According to Mexican law, tequila can only be made in the state of Jalisco and the only kind of agave that can go into a spirit labeled “tequila” is blue agave, which is a big, spiky plant that grows in the valleys and hills around Guadalajara, Mexico. There is currently a shortage of agave, reports The Daily Beast, and prices have spiked from a combination of short supply and increased demand as more drinkers request the higher-priced 100 percent agave tequila over what is known as mixto, the cheaper version that only has to be 51 percent blue agave. But The Daily Beast writes that it seems like there is always an agave shortage, so what is actually going on?
Chantal Martineau, author of How the Gringos Stole Tequila, told The Daily Beast that the shortage is expected to end in a couple years, and then another one will come around in about seven years. She said that it is an industry problem that everyone is starting to acknowledge.
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