Agave maintenance once established. "Agave azul" (blue agave) is used in the production of tequila. In 2001, the Mexican Government and European Union agreed upon the classification of tequila and its categories. All 100% blue agave tequila must be made from the "Agave tequilana" 'Weber's Blue' agave plant, to rigorous specifications and only in certain Mexican states. The hybridized genus ×"Mangave" is created by cross-breeding species of "Manfreda" and "Agave". The ethnobotany of the agave was described by William H. Prescott in 1843: But the miracle of nature was the great Mexican aloe, or maguey, whose clustering pyramids of flowers, towering
Arak (drink) Arak (drink) Arak or araq is a West Asian distilled spirit (~40–63% alc/vol or ~80–126 proof) in the anise drinks family. It is a translucent white unsweetened anise-flavored drink, which is traditionally made of only two ingredients, grapes and aniseed. Aniseeds are the seeds of the anise plant, and when crushed, their oil provides Arak with a slight licorice taste. Arak is the traditional alcoholic beverage in Western Asia, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean, as well in Iran, Armenia and Lebanon. The word arak comes from Arabic "" , meaning 'perspiration'. Its pronunciation varies depending on local varieties of Arabic: