tequila

noun

te·​qui·​la tə-ˈkē-lə 

tā-

plural tequilas

: a Mexican liquor made chiefly from the fermented sap of the blue agave that has been subjected to two separate distillations

Tequila is a form of mezcal that enjoys a regional appellation—it must be produced in Tequila, Jalisco (a state in Mexico), entirely from the nectar from the blue agave plant.

—Justin Grant

The most important difference between fine tequila and ordinary tequila is that the good stuff is made from 100 percent blue agave—the desert succulent that is pressure cooked, then fermented.

—Food & Wine

Note: Tequila is often distinguished from other mezcals because it can only be made from the blue agave and has more restrictive guidelines regarding its production.

"We're going to offer wine, beer, cocktails, a lot of tequila and mezcal, and margaritas on tap," said [bar] owner Patrick Todd.

—Jordyn Noennig

Examples of tequila in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For instance, there’s the Temple Gate ($16), featuring gin, sichuan baijiu, peach shurb, kumquat aperitivo, sparkling wine and lemon, as well as the Sun God ($16), with mezcal, reposado tequila, sweet pepper cordial, corn and lime. —John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025

And Kelce is an investor in Casa Azul tequila sodas. —Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025

Ghost Donkey Also located in the back of a food hall is the chill and intimate Ghost Donkey, the tequila and mezcal bar that moved over from the East Coast after much acclaim. —Tim McGovern, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025

Its tequila varieties include blanco, reposado, añejo, a 100-proof blanco tequila, as well as Mezquilla, a tequila-mezcal blend. —Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Tequila, town in Jalisco state, Mexico

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing tequila

• tequila sunrise

Rhymes for tequila

• drosophila
• philomela
• sheila

Kids Definition

tequila

noun

te·​qui·​la tə-ˈkē-lə 

tā-

: a Mexican liquor made from the fermented juice of an agave