Mezcal vs Tequila: What's the Difference?

Mezcal and tequila are both Mexican spirits distilled from agave. Tequila is a specific type of mezcal, made only from blue agave in a protected region centered on Jalisco.

The main differences are the agave, the region and the cooking. Mezcal can use more than 30 types of agave, comes mostly from Oaxaca and is often roasted in earthen pits, which makes it smoky. Tequila uses one agave, is usually cooked in ovens and tastes brighter and cleaner.

This guide compares the two point by point: agave, region, production, rules, aging, taste, strength and serving. To drink them side by side, order one of each from the agave spirits list at Mi Casa.

What Is the Difference Between Mezcal and Tequila?

The short answer: all tequila is mezcal, but not all mezcal is tequila.

Tequila is the most widely drunk form of mezcal. It must be made from Agave tequilana Weber, blue variety, in 181 municipalities across five states. Mezcal can be made from almost any agave, in its own protected region.

The two spirits are also made differently. Tequila producers usually cook agave in ovens. Traditional mezcal makers roast it for days in pits over hot rocks.

Mezcal vs Tequila at a Glance

• Agave: Blue agave only (Agave tequilana Weber) (mezcal: Over 30 species and varieties; espadín most common)
• Main region: Jalisco, plus parts of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, Tamaulipas (mezcal: Oaxaca (about 90%), plus other states)
• Protected since: 1974 (mezcal: 1994)
• Mexican standard: NOM-006-SCFI (mezcal: NOM-070-SCFI)
• Cooking: Ovens (mezcal: Often earthen pit ovens over hot rocks)
• Distillation: At least twice (mezcal: Twice, in clay or copper pot stills)
• Agave content: 100% agave, or at least 51% (mixto) (mezcal: Agave spirit, sorted by method)
• Alcohol: 35% to 55% (mezcal: About 40% to 55%)
• Typical taste: Bright agave, citrus, pepper (mezcal: Smoky, earthy, varies by agave)
• Worm in bottle: Not allowed (mezcal: Allowed in some bottles)
• Served in Mexico: Neat or with sangrita (mezcal: Neat with orange and sal de gusano)

Is Tequila a Type of Mezcal?

Yes. Mezcal means any distilled spirit from cooked agave, and the word comes from the Nahuatl mexcalli, "baked agave." Tequila is one regional version, named after the town of Tequila in Jalisco.

Over time, tequila became its own legal category. Mexico protected the name "tequila" in 1974, its first appellation of origin. Mezcal received its own protection in 1994. Today, a spirit sold as mezcal cannot use blue agave as its main material, because that agave belongs to tequila.

Agave: One Species vs Many

The agave is the biggest difference.

Tequila may only use blue agave, Agave tequilana Weber, blue variety. The CRT calls it the only species allowed.

Mezcal can use over 30 agave species, varieties and subvarieties. The most common is espadín, Agave angustifolia, which dominates in Oaxaca. Wild agaves such as tobalá, tepeztate and madrecuixe give rarer bottles.

That is why mezcal varies so much from bottle to bottle. Each agave has its own flavor. For more on the plants and styles, read what mezcal is and how it is made.

Region: Jalisco vs Oaxaca

Tequila comes from a protected territory of 181 municipalities in five states: Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit and Tamaulipas. Its heart is the town of Tequila, about 65 km northwest of Guadalajara, and the Jalisco highlands.

Mezcal comes from its own protected region. It first covered Oaxaca, Guerrero, Durango, San Luis Potosí, Puebla and Zacatecas. Oaxaca produces about 90% of Mexican mezcal and holds 570 of the country's 625 mezcal facilities.

Some states, such as Guanajuato, Michoacán and Tamaulipas, make both.

How They Are Made

Both spirits follow the same basic path: harvest, cook, crush, ferment, distill. The details change the flavor.

Cooking the Agave

Tequila: the piñas are cooked to turn their carbohydrates into fermentable sugar. In modern ovens this can take up to six hours at 120 to 125 °C.

Mezcal: traditional piñas roast for about three days in earthen pit ovens over hot rocks. The smoke soaks into the agave, which gives mezcal its smoky taste.

Crushing and Fermenting

Tequila: the cooked agave is shredded by machine or crushed under a stone wheel called a tahona. The juice ferments in wooden or stainless steel vats.

Mezcal: the cooked agave is traditionally crushed by a stone wheel turned by a horse. It ferments in vats or barrels with water added.

Distilling

Tequila: distilled at least twice, usually in pot stills, to make blanco tequila.

Mezcal: distilled twice in clay or copper pots. Ancestral mezcal must be distilled only in clay or wood stills.

Rules and Labels

Each spirit has its own Mexican standard and certifying body.

