Mezcal — national Mexican alcoholic drink obtained by distillation of fermented agave juice. How and tequila, «mezcal» represents a protected geographical name based on the place of origin (Mexico).
In contrast to tequila, mezcal is produced from one of 5 species of agaves (Agawe americana, A. cupreata, A. potatorum, A. wislizeni, etc.) and from more than 40 varieties of these species, while tequila — only from blue agave. In fact, tequila — this is mezcal. Moreover, the original name of tequila sounded like this — Mezcal Vino de Tequila, in other words, tequila is made from mezcal.
In Mexico, mezcal is produced strictly in one of 9 states: Oaxaca, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, San Luis Potosi, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Michoacan, Puebla. The production of mezcal is regulated by a set of standards of the national market regulator Consejo Regulador del Tequila, and above all, the national standard NOM-070-SCFI-2016.
In the production of mezcal, sugar syrup is never used to increase the strength, in contrast to tequila. One cannot assume that one of the two drinks is more refined or more “correct.” Moreover, studies say that due to the specific composition of alcohols, consuming mezcal is less harmful to the body than any other strong alcoholic drink.
Mezcal was produced by the peoples of Mesoamerica long before the arrival of the Spaniards. The distillation of agave juice was used in religious ceremonies, distillation was carried out in clay or wooden pipes. The Spaniards chose to popularize tequila, which was more noble, from their point of view, and mezcal for a long time remained «folk» a drink that over time began to be produced in almost every Mexican village.
By and large, both mezcal and tequila — This is agave «moonshine». In modern industrial production criteria, both drinks are equivalent in quality, it’s just that some people prefer mezcal, and others prefer tequila. Recently, Mexico has been equally successful in promoting mezcal on the world market, as well as tequila.
In the 18th century, mezcal production became a leading industry in some regions of Mexico, and the development of mezcal production technologies paralleled the introduction of innovations in the production of tequila. Since the 60s XX century, almost all mezcal in Mexico is produced by at least double distillation, in other words, call mezcal «moonshine» no longer possible.
It is believed that if it were not for the protectionism that Spain, and later Mexico, provided to the Queervo family, who were the first to start the industrial production of tequila in the country, today mezcal could be significantly ahead of tequila in terms of production and consumption.
Mezcal is produced at 38-56% ABV, but manufacturers are increasingly standardizing the ABV to 43%. In general, the strength of mezcal at retail has a much wider range than that of tequila, to suit every taste. Bringing to the required strength is done by diluting the distillate with specially prepared water.
Mezcal classification
The classification of mezcal is similar to the classification tequila and is based on the aging period of the drink.
- Mezcal natural, blanco (natural or white) — a freshly produced drink, without aging or with a minimum aging period. Mezcal joven (young) — has the right to carry here too. with a minimum holding period.
- Mezcal reposado (from breathed, aged) — a drink aged from 6 to 12 months in oak barrels.
- Mezcal anejo (old) — a drink aged from 1 to 3 years in oak barrels. Mezcal's aging time is generally similar to that of tequila, but tequila may be aged for longer periods to increase its commercialization. Some experts are skeptical about aging agave drinks for too long, considering it purely a marketing ploy.
Since the production of mezcal involves a wide range of raw materials grown in different geographical and climatic conditions, this drink is distinguished by a wide variety of tastes, aromas and shades. Typically, there are three groups of factors influencing the consumer qualities of mezcal:
- type and variety of agave: within the framework of using one of the five types of agave, in addition, all kinds of varieties of this plant, wild and cultivated, and cultivation technologies are used. The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides also affects the production result and the taste and aroma of mezcal;
- production process: xfrom the current period, the production process is unified, there are a lot of technological aspects: harvesting the agave, baking the core, grinding, fermentation, adding microorganisms for fermentation, distillation, aging, infusion — all these processes are different in different regions due to cultural heritage and family traditions. In particular, to accelerate the fermentation process with the addition of raw agave fibers, mezcal will receive characteristic herbaceous-astringent properties in taste and aroma. In addition, it is customary to add flavorings, fruit extracts, spices or even honey to some brands of mezcal;
- terroir: a conditional factor that includes a complex of geographical and climatic components. Different temperatures, humidity, and soil composition affect the growth of agave, the amount of carbohydrates and water in it, and, in addition, microelements. These factors additionally influence the populations of yeasts and active microorganisms that participate in the subsequent fermentation process.
