What Is Mezcal? Meaning, Ingredients and Origin
Mezcal is a distilled Mexican spirit made from the cooked heart of the agave plant. It can be made from many types of agave, not just one.
Traditional mezcal is roasted in earthen pit ovens, which gives it a smoky flavor. Most of it comes from the state of Oaxaca. Tequila is technically a type of mezcal, made only from blue agave in its own region.
This guide covers what the word means, which agaves are used, where and how mezcal is made, its legal categories and how to drink it. To taste a few before you buy, order a pour from the mezcal shelf at Mi Casa.
What Does Mezcal Mean?
The word mezcal comes from the Nahuatl word mexcalli, meaning "baked agave." It joins metl, "agave," and ixca, "to bake."
The spirit is sometimes spelled "mescal." Despite the similar name, mezcal has nothing to do with mescaline. It contains no mescaline or other psychedelic substance.
In Mexico, the agave plant is also called maguey. Many mezcal labels use that word.
What Is Mezcal Made From?
Mezcal is made from agave and nothing else. Mexican rules allow any agave, as long as it is not the main raw material of another protected spirit, such as tequila's blue agave.
More than 30 agave species, varieties and subvarieties are used. The most common is espadín, Agave angustifolia, which dominates in Oaxaca.
The best-known wild agave is tobalá, Agave potatorum. Other agaves you will see on labels include:
- Espadín: Most common; the main agave of Oaxaca
- Tobalá: The most famous wild agave
- Tepeztate: Wild agave
- Madrecuixe: Wild agave
- Jabalí: Wild agave
- Arroqueño, cirial, barril, mexicano, cincoañero: Other notable agaves
A good label names the agave used, so you know what you are drinking.
Where Does Mezcal Come From?
Mezcal comes from Mexico. It has had a protected appellation of origin since 1994.
The protected region first covered Oaxaca, Guerrero, Durango, San Luis Potosí, Puebla and Zacatecas. Mezcal is now also made in states such as Michoacán, Guanajuato and Tamaulipas.
Oaxaca is the heart of mezcal. About 90% of Mexican mezcal comes from the state, and it holds 570 of the 625 mezcal production facilities in Mexico.
Mezcal labeled as such can only be exported in bottles, not in bulk. The largest allowed export container is 5 liters.
History of Mezcal
Agave drinks are much older than mezcal. Before the Spanish arrived, Indigenous peoples in Mexico fermented agave sap into pulque, a sweet, beer-like drink linked to the goddess Mayahuel. Pulque is fermented, not distilled.
Distillation came later, after contact with Europe and Asia. One account says the Spanish began distilling juice from cooked agave hearts in the 16th century. Another credits Filipino sailors and migrants with bringing distillation to the Pacific coast of New Spain.
Mezcal stayed a small, local craft for centuries. Many producers still make only a few hundred bottles at a time, in small stills.
How Mezcal Is Made
Traditional mezcal follows the same basic steps it has for generations.
- Harvest: a mature agave is cut down and its leaves removed, leaving the heart, or piña. A heart can weigh about 40 kg (88 lb).
- Roasting: the piñas cook for about three days in an earthen pit oven, lined with hot rocks and covered. This is where mezcal's smoky flavor comes from.
- Crushing: the cooked agave is crushed. Traditionally, a large stone wheel turned by a horse does the work.
- Fermentation: the crushed agave and its juice ferment in vats or barrels with added water.
- Distillation: the liquid is distilled twice in clay or copper pot stills. The first distillation, called ordinario, comes out at about 37.5% alcohol.
- Resting: most mezcal is bottled unaged. Some rests in wood or glass first.
Modern producers may use ovens, mechanical crushers and column stills instead. Mexican law sorts mezcal into categories based on these methods.
Categories of Mezcal: Mezcal, Artesanal and Ancestral
Mexico's mezcal standard, NOM-070-SCFI, defines three categories by how the spirit is made.
- Mezcal: Modern equipment allowed, such as autoclaves, diffusers and column stills (what it means for you: Most industrial, most consistent)
- Mezcal artesanal: Artisanal stills; autoclaves, diffusers and column stills not allowed (what it means for you: Most certified mezcal sits here)
- Mezcal ancestral: Fully traditional methods; distilled only in clay or wood stills (what it means for you: Rarest and most traditional)
Look for the category on the label. "Artesanal" and "ancestral" are legal terms, not marketing words.
Classes of Mezcal by Aging
Mezcal also has classes, which describe how it was finished after distillation.
- Blanco or joven: unaged and unaltered. Most mezcal is in this class.
- Madurado en vidrio: rested in glass for a year or more, often buried underground or kept in stable conditions.
- Reposado: rested in wood for two months to a year.
