A new book by journalist Ted Genoways sheds light on the obscure history behind Mexico’s most iconic spirit. Once little-known outside its homeland, tequila found unexpected fame during US Prohibition, when Americans crossed the border in search of legal libations. The World’s Tibisay Zea traveled to the city of Tequila in Jalisco, Mexico, alongside Genoways, to understand why Americans saved tequila, and how it became a billion-dollar industry — and a symbol of Mexican pride.
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