Why do bottles of tequila, contain worms occassionaly?

Question

My Answer would have been (Part 1):-

It's a common misconception that tequila bottles contain worms - it's forbidden by law. However bottles of the drink mescal - similar to tequila and also made in Mexico - usually contain worms.

The worm traditionally used is a kind of caterpillar that lives in the stems of agave plants from which mescal is made. These reddish-coloured worms can be quite rare and at times white worms from the leaves of the plant are used instead.

The practice of adding worms to bottles of mescal started in the 1940s when a Mexican named Jacobo Lazano Paez found the addition of a worm changed the taste and colour of the drink and he decided to include worms as a marketing gimmick.

Despite popular belief the practice hasn't been a Mexican tradition for centuries.

My answer would have been (Part 2):-

Considered a delicacy by Mexicans the worm is supposed to be eaten and is thought by some to have aphrodisiac qualities. Some also believe the worm gives strength to those who eat it and that it's hallucinogenic.

However apart from any psychological effects the worm might have in reality it's merely a worm saturated in alcohol.

Answer 1

Genuine tequila never has worms inside the bottle....... however, there's another alcoholic beverage made out of the same plant that is called MEZCAL -- which is a little bit stronger and this one DOES have a worm in the bottom of the bottle, always. This is just tradition, I don't think it modifies the taste in any way, but it's just fun to see whether the person drinking the last drops of mezcal will be brave enough to eat the worm too or not........... that's all they do it for. Those worms grow in the same plant that the beverage is extracted from.

Answer 2

Tequila should not have a worm in it. If it has a worm it is mezcal which is similar, but made from a different plant and tends to be more psychotropic than tequila.

Tequila is made from the blue agave plant and by law all tequila is made in the state of Jalisco, except for one distillery in the state of Guanajuato.

Mezcal is made from the maguey plant which is a relative of the agave. Mezcal can be produced anywhere and still be called mezcal, but most of it is made in the state of Oaxaca.

The worm is the larva of a butterfly and is parasite that is tolerated by the maguey growers because it is also a cash crop. Not only are the worms put in bottles of mezcal, but they are also dried or cooked and eaten. The dried worms are often ground to give a smokey flavor to chile sauce.
They are considered a delicacy in Mexico. An order of worms in a classy restaurant can cost as much as a steak.

I think they are best fried and eaten as a snack or appetizer.

Answer 3

Tequila does not contain worms- Mezcal's do. Mezcal is a general term for alcohol produced in the Jalisco region in Mexico. The agave plant is run through a distillation process that results in the Mezcal. Tequila is made only from blue agave, which most experienced drinkers believe is the best type of agave for making liquor. Placing a worm inside of a bottle of Mezcal is thought to actually be an old marketing gimmick to get people to buy Mezcals. You won't halluncinate or anything if you eat it. But you might gain the respect and admiration of your friends.

Answer 4

Thats mescal and its mostly for marketing to the gringos in North America. I was in Oaxaca, Mexico last summer (the home of mescal). Some had the worm in it, most didn't. The better ones did not.

Answer 5

The worm is the primary pest of the agave plant. I think putting it in the bottle came about as a bit of poetic justice.

Answer 6

I don't know but, I sure hope I never get a hold of one like the one that man ate in Poltergeist part 2! Wholly s**t!!!!

Answer 7

I thought it was to signify that the drink was still pure and not off, if the drink has gone off it will go ph unbalanced, therefore the worm will degrade.

Answer 8

That's a good question I guess its for the novelty of it all.
I don't know.

Answer 9

so drunk people can be idiots and believe stories and eat raw worms

Answer 10

ummm.....ur supposed to eat the worm after a shot or something!!!!