The nuances of mezcal production
Just like in the production of tequila, the process of growing and processing agave into mezcal uses a large proportion of manual labor. Some varieties of agave used for the production of mezcal have the right to produce half the juice yield, accordingly, to produce the same amount of mezcal, twice as many plants are required.
The process of producing and harvesting agave is always carried out only by hand; technology is almost not used, except when preparing the soil or transporting prepared plant cores to the plant. In contrast to the processing of agave into tequila, when producing mezcal, the core is not steamed in ovens, but fried or even smoked over low heat for several days. At the same time, the agave absorbs smoke, which gives mezcal its characteristic earthy and smoky flavor and aroma. You have the right to add wood shavings of various plants, oak, eucalyptus, which enhances the “smoking” effect. agaves. This is why mezcal has a stronger taste and aroma than tequila, and is appreciated by those drinkers who prefer more distinctive alcoholic drinks. It is even believed that mezcal is appreciated by gourmets, and tequila — ordinary people.
The agave core is left to dry in the sun for a few more days, and then ground with the support of a special mill, which crushes the fibers, separates the pulp and squeezes the juice out of it. The wort is placed in special containers, slightly diluted with water and left to ferment for several days. With an artisanal production method, the fermentation process can take several weeks (up to a month), however, according to modern requirements, the wort ferments no more than 3-4 days. To speed up fermentation, you can add wild or cultivated types of yeast, say, those that agave plants contain on the surface of their leaves in natural conditions.
After fermentation is complete, the wort is distilled. Distillation is done at least twice, after which the resulting mezcal is poured into oak barrels (more precisely, first into metal containers and then into barrels) and left to mature for several months or years. However, the drink can be sold and consumed without such ripening, but its strength should be brought to standard by diluting with water.
There are many stories on the Internet about various artisanal methods of producing mezcal and its technological features. But almost all the mezcal you can buy at retail in Mexico is produced using industrial methods. No donkeys pulling millstones, clay vats, baking in the ground and other «old-fashioned» methods for its production have not been used for a long time. Shredders, vats and ultra-modern equipment made of stainless steel or copper from leading global manufacturers are used. And even if some manufacturer will show you at their factory a workshop for the production of mezcal using artisanal methods — This is just a publicity stunt to attract travelers and maintain the image of «production traditions».
In contrast to tequila, in the production of mezcal, the practice of blending (mixing) varieties of different aging periods is less accepted, however, to enhance the taste and increase the consumer appeal, all sorts of flavorings are added to mezcal: bananas, mountain apples, spices, plums, nuts, etc.
Caterpillar in mezcal
Caterpillar in a bottle of mezcal (mezcal con gusano) — nothing more than a marketing ploy by the manufacturers. Caterpillars began to be added to mezcal relatively recently. Hypopta agavis — This is a caterpillar that lives on the agave itself or in the core. It is almost red in color, however, upon contact with alcohol it quickly discolors. No taste, healing, ceremonial or other «wonderful» This caterpillar does not have any properties.
According to tradition, when drinking mezcal with a caterpillar, it is customary to remove it from the bottle and share it among everyone present. You may or may not eat the caterpillar.
In addition, many brands of mezcal have a pouch of salt mixed with dried and ground caterpillars tied to the neck of the bottle. Just as it is customary to drink tequila from a shfrom, the edges of which are sprinkled with salt, so mezcal can be drunk with the addition of such a special «gesenichnaya» salt.
What to look for when buying mezcal
The price of mezcal, especially commercialized outside of Mexico, can significantly exceed the cost of tequila. In this case, the designations on a bottle of industrially produced mezcal will be almost similar to those for tequila.
