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Mezcal

Like Tequila, mezcal is an agave-based spirit from Mexico. The two main differences are that Tequila comes from a specific place and can only be made with one kind of agave, blue weber. In contrast, mezcal can be made all over the country and makes use of over 30 different kinds of agave. Some of the most notable varieties include tobala, espadin and cupreata. Rather like grape varieties, each has its own distinctive flavour profile. Mezcal can be made from a blend or a single variety. There’s another difference and that is one of scale. Tequila is dominated by big brands who use industrial techniques to make a consistent product, though there are more artisan brands. In contrast, mezcal is usually made on a much smaller scale using more rudimentary equipment and there aren’t really any famous brands with huge marketing budgets.

Until the 1990s mezcal was very loosely regulated but a Denominaciones de