Tequila is a national drink of great variety and complexity, inextricably entwined with the history and culture of Mexico. Tequila is the first book in English to explore fully what has been called €œthat burning river in a small glass.€ The book is a wonderful guide to everything you need to know about tequila, from 21 background questions and answers, to an A-Z illustrated description of all the tequila brands from the most common to the rarest, to a collection of recipes, not only for cocktails but also for tequila shrimp. Accompanying this practical information are thought-provoking and entertaining articles on the history of tequila making, from the Aztecs through colonial times to the present; a look at tequila in the movies and in literature; and poems, poetic evocations, and a short story by Laura Esquivel, the acclaimed author of Like Water for Chocolate, written especially for this volume.