• Standard: NOM-006-SCFI-2012 (mezcal: NOM-070-SCFI)
• Certifier: Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT) (mezcal: Mezcal regulatory council (COMERCAM))
• Categories: 100% agave; tequila (at least 51% agave) (mezcal: Mezcal; mezcal artesanal; mezcal ancestral)
• What the category tells you: Sugar source (mezcal: Production method)

The tequila label tells you how much of the sugar came from agave. A mixto can use up to 49% other sugars. The mezcal label tells you how it was made. "Artesanal" and "ancestral" mean traditional equipment.

Tequila rules also allow four additives, up to 1% in total. For the full list and how to spot them, see reading a tequila label before you buy.

Aging Classes Compared

• Blanco: Unaged, or under 2 months (mezcal class: Blanco or joven; rule: Unaged)
• Reposado: 2 months to under 1 year in oak (mezcal class: Reposado; rule: 2 months to 1 year in wood)
• Añejo: 1 to under 3 years, oak up to 600 L (mezcal class: Añejo; rule: Over 1 year, wood under 1,000 L)
• Extra añejo: 3 years or more, oak up to 600 L (mezcal class: Madurado en vidrio; rule: A year or more in glass)
• Joven (gold): Blend of blanco and aged (mezcal class: Abocado, destilado con; rule: Flavored or redistilled)

Tequila drinkers often choose aged styles. Most mezcal is sold unaged, as blanco or joven. For each tequila style in depth, see tequila's blanco-to-extra-añejo ladder.

Taste: Smoky vs Bright

Tequila tastes of cooked agave, with citrus, pepper and herbal notes in a blanco. Aged tequila adds vanilla, caramel and oak. It is rarely smoky.

Mezcal usually tastes smoky and earthy, with roasted sweetness. The flavor changes a lot with the agave species, the oven and the still. Some mezcals are gentle and fruity, others bold and very smoky.

If you like peaty Scotch, you may enjoy mezcal. If you like a clean, crisp spirit, start with tequila.

Alcohol Content

Mexican law requires tequila to be 35% to 55% alcohol by volume. Mezcal usually ranges from about 40% to 55%.

The ranges overlap, so a strong tequila can be stronger than a mild mezcal. Check the label for the exact figure.

How Each Is Served

In Mexico, both spirits are traditionally sipped neat.

• Tequila is often served with sangrita, a spicy chaser of orange juice, grenadine or tomato juice, and chili. Outside Mexico, a shot with salt and lime is common.
• Mezcal is usually served with slices of orange, lemon or lime and sal de gusano, a salt mixed with ground chili and fried agave larvae.

Both also work in cocktails. Tequila is the base of the margarita and the paloma. To build one at home, follow a tequila margarita at home, or pick from tequila's favorite mixers. Mezcal can replace some or all of the tequila for a smoky version.

Both pair well with grilled food. Mezcal's smoke is a natural match for grilled carne asada.

Which Should You Choose?

• A classic margarita or paloma: Tequila blanco
• A smooth spirit to sip: Tequila reposado or añejo
• Smoke and bold flavor: Mezcal espadín
• To explore rare agaves: Mezcal from wild agave, such as tobalá
• A smoky twist on a cocktail: Mezcal, or half tequila and half mezcal

There is no wrong choice. Many drinkers keep a bottle of each.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is smoother, mezcal or tequila?

Tequila usually tastes smoother, especially aged reposado and añejo. Mezcal's smoke and strength can feel bolder. A light espadín mezcal is a gentle place to start.

Can you use mezcal instead of tequila in a margarita?

Yes. A mezcal margarita uses the same lime and orange liqueur, and it tastes smoky. Some bartenders split the base half and half to soften the smoke.

Does tequila have a worm?

No. Tequila rules do not allow worms in bottles. The worm, a moth larva, appears only in some mezcals, starting in the 1940s or 1950s.

Is mezcal just smoky tequila?

Not quite. Mezcal is the wider family, and tequila is one member made from blue agave. Mezcal is often smoky because of pit roasting, which is why people call it "smoky tequila."

Which is stronger, mezcal or tequila?

Their ranges overlap. Tequila must be 35% to 55% alcohol, and mezcal usually runs from about 40% to 55%. The label gives the exact strength.

Are mezcal and tequila made in the same places?

Mostly not. Tequila comes mainly from Jalisco, and mezcal mainly from Oaxaca. A few states, such as Guanajuato, Michoacán and Tamaulipas, make both.

Taste Both at Mi Casa

At Mi Casa Mexican Restaurant & Cantina in Breckenridge, you can compare the two in one visit. We pour over 100 tequila selections and five mezcals, including Del Maguey Chichicapa and Illegal Reposado.

For a taste of both at once, order the Oaxacanite. It mixes Complices Origenes mezcal with Casamigos Blanco tequila, lime, honey and bitters. Find it and the Mango Mezcalita on our cocktail and margarita list, and please drink responsibly.