Of course, you can drink mezcal however you like. Has the ability to drink every glass or drink everything in one gulp, able to drink strong or diluted. You can simply inhale its aroma, although gourmets do not recommend sharing the taste and smell of mezcal. You have the right not to snack on anything, wash it down with beer or eat Mexican snacks.
Mezcal, which has long remained a Mexican traditional «family» drink, drunk everywhere: on the sofa while watching a football match, among friends, at a wedding, in expensive restaurants or in a simple cantina. In fact, the popularization of mezcal in Mexico began from cantinas.
To drink mezcal correctly, the Mexican way, you first need to get a jikara or something similar. Hikara — it is a vessel that looks like an orange cut in half and peeled from the inside. Previously, jikaras were made from fruits that looked like a small round pumpkin growing on a tree. For the Mexican Indians, jicara served as vessels during rituals; they were often decorated with carvings. Over time, the hikara received a more practical purpose: it was used simply as a vessel for liquids or as a bowl for storing beans or corn. Modern hicars can be made from clay, ceramics, glass, etc., and their size compared to «pumpkin» decreased significantly.
The main advantage of jikara when drinking mezcal — The wide upper part allows you to drink the drink and inhale its aroma at the same time. In modern bars, mezcal is increasingly served in thin glasses like tequila. But tequila does not have the richness of aromas that mezcal has.
Prepare a few oranges and cut them into slices. Oranges should be lightly sprinkled with sal de gusano — salt mixed with dried agave caterpillars with the addition of chor pepper. Slightly!
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You can start enjoying mezcal. First, inhale a little of the mezcal vapor. Feel the richness of the aroma — it can contain hints of citrus, smoky-earthy, sweet, and bitter… Have you heard what terroir is? This is a French word meaning a complex of natural factors, thanks to which wine produced from the same grape variety, but in different places, has its own unique characteristics. Terroir is as important to mezcal as it is to French wine. In addition, in Mexico mezcal is made from 50 types of agave, which creates a huge variety of tastes and smells of the drink.
Each region of Mexico where the drink is produced can only boast of its unique mezcal aroma. And each manufacturer tries to improve the original products by adding natural flavors, fruits or spices. Technologies for frying «cones» agaves and juice fermentation also affect the taste and smell of the drink.
Now eat some orange. This will prime the taste buds and prepare them for the main event. Take a very small sip and hold the mezcal on your tongue for a short time. Feel its pungent taste. Breathe in and then exhale. Repeat as many times as you can, occasionally snacking on an orange.
If you think drinking mezcal slowly — it's too boring, better dilute it with beer. In the modern world, mezcal is increasingly drunk in small doses and in one gulp. But this way you will get drunk very quickly and will not feel the difference between mezcal and other strong alcoholic drinks.
If in Mexico mezcal — an independent alcoholic drink, then abroad, especially in the USA, it is more used in cocktails. This method of consumption has a right to exist, but we are talking about how to drink mezcal correctly, and not how many cocktails can be prepared from it. In cocktails, the mysterious smoky notes inherent in the aroma of mezcal are simply interrupted by other ingredients.
Don't forget that Mexicans love and know how to eat delicious food. And mezcal in its pure form goes well with both traditional tacos and a big juicy beef burger. Europeans will love the combination of mezcal with aged cheese or smoked meat.
Mezcal with predominant fruity aromas will go well with fish and seafood, especially ceviche. It is only believed that it is correct to drink white wine with fish — try mezcal!
Very old and expensive mezcal añejo goes well with dark chocolate and many traditional Mexican sweets. And if you find it too strong, try diluting it with red wine!