1. Tequila originated from agave plants in Mexico, which indigenous people like the Aztecs used to make alcoholic beverages before the Spanish arrived. 2. In the 1800s, Pedro Sanchez de Tagle began mass producing tequila, and in 1884 Don Cenobio Sauza founded Sauza Tequila and exported it to the United States. 3. Tequila production is monitored by the Tequila Regulatory Council and can only be called tequila if it is made in specific regions of Mexico using traditional methods.