What is Mezcal?
Travel Distilled answers the question ‘What is Mezcal?’ with a look at where in Mexico it’s made, how it’s made, and whether it’s aged in barrels.
So, what is mezcal (sometimes spelled mescal)? It’s Mexico’s second-best-known spirit after tequila, and international interest in mezcal has boomed in the last few years as more people are drawn to this smooth and often smoky cousin of tequila.
Is Mezcal Like Tequila?
It would be more accurate to compare lots of mezcals to smoky whiskies rather than to tequila. It does resemble tequila as it’s made from agave plants. Tequila is only made from the blue agave plant in certain parts of Mexico, notably around the town of Tequila itself, of course. But the way mezcal is made give most mezcals a smoky taste which tequila lacks. So if you like smoky Scottish whiskies, like many made on the island of Islay, you should definitely give mezcal a try.
Is Mezcal Stronger than Tequila?
The answer to that question is given on our page here. Mezcal is usually from about 38-55% ABV (76-110 proof), so basically some mezcals are stronger than some tequilas and some tequilas are stronger than some mezcals.
Where is Mezcal Made?
Internationally, mezcal has been recognized as an Appellation of Origin since 1994. To be called mezcal, the spirit must be made in the Mexican states of Oaxaca, Guerrero, Durango, San Luis Potosí, Puebla, or Zacatecas.
What is Mezcal?
To be called mezcal in Mexico the spirit must be made in one of the states listed above. The distiller must also be a certified mezcal producer in order to put ‘mezcal’ on their label. Many smaller producers see this as very unfair to the traditional mezcal makers, who have made mezcal for hundreds if not thousands of years, as certification is an expensive process
People often get round this simply by calling what they produce ‘agave spirits’. See that on a bottle and you can almost guarantee you’re buying mezcal, and the real deal.
What is Mezcal Made From?
Mezcal is a distilled spirit made from any kind of agave plant. Tequila must be made only from the blue agave plant and therefore technically it is a type of mezcal. However, any spirit made from any other type of agave plant is mezcal and not tequila.
Although Mexico has about two hundred different types of agave plants, only about thirty are suitable for making mezcal, and of those only about seven are used to make the best and most popular mezcals.
How is Mezcal Made?
The word mezcal tells you how the spirit is traditionally made. It derives from the word ‘mexcalli’ from the indigenous Nahuati people, the word literally meaning ‘oven-cooked agave’.
The root-bulbs or pina of the agave plants are harvested, trimmed, and cooked in deep pits that are lined with heated rocks. The agave are placed in the pits, which are then filled with wood and charcoal to ensure even cooking all round. This is what gives mezcal its smoky aroma and flavor. The cooked agave are then strained, fermented, and distilled.
The resulting spirit is not only smoky but slightly sweet and a little bit earthy, though the exact taste depends on the type of agave (which can be mixed), and the process used. Mezcal can also be blended from other mezcals using different agave plants, which is why there is not one mezcal taste, but many subtle variations, as with other spirits.
Who Makes Mezcal?
Traditionally, mezcal has been made mostly by small-scale producers, often family distilleries whose production might only go as far as a few surrounding villages. This is one reason mezcal hasn’t been better known globally.
Is Mezcal Aged in Barrels?
For the same reason, mezcal is not usually aged in a barrel. It most frequently goes straight into the bottle for immediate sale and local consumption. For the local mezcal maker, there’s little point in going to the extra time and expense of aging in a barrel when unaged mezcal sells easily, is cheaper, and is what local customers usually prefer.
Types of Mezcal
However, as sales of mezcal grow, some of the larger distilleries do age some of their mezcal to produce reposado or añejado (rested) mezcals, which are stored in wooden barrels from two to nine months. Añejo (aged) mezcal is aged in barrels for a minimum of twelve months, but anything up to about four years.
The barrels are usually regular oak and ex-bourbon barrels, which are easier and cheaper to obtain in Mexico than, say, cognac or sherry barrels. A lot of mezcal is also aged in glass vessels for at least twelve months, to keep the spirit clear, and this produces a madurado or matured mezcal. This class of mezcal was only made official in 2016 when a new set of regulations was introduced.
How to Drink Mezcal
Mezcal is usually sipped neat at room temperature, and the traditional way of drinking it is in a special bowl-shaped gourd called a jicara, and which is the fruit of the Calabash tree. Some people like to add an ice cube if they find the taste, and the alcohol content, too strong for them. Bartenders are increasingly using it in cocktails for an ingredient with a smoky kick to it.
Mezcal Cocktails
You can try using mezcal in any cocktails that would normally contain whiskey or tequilas. Mezcal can be guaranteed to give an unusual variation on the traditional cocktail.
Why Do Some Mezcals Have a Worm?
Mezcal became known as the spirit that has a worm in the bottom of the bottle. In fact it isn’t a worm but the larva of a moth that can infest agave plants. The worm is added at the bottling stage and some people say it adds flavor to the spirit. Others say it shows the mezcal is fresh, although quite how a dead grub in a bottle proves that it’s fresh, I don’t know.
The most common story, which I personally believe is most likely, is that it was introduced purely as a marketing gimmick. When mezcal was first introduced into the USA, it needed something to distinguish it from tequila. One company had the idea of putting a ‘worm’ in the bottle as a challenge to drinkers to eat when the bottle was finished, and other brands then copied the idea. But having a worm, a scorpion or a snake (all have been tried) in a bottle of mezcal is not a requirement or a tradition.
Where to Buy Mezcal
If you can’t find any mezcal alongside the tequilas in your local liquor store, try looking around online in places like Master of Malt, Caskers, and Drizly. In the UK you can buy dozens of mezcals on Amazon.
Also, head for the Travel Distilled search bar and search for ‘mezcal’ to find the several reviews and other pages about the fascinating spirit called mezcal, one of my favorite drinks.
Where to Buy Mezcal
If you can’t find any mezcal alongside the tequilas in your local liquor store, try looking around online in places like Master of Malt, Caskers, and Drizly. In the UK you can buy dozens of mezcals on Amazon.
Also, head for the Travel Distilled search bar and search for ‘mezcal’ to find the several reviews and other pages about the fascinating spirit called mezcal, one of my favorite drinks.
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