The U.S. imported $113 million worth of tequila in the first quarter of this year, no paltry sum even if imports of tequila are but one-third that of vodka, easily the nation’s favorite liquid import after light sweet crude. But as commodities go, tequila could become very commercially important. Last year a group of scientists found that by vaporizing tequila and then heating it to nearly 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit, they could create diamonds. The balance of ethanol and water in tequila is so ideal that even an inexpensive bottle of gold tequila can produce 100-400 nanometer diamond sheets free of imperfections. Though the resulting diamonds are far too small for romantic applications, the commercial uses for such films are vast, including industrial cutting tools, semiconductors, and optical-electronic devices. Diamonds from gold? We’ll drink to that.

July 24
National Tequila Day
United States

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