Do you eat the worm in a bottle of Mezcal?
Sigh.
There is so much to mezcal. It’s an amazing spirit. Yet people are so fixated on the idea of a drink with a worm in it.
So let’s make this point as early and as clear as possible: mezcal does NOT have to contain a worm. We repeat: mezcal DOES NOT = the spirit with the worm.
Some mezcals will have a little larvae in them. In nearly seven years of being a drinks writer, I’ve never encountered one. I’ve drank plenty of mezcal. Not one worm.
So let’s explain why mezcal is known as the spirit with the worm, what you’re supposed to do if you do find a wriggly little passenger in your drink, and why you need to push past this nonsense and enjoy the true mezcal.
Jump to section
Author:
Reading time: 4 minutes
What Tequila has a worm in it?
The infamous gusano. Image credit: iStock.
Why is there a worm in a bottle of Mezcal?
Are mezcal worms alive?
Are mezcal worms edible?
Gusano is consumed, just not traditionally in the mezcal itself. Image credit: iStock.
So what happens when you eat the worm in mezcal?
Why don't they put the worm in mezcal anymore?
There are many ways to drink mezcal. Pick every other kind. Image credit: Ilegal Mezcal
Is the mezcal worm even a worm?
More Mezcal guides
Discover more whisky guides
Find out how whisky is made, about the different types of whisky available, and more...
