In this edition of Food & Drink, CNN Travel explores the roots of agave harvesting in Tequila and the role of women in the making process of this iconic spirit.  

Below you will find an excerpt from the original article at CNN Travel, to read the full article click here.

Located 45 miles northwest of Guadalajara, in the Mexican state of Jalisco, the town of Tequila is known as the birthplace of the drink that bears its name. It's here that casual sippers drink this aromatic spirit, but there's one secret they may not know: Without the women of Tequila, there'd be no tequila.

The cultivation and annual replanting of the agave blooms in the states of Jalisco, Colima, Nayarit and Aguascalientes in Mexico, has historically been left to the women of Tequila.

No one knows exactly when women became an integral part of growing agave, but it's believed that when the male farmers ate their lunch and rested under parota trees, their wives stepped in to lend a hand. The women, who it turned out were exceptionally skilled at sorting and taking care of the young plants, began working in the fields sometime in the 16th century.

[...]

Our cofounder and CEO Bertha González Nieves shares to CNN Travel the story of Tequila Casa Dragones, her involvement in the tequila industry and why the liquor is so misunderstood.