China and Tequila

[Ian_Lee]

In 2000, on the eve of China's entry into WTO, Mexico was the last country to nod with China agreeing not to distill Tequila.

Parts of China basically has the same climate as Mexico does which is very suitable for the growth of cactus -- the key ingredient for brewing Tequila.

So does anybody know if there is any Tequila brewed by local distillery on the shelf of supermarket inside China?

It seems Mexicans are as bold as Chinese. The put the wimp inside Tequila while Chinese put the snake inside the snake wine.

[Lorenzo]

The main issue that Mexico has with Tequila is the name. They want to keep it as a Denomination of Origin, just as with wines. So, I suspect others can distill agave plant juice if they wish, but they can't call it Tequila unless it's made within the designated region in Mexico.

What is the snake wine called in Chinese, and is it easy to find? I am leaving for Beijing in one week--my very first trip to China!--and that would be cool to find. I could trade it with my Mexican friends for Tequila. (Actually, it's Mezcal that has the worm in it, not Tequila, but both are distilled from agave.)

[skylee]

the snake wine is called "snake wine" "蛇酒".