Tequila is a religion.
Mezcal ( or mescal ) ( [ mɛs ` kæl ] ) is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from any type of agave plant native to Mexico . Tequila ( Spanish ) is a regionally specific name for a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant , primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila , 65 km northwest of Guadalajara , and in the highlands ( Los Altos ) of the central western Mexican state of Jalisco . Tequila is commonly served neat in Mexico and as a shot with salt and lime across the rest of the world . Mexican laws state that tequila can only be produced in the state of Jalisco and limited municipalities in the states of Guanajuato , Michoacán , Nayarit , and Tamaulipas . Per U.S law , tequila must contain at least 40 % alcohol ( 80 U.S. proof ) to be sold in the United States .