What is Tequila when its not from Mexico? I heard of a case of the Mexican government protecting the Tequila name.  From that It made me wonder what exactly is tequila. Just like Champagne is sparkling white wine when not from a specific region in France. What is Tequila?
According to this CNBC article:


  Tequila is only produced inside the Mexican state of Jalisco and in some municipalities in Guanajuato, Michoacan, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. Any agave-based distilled spirit outside those regions are called "mezcal." Other subtypes of mezcal you might see are Bacanora, Sotol and Raicilla. In other words, all tequilas are mezcals, but not all mezcals are tequila. (Just like all bourbons are whiskeys but not all whiskeys are bourbons. )