- Añejo: rested more than a year in a wooden vessel smaller than 1,000 liters.
- Abocado: flavored or infused. The rules allow worms, damiana, lime, orange, mango and honey.
- Destilado con: distilled a second or third time with other ingredients such as fruit, herbs or meat. The best-known is pechuga, named for the chicken breast hung in the still.
Unlike tequila, where aged classes are common, most mezcal is bottled unaged. For comparison, see tequila's own aging classes.
What Does Mezcal Taste Like?
Mezcal usually tastes smoky, earthy and sweet from the roasted agave. The smoke comes from the pit oven.
Beyond that, the taste varies a great deal. Each agave species gives its own flavor, and so do the soil, the oven, the fermentation and the still. Two mezcals from different agaves can taste like different spirits.
Not all mezcal is very smoky. Some are light and fruity, with the smoke in the background.
The Worm in Mezcal
Some mezcal bottles contain a worm, called a gusano de maguey. It is the larva of a moth, Comadia redtenbacheri, that lives on agave.
The worm was first added to some bottles in the 1940s or 1950s. Not all mezcal has one, and many fine mezcals never do. Tequila rules do not allow a worm at all.
The larva also appears in sal de gusano, or "worm salt." It is a mix of ground fried larvae, ground chili peppers and salt.
How to Drink Mezcal
In Mexico, mezcal is generally drunk straight, not in cocktails. It is often served with slices of orange, lemon or lime and a little sal de gusano.
- Pour a small amount into a small glass or cup, at room temperature.
- Smell it first. Look for smoke, roasted agave, fruit and earth.
- Sip slowly. Mezcal is strong, so take small sips.
- Bite the orange dipped in worm salt between sips, if you like.
Mezcal also works in cocktails. A mezcal margarita or a mezcal paloma adds smoke to a familiar drink. Try smoky margarita variations, or use tequila mixers that also suit mezcal, from grapefruit soda to ginger beer.
Mezcal pairs well with bold food. Its smoke suits grilled meat, chiles and a dark, rich mole sauce.
Best Mezcal Brands and How to Choose
The best mezcal for you depends on how smoky and bold you like your spirits. Use the label to choose.
- Agave: espadín is a good start. Tobalá and other wild agaves are rarer and more complex.
- Category: artesanal and ancestral are made by traditional methods.
- Class: blanco shows the agave; reposado adds wood.
- Strength: mezcal usually runs from 40% to 55% alcohol, so check the label.
Examples on the Mi Casa list include Del Maguey Chichicapa and Del Maguey Albarradas, Illegal Reposado, Complices Origenes and Casamigos mezcal. Each shows a different side of the spirit.
Is Mezcal the Same as Tequila?
No, but they are related. All tequila is a type of mezcal, but not all mezcal is tequila.
Tequila uses only blue agave, comes mainly from Jalisco and is usually cooked in ovens. Mezcal can use dozens of agaves, comes mainly from Oaxaca and is often pit-roasted. That is why mezcal is sometimes called "smoky tequila." For the details, read the full side-by-side comparison of mezcal and tequila.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is mezcal stronger than tequila?
Often a little, though it depends on the bottle. Mezcal is usually bottled at 40% to 55% alcohol, while tequila can range from 35% to 55%. Check the label before you pour.
Does mezcal contain mescaline?
No. The names sound alike, but mezcal contains no mescaline or other psychedelic substance. The word mezcal comes from the Nahuatl for "baked agave."
What is the smoky tequila called?
The smoky agave spirit people often mean is mezcal. Its smoke comes from roasting the agave in earthen pit ovens. Tequila itself is rarely smoky.
Is mezcal only made in Oaxaca?
No, but most of it is. About 90% of Mexican mezcal comes from Oaxaca. Other states in the protected region, such as Guerrero, Durango and Zacatecas, make it too.
What is pechuga mezcal?
Pechuga is a "destilado con" mezcal. It is distilled again with ingredients such as fruit, herbs and a raw chicken breast, which gives it its name.
Why is there a worm in some mezcal?
The worm is a moth larva that lives on agave. Some producers began adding it to bottles in the 1940s or 1950s. Not all bottles have one, so a worm is not a sign of a better mezcal.
Mezcal at Mi Casa
At Mi Casa Mexican Restaurant & Cantina in Breckenridge, we pour five mezcals, from Del Maguey Chichicapa and Albarradas to Illegal Reposado. Sip one neat, or try it in a cocktail.
Our Mango Mezcalita mixes Complices Origenes mezcal with orange liqueur, mango and lime. The Oaxacanite blends that mezcal with Casamigos Blanco tequila, honey and bitters. Find both on our mezcal cocktail menu, and please drink responsibly.