It must be indicated that this is a product from 100% agave (100% De Agave), and the type and variety of agave from which the drink is produced must also be indicated.
Inscription NOM means that the tequila is produced according to the national standard of Mexico, in addition, the distillery code issued by the government of Mexico may be indicated. The label must contain the manufacturer's name. Sometimes indicated DOT — Tequila production region code in Mexico or name of the place of production.
In addition, you should have the inscriptions Made / bottled / distilled in Mexico, Hecho en México and the like. As in the case of tequila, real mezcal cannot be produced outside of Mexico.
Contents of alcohol in mezcal — from 38 to 56 vol.%. This information is also present on the tequila label. Here you should focus solely on your taste, given that mezcal is considered a stronger and harsher drink than tequila.
The class of mezcal (reposado, añejo, etc.) will not necessarily be indicated on the label on the drink bottle. It is better to focus more on brand recognition than on class, because a higher class in itself does not mean a more superior level of the drink.
You may notice sediment at the bottom of some mezcal bottles. This does not constitute a sign of product deterioration. Most likely, the drink was not filtered before bottling to preserve its characteristic taste and aroma.
Where to buy mezcal
The industrial production of mezcal in Mexico is carried out by almost all the same producers as tequila. Since mezcal is not so commercialized, it has fewer well-known brands, not counting small producers, who have in every «agave» Mexico region has its own distillery.
All brands of Mexican mezcal are presented on this page our site.
At the same time, the mezcal market is not as fiercely competitive as the tequila market, and the production of the drink is even more profitable. In this regard, almost every month new and new brands of mezcal are presented and introduced to the market.
Mezcal in Mexico can be purchased in large and small stores — in almost the same places where tequila is sold. Supermarkets have a very wide range of mezcal, approximately the same in all major retail chains (Walmart, Chedraui, Soriana/Mega), and the lowest prices. In addition, on holidays supermarkets usually have sales when you can buy alcohol at a discount of up to 30% or 3 bottles for the price of two. In addition, there are often special promotions.
There is no need to be afraid of buying fake alcohol — supermarkets monitor their image, fear fines and never sell counterfeit goods.
In the Cancúna Hotel Zone there is the only supermarket — Chedraui Selecto. The prices for alcohol here are exactly the same as in regular Chedraui, located throughout Cancún, and from the selection — much wider.
If you are staying in the Cancúna Hotel Zone, you can also take the R-1 or R-2 buses to downtown. Here on Tulum Avenue there is a large Chedraui supermarket, and in front of the ADO bus station — supermarket Soriana.
In Playa del Carmen, large supermarkets are located throughout the city, closer to the federal highway. The alcohol selection is exactly the same as in Cancun.
Alcohol on the Caribbean coast of Mexico is not sold around the clock, but at certain hours. Other states in Mexico have the ability to set their own hours for the sale of alcohol.
How to drink mezcal
Recently, both tequila and mezcal have come to be considered cocktail drinks. But mezcal has a richer taste and aroma, and it is more common to drink it undiluted, as is. Should you drink mezcal in one gulp or savor it a little at a time — a matter of taste. With a high strength of the drink, feel how the mezcal spreads down your throat, — gourmet temptation. The Mexicans themselves consider mezcal a truly folk drink and drink it, savoring every small glass.
Mezcal can be washed down with orange juice or eaten with an orange slice sprinkled with «caterpillar» salt and pepper. Snacking on lime or lemon, as when drinking tequila, is also allowed.
Mezcal should not be refrigerated before consumption — The drink must be at room temperature, but not warm.
Mexican national standard for mezcal
Mexico Standard NOM-070-SCFI-2016
ALCOHOLIC DRINKS — MESCAL — TECHNICAL Criteria
BEBIDAS ALCOHÓLICAS — MEZCAL — ESPECIFICACIONES
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES — MEZCAL — SPECIFICATIONS