What is Mezcal?
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What is Mezcal?
Mezcal is a traditional Mexican distilled spirit. It’s made from agave. The word mezcal derives from the Nahuatl words metl (agave) and ixcalli (cooked). And that’s how you make mezcal: you cook the agave then mill it, ferment it, distil it, and bottle it. There are more details on the production process of mezcal in our How is Mezcal made? guide.
Colloquially, mezcal means anything distilled from the agave plant. A bit like the way wine refers to alcohol fermented from grapes. But also like wine, there are legal frameworks in place. For mezcal, there is a Denominacion de Origen (DO) which defines the ways and where mezcal can be made. There are more details on that in our Different types of mezcal guide.
The production of mezcal is deeply rooted in Mexican culture, with Mescaleros making the spirit for hundreds of years using artisanal processes passed down for generations. Its production is concentrated in the state of Oaxaca, the traditional heartland of mezcal making, but mezcal making is permitted in ten Mexican states: Oaxaca, Michoacan, Guerrero, San Luis Potosi, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Durango, Puebla, and Sinaloa.
There are only a few large players. Mezcal is traditionally made on small farms. Traverse old dirt roads in Mexico and you may see the tell-tale of mezcal production: stone grinding wheels, stills (palenqueros), and agave growing freely in the countryside. Distillers have been supplying their local communities with spirit for occasions like weddings, baptisms, and funerals for centuries.
Mezcal has been produced for generations. Image credit: Xavier Peypoch Clavé.
A short history of mezcal
When did all this lovely spirit-making begin? The earliest record of agave distillate dates back to the late 1500s, making it the oldest spirit in the Americas. There’s no single inventor and its origins can be traced back to indigenous cultures of Mexico when people discovered that agave piñas, could be fermented to produce a rudimentary alcoholic beverage known as pulque. Who wants a mini pulque history lesson? Well, you’re getting one.
Archaeological finds in caves near Tehuacán, Puebla, show that ancient people (well, ancient to us, they were young to each other I’m sure) were pit-roasting agave as far back as 7,000 BC. The earliest recorded evidence of Mesoamericans consuming fermented agave appears around 200 AD on a mural in the Great Pyramid of Cholula, also in Puebla. Discovered in 1969, this mural, known as Los Bebedores, spans over 180 feet in length and nearly 8 feet in height. It features more than 150 figures engaged in a festive scene, drinking from large bowl-shaped vessels. Archaeologists interpret the depicted liquid as pulque, the fermented sap of certain agave plants. Pulque was highly significant in Aztec religious ceremonies, primarily consumed by the aristocracy, the elderly, and captives destined for sacrifice. It was held in such reverence that the Aztecs even dedicated a deity to it: Patecatl, the "lord of the root Pulque." Although pulque was drunk at religious ceremonies, drunkenness was frowned upon and could be punished by death.
The technique of distilling agave was likely refined following the Spanish conquest in the 16th century, which introduced techniques from Europe and Filipino-type stills. Originally used to distil coconut wine, these stills were embraced by the native populations along Mexico’s Pacific coast, who adapted them for distilling agave, a practice first documented in southern Jalisco.
Derived from Mongol and East Asian stills, Filipino-type stills differ significantly from European-style alembic stills. These simpler stills, crafted from a hollowed-out log, typically made of parota tree wood, feature two copper or iron pans. The upper pan serves as a condenser, continuously filled with cold water, while the lower pan, placed over a furnace, functions as the boiler. Distillation occurs in either an internal container between the pans or through a gutter, originally bamboo in the Philippines, leading to an external clay vessel. Another variation, known as ‘olla de barro’, replaces the log with a built-in clay vessel as the boiler, maintaining the same condenser setup.
They are still known as ‘Filipino stills’ in parts of the mezcal and Tequila industry and ancestral mezcal must be distilled using these traditional stills. Despite a brief Spanish prohibition on coconut liquor in the early 1600s to protect European spirit sales, mezcal production persisted and expanded, becoming widely commercialised by the 1700s, utilising local agave varieties.
The bans and regulations imposed by colonial authorities forced producers to move to remote areas like the foothills of Volcán de Colima and the valleys of Chamila, Amatitán, Tequila, Magdalena, and El Arenal, leading to the cultivation of plentiful and wild highland agave varieties. This includes the blue weber agave that would eventually become the bedrock of Tequila.
The compact stills facilitated easy relocation and were often set up in ancient rock-cut graves used as fermentation basins. They could produce spirit from a small amount of agave, encouraging selective breeding of agave plants for superior liquor qualities leading to the eventual cultivation of specialised agave varieties. We have historical records from travellers like Alexander von Humboldt that remark on the spirit’s strong potency, although he did mistakenly record that it was distilled pulque which only added to mezcal’s mystique. Spanish authorities made a clear distinction for regulatory purposes.
The modern mezcal boom
For generations, mezcal was made on farms for communal purposes. It spread to bars in Mexico too, including urban centres like Mexico City, but it wasn’t long ago that the average person outside of Mexico would never have seen or tasted mezcal. By the 1980s, mezcal began to be exported beyond Mexico in its first real quantities, although compared to Tequila it was still incredibly small scale.
Del Maguey founder Ron Cooper was an early pioneer, a lover of the spirit who sourced as much spirit as he could from small farms. He put mezcal on the map enough in the US that eventually Pernod Ricard got involved, demonstrating the market potential of mezcal.
Interest in mezcal led to the establishment of a Denomination of Origin (DO), managed by the Consejo Regulador del Mezcal (CRM). Officially recognized on November 28, 1994, and further endorsed by the World Intellectual Property Organization on March 3, 1995, the DO aimed to protect and elevate the spirit's commercial appeal and cultural significance. For comparison, Tequila received its appellation of origin in 1978.
