Mezcal

About Mezcal

Mezcal represents the heart and soul of Mexican spirits culture, a smoky, complex distillate that has captivated bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts worldwide. While tequila may be more famous, mezcal is actually the broader category—all tequilas are technically mezcals, but not all mezcals are tequila. The key distinction lies in the agave: tequila can only be made from blue agave in specific regions, while mezcal embraces over 30 different agave varieties across nine Mexican states, each contributing unique flavors and characteristics. The spirit derives its name from the Nahuatl word mexcalli, combining metl (agave) and ixca (to cook or bake), literally translating to cooked agave. This etymology hints at what makes mezcal distinctive: the traditional pit-roasting process that imparts its signature smoky character. Unlike tequila production, where agave hearts are typically steamed in industrial ovens, mezcal producers roast their agaves in earthen pits lined with volcanic rock and fueled by wood and charcoal, creating layers of smoke that permeate the plant fibers. Oaxaca stands as the spiritual homeland of mezcal, producing approximately 90 percent of the world's supply. The state's rugged terrain, diverse microclimates, and centuries-old traditions have created an unparalleled mezcal culture where master distillers, known as mezcaleros, pass down knowledge through generations. Each village, each family, and each batch tells a story through the glass. The American craft cocktail renaissance has transformed mezcal from an obscure Mexican spirit into a bartender's essential. The United States has become the world's largest consumer of mezcal, driven by drinkers seeking complexity and authenticity. Classic cocktails like the Oaxaca Old Fashioned and Naked and Famous have introduced countless enthusiasts to mezcal's charms, while adventurous bartenders continue finding new ways to showcase its smoky depth. Whether sipped neat from a traditional copita or shaken into a contemporary cocktail, mezcal offers an experience unlike any other spirit—a direct connection to Mexican terroir, tradition, and the patient artistry of its makers.

History

The story of mezcal stretches back centuries, intertwining indigenous knowledge with colonial influence to create one of the world's most distinctive spirits. Long before European contact, the agave plant held sacred significance for Mesoamerican peoples. They consumed pulque, a fermented agave beverage, for ceremonial and medicinal purposes. However, the transformation of agave into distilled spirits required technology that arrived with the Spanish conquest in the sixteenth century. The most widely accepted historical account attributes mezcal's origins to Filipino sailors who arrived in Mexico aboard the Manila galleons between the late 1500s and early 1600s. These sailors brought knowledge of Filipino-style stills, which they initially used to produce coconut wine. Indigenous peoples of Mexico's Pacific coastal regions quickly adapted this distillation technology to their abundant agave plants, giving birth to what would become known as vino de mezcal. By the early seventeenth century, mezcal production had spread throughout Mexico. A 1621 report from Domingo Lazaro de Arregui described the process: hearts of roasted mescal crushed by stone wheel to extract the must for fermentation, then distilled to create a liquid as clear as water but as strong as aguardiente. The Spanish crown, concerned about protecting its brandy trade, repeatedly attempted to ban mezcal production—efforts that proved largely unsuccessful given the spirit's deep roots in local communities. The town of Tequila in Jalisco eventually specialized in mezcal production using blue agave, leading to the development of tequila as a distinct category by the late nineteenth century. Meanwhile, traditional mezcal production continued in Oaxaca and other regions, remaining largely a local artisan craft unknown outside Mexico. Mezcal's modern renaissance began in 1995 when American artist Ron Cooper founded Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal, introducing premium artisanal mezcal to the United States market. His efforts to showcase individual villages and their unique production methods helped establish mezcal as a serious spirit worthy of connoisseur attention. The Mexican government granted mezcal its Denomination of Origin in 1994, with the Consejo Regulador del Mezcal (CRM) established in 1997 to oversee certification and quality standards. A significant reform in 2016 introduced three production categories: Mezcal (allowing modern methods), Mezcal Artesanal (requiring traditional techniques), and Mezcal Ancestral (mandating the most ancient methods including clay pot distillation). These classifications help consumers understand the craft behind each bottle. Today, mezcal sales continue their remarkable growth trajectory, with the United States consuming more mezcal than any other country, including Mexico. The spirit has evolved from an obscure curiosity to an essential component of the modern cocktail bar, celebrated for its complexity, authenticity, and connection to centuries of Mexican tradition.

