety of mezcal) and it's the generic term for any spirit distilled from agave (not cactus as many think).

Here's a quick blurb about the worm:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezcal#The_worm

Answer 2

Tequila Myth #1: There's a worm in tequila. There is no worm in Mexican-bottled tequila. Yes, some American-bottled brands put one in their bottle to impress the gringos and boost sales, but it's only a marketing ploy and not a Mexican tradition. There is a worm, called a gusano, properly a butterfly caterpillar (Hipopta Agavis) in some types of mezcal, but not all. You may also get a small bag of 'worm salt' - dried gusano, salt and chile powder tied to a mezcal bottle. The worm-in-the-bottle myth is old and tired. Is the worm even a traditional element in mezcal production? Not according to Del Maguey Mezcal producers: they say it's a recent development, a marketing ploy that appeared only in the 1940s to try and get more attention on mezcal, and they should know.


There are two types of gusano in mezcal: the red (gusano rojo, considered superior because it lives in the root and heart of the maguey) and the less-prized white or gold (gusano de oro) which lives on the leaves. The red gusano turns pale in the mezcal, the gold turns ashen-grey. Both larvae are commonly eaten as food and are sold in Zapotec markets. Yes, you're supposed to eat the worm in mezcal. Don't worry, it's quite well pickled and free of pesticides. They're often raised just for use in mezcal, cooked and pickled in alcohol for a year. But dispel any idea it has any magical or psychotropic properties, that it's an aphrodisiac or the key to an 'unseen world.' It's merely protein and alcohol, but it's very rich in imagery.

Answer 3

The worm is an ancient tradition and supposedly creates beautiful hallucinations in the person that has consumed it! Not sure what the name is, but Mescale comes to mind. Anyway, after downing the bottle of tequilla, rumor has it that the person that is the bravest and the least drunk gets the worm!

Answer 4

I believe the purpose is that it absorbs the toxins. I would assume that's an "old" purpose (ie. not needed anymore with modern distillation practices), but ya never know.

Answer 5

Algarve, right name, when the bottle is on its last shot. They pop the worm, place in last shot glass, away you go......

Answer 6

There aren't any worms in Jose Cuervo. At least I don't think there are...

Answer 7

that is discusting