In 1997, a regulatory body called the Consejo Mexicano Regulador de la Calidad del Mezcal A.C. (COMERCAM), composed of mezcal producers, brand owners, and experts, was formed to enforce the law. Following the enactment of the NORMA in 2003, COMERCAM began certifying producers in 2005.
There are many small-scale producers that are unable to afford this certification or are simply uninterested in joining or conforming to these standards, but produce what is culturally considered mezcal using recognisable production methods. These aren’t legally recognised as mezcal. That doesn’t affect how delicious they are, though.
Mezcal’s reputation and production have rocketed over the years. There has been a cultural rediscovery in Mexico, with natives understandably proud of a spirit that represents so much heritage and personality while tasting so good. The younger generations have embraced this completely, particularly given modern trends for products with provenance, authenticity, and story are all the rage.
Go back ten or fifteen years and you wouldn’t see more than a couple of brands on the back bars of swanky cocktail joints. Now you can see mezcal brands in the tens. If you’re trendy, it’s a legal requirement to stock mezcal. Them’s the rules. Although there’s still work to be done to spread the word. Walk into a rural local pub and ask for a glass of mezcal and you’re likely to be met with a blank look.
Challenges that face mezcal
While mezcal is gaining popularity and optimism, it faces significant challenges. Tequila's journey illustrates some potential pitfalls; its mass-market production has led to more industrialised processes and the intensive cultivation of Blue Weber Agave, creating a monoculture susceptible to disease and flavour homogenization. Mezcal confronts similar issues regarding the sustainability and ethics of scaling up production.
Large brands monopolising agave supplies is also a legitimate concern, as is the reality that the economic needs of poor communities can lead to exploitative production practices and unfavourable contracts. It’s important not only to think about the sustainability of agave stocks but also how we preserve the traditions of the Mescaleros and the cultural heritage of mezcal production.
Perceptions of mezcal also pose challenges, from misconceptions that it is similar to Tequila to expectations of finding a worm in the bottle (a slightly ranty guide to the latter can be found here). As with many spirits, education and advocacy are essential. The work done to shift these associations has already taken decades, but more work is indeed. Clear communication by bartenders, trade events, and guides written by handsome spirit lovers for award-winning online retailers all help spread the good word.
We need to ensure the sustainability of agave harvesting. Image credit: Laura Foster.
What does Mezcal taste of?
Mezcal is known for its smoky, earthy flavour with hints of agave sweetness, often accompanied by herbal, citrus, and woody notes. However, even though most mezcal is made using espadín agave, it can be made from over 30 different types of agave. This variety creates a spectrum of flavours and aromas, as each agave has its distinct flavour, like grape cultivars. Plus, mezcal can be made from a blend or a single variety of agave, while the techniques of the Mezcalero and the production methods will also impact the flavour. As such, no two mezcals are identical.
This is brilliant, both because those of us who love it will never get bored. But also if someone claims not to like mezcal, simply trying another variety might change their mind.
A common characteristic is a smoky flavour, but not all mezcal is smoky, and they don’t have to be either. The smokiness derives from roasting the agave in underground pits. Some distillers actually look down on the smokier mezcals as they think it's a sign that there was a problem with how it was made, while a lot of modern brands use it as a way to distinguish themselves from Tequila. Really it comes down to preference, but the smoke certainly shouldn’t overpower the spirit.
Montelobos founder, master of mezcal himself, Dr Iván Saldaña has previously outlined what he calls the four pillars of mezcal flavour:
1: Green agave: The herbal flavours from the plant, like basil, mint and orange peel. Think of these like botanical flavours in gin.
2: Sugar: A piña (the core of the agave plant) is around 38% sugar. During the cooking process, the sugars will be caramelised producing flavours of honey, toffee, and dried fruit. The slower the cooking, the more flavour.
3: Smoke: Also produced during the cooking process. The right wood can give you flavours beyond pure smoke, like chocolate, chilli, and black pepper.
4: Yeast: Mezcal is typically made with wild rather than cultured yeasts, which creates more complexity. They also encourage bacteria that produce different acids, such as lactic, acetic and malic as well as esters. Earthy, fruity (think high ester rum) and funky flavours come from fermentation.
Is mezcal Tequila?
No. What is the difference? The main ones are that Tequila has to be made in Jalisco from Blue Weber Agave, while mezcal is made all over Mexico from various strains. Tequila is also typically made on a greater scale than mezcal, with big brands utilising industrial techniques to churn out huge amounts of spirit. For more info, we have a guide for that too. Tequila vs. Mezcal - what’s the difference anyway?
Mezcal is an amazing drink. It's worth learning about, right? Image credit: iStock.
What about Raicilla, Bacanora, and Sotol - are they mezcal?
One for the real spirit nerds among you. Let’s start with raicilla. This is a mezcal. It’s made in the Mexican state of Jalisco, which falls outside of the DO for mezcal. BUT it’s not made with blue agave, so it also falls outside of the DO for Tequila. Got it?
Bacanora is also a type of mezcal. It is specifically a regional mezcal made from the agave angustifolia plant, also known as Caribbean agave, and it comes from the Mexican state of Sonora. Bacanora has its own DO too.
Sotol is not a mezcal. While both sotol and mezcal are Mexican distilled spirits that share similar production methods and have a similar flavor profile, they are made from different plants. Mezcal is made from various types of agave plants, whereas sotol is made from the desert spoon plant (dasylirion wheeleri), which is not an agave. Sotol has its own distinct Denomination of Origin and is primarily produced in the states of Chihuahua, Durango, and Coahuila.
Is mescaline the same as mezcal?
No. Mescaline is a hallucinogenic drug found in certain cacti plants native to the United States, Mexico, and South America. You don’t want to confuse the two.
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