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

There’s a bar that’s stocked with bourbon, tequila, and moonshine and a couple of porcelain cheetahs guarding a cabinet full of old records. —Sid Evans, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2025

To drink, there are margaritas, palomas, old fashioned with tequila and beers. —Endia Fontanez, AZCentral.com, 2 Oct. 2025

Lively initially launched her Betty Buzz brand in 2021 with sparkling mixers, later expanding into tequila and bourbon canned cocktails under Betty Booze in 2023. —Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025

The cocktail menu spotlights spirits like tequila, mezcal, raicilla, cocuy and sotol and features cocktails like the Besame Mucho (mezcal, rose and strawberry) and the Reloj, which blends hoja santa and cucumber. —Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 30 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