The Kashrus of Tequila

The kashrus of different types of alcoholic beverages is an interesting topic. People who keep kosher purchase most alcoholic beverages (except for wine) without hashgacha and the supervision agencies maintain fairly detailed lists of rules for what is and what is not acceptable without hashgacha. One very useful source of such information is the Chicago Rabbinical Council website. Here is what the CRC website said about tequila in a list updated on 3/06/03:

Any kind is kosher - as long as there is no worm in the bottle.

After some fact-finding, here is what was stated on a list updated on 10/24/03:

Please note that effective this date, the Chicago Rabbinical Council is implementing the following change in policy concerning Tequila.
The corrected listing for Tequila is as follows:
Tequila - There are three types of tequila sold on the market:
1) Regular or Gold type Tequila is not recommended. These types contain additives and would only be acceptable when bearing an acceptable certification mark. At the present, there are no known certified tequilas of this type on the market.
2) Reposado ("rested" ) tequila - when stating the type name Reposado on the label and also stating "100% Agave" on the label, this type may be used.
3) Anejo ("aged") tequila that states on the label "100% Agave" or "100% Blue Agave" and clearly states the product type on the label (Anejo) may be used.
Examples of some Tequila brands that are acceptable for use:

1800 Anejo
1800 Reposado
Cabo Wabo Reposado
Herradura Tequila Corralego
Gazadores Reposado
Jose Cuervo Tradicional Reposado
Sauza Hornitos Reposado
Sauza Anejo Conmeuorativo
Tres Generaciones Anejo
Note: Tequila bottles containing worms are not acceptable regardless of the variety. Questions concerning this change should be directed to the cRc office.

Sounds definitive, doesn't it? Well, guess what? Here is what the CRC says now:

Tequila is made from the agave cactus in Mexico.
According to Mexican law any tequila may be labeled 100% agave even though it contains no more than 51% actual agave alcohol!

However, based on research, the cRc has identified one type of tequila which is recommended even without a hechsher (Regular-White).

There are three types of tequila on the market:

1) Regular-White (also known as Silver) tequila is recommended. This clear tequila contains either 100% agave or a mixture of agave and sugar cane.

2) Gold-Brown tequila is not recommended. This darker tequila is aged for 3 months and may have color and flavoring added.

3) Reposado (“rested” ) (also known as Special) tequila is not recommended. It is aged for 6 months and in addition to concerns of color and flavoring, glycerin may be added for density.

Some acceptable Tequila brands:
Don Bernardo G (OU)
Salusa
Casavores
Herrudura
Sol Dios Anejo (OU)
Sol Dios Platinum / Blanco (OU)

The moral of all this is that in, say, ten years from now, kosher consumers will be buying a lot more liquor with a hechsher. There will be people who will grumble about it. Why was it OK all those years to buy this and that without a hechsher? The reason is that we are only just now becoming well-informed about how some types of liquors are made.