How It's Made

Mezcal production begins in the agave fields, where plants mature for anywhere from seven to twenty-five years depending on the species. Unlike tequila's exclusive use of blue agave, mezcal can be made from over thirty different varieties, with espadin being the most common, accounting for roughly 85 percent of production. Wild and semi-wild agaves like tobala, tepeztate, and madrecuixe are prized for their rarity and complex flavors but require longer maturation and yield less spirit. The harvest marks the beginning of transformation. Jimadores use machetes or coas to remove the agave leaves, revealing the heart or pina that can weigh anywhere from 50 to 200 pounds. These hearts are then transported to the palenque, the traditional mezcal distillery. The defining step in mezcal production is pit roasting. Workers dig large conical pits and line them with volcanic rocks, then build fires of local hardwoods and charcoal. Once the rocks reach extreme temperatures, the agave hearts are layered inside and covered with agave fibers, earth, and tarps. This underground roasting continues for three to five days, during which the starches convert to fermentable sugars while absorbing smoke that gives mezcal its characteristic flavor. After roasting, the cooked agaves are crushed to extract their juices. Traditional methods employ a tahona, a large stone wheel pulled by horse or mule, though ancestral producers may still use wooden mallets by hand. The resulting mixture of juice and fiber then ferments in wooden vats, clay pots, or even animal hides, relying on wild ambient yeasts for anywhere from four to thirty days. Distillation typically occurs twice using copper pot stills for artesanal mezcal or clay pot stills for ancestral production. The mezcalero carefully separates the heads, hearts, and tails of the distillation run, keeping only the purest portion. The final product is usually bottled unaged as joven, though reposado (rested) and anejo (aged) expressions also exist.

Mezcal is not simply "smoky tequila"—it's a vast category of agave spirits with incredible diversity. While tequila must be made from blue Weber agave in specific regions, mezcal can be made from over 30 different agave species across nine Mexican states. This variety, combined with traditional production methods that vary from village to village, creates a spirit category of extraordinary depth.

Flavor Profile

Mezcal's flavor profile centers on roasted agave and smoke, but reduces the category unfairly to those two notes. Quality mezcal reveals extraordinary complexity shaped by agave species, terroir, and production method. **The Smoke Question** Yes, mezcal is smoky—pit-roasting agave over wood creates this signature character. But smoke intensity varies enormously. Some mezcals taste like a campfire; others present smoke as a subtle background note. The agave species, pit design, roasting time, and distillation technique all affect smoke intensity. **Agave Character** Different agave species produce dramatically different spirits: Espadín offers accessible roasted agave sweetness with moderate smoke, citrus, and green herbs. The "baseline" mezcal flavor. Tobalá presents elegant complexity—floral notes, tropical fruit (mango especially), delicate smoke. More refined than Espadín. Tepeztate delivers intense vegetal, herbaceous, mineral character. Bright acidity, unusual complexity. An acquired taste rewarding exploration. Arroqueño shows chocolate, floral, baking spice notes with full body. Wild agaves (Tobalá, Tepeztate, Jabalí) generally offer more complexity than cultivated Espadín, though excellent Espadín showcases mezcal's appeal. **Terroir Expression** Mezcal expresses terroir—the land where agave grows—more than perhaps any other spirit. High-altitude agaves taste different from valley-floor plants. Rocky soil produces different character than sandy soil. Village-to-village variation is real and detectable. **Production Influence** Traditional methods leave fingerprints: - Earthen pit roasting adds smoke depth - Tahona milling creates different texture than mechanical crushing - Clay pot distillation produces distinctively soft, mineral character - Copper pot distillation yields cleaner, brighter spirits **Identifying Quality** Quality mezcal should taste complex and integrated—smoke, agave sweetness, and secondary notes in harmony. Harsh alcohol burn suggests poor distillation. One-dimensional smokiness suggests industrial production. The best mezcals reveal layers of flavor that evolve from first sip through long finish.

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Storage Tips

Unlike wine or beer, mezcal's high alcohol content makes it remarkably stable. Store bottles upright in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight and heat sources. While mezcal does not spoil, extended exposure to light and temperature fluctuations can dull its complex aromatics over time. Once opened, mezcal remains at peak quality for roughly one to two years. Unlike spirits with lower proof, oxidation affects mezcal minimally, though some subtle changes may occur in very old opened bottles. Keep the cap tightly sealed between pours. Serve mezcal at room temperature or slightly cool—never ice cold, as extreme cold mutes the delicate flavors you paid for. Traditional copitas (small clay cups) or wide-mouthed glasses help release aromatics and enhance the tasting experience. Some enthusiasts add a few drops of water to open up particularly high-proof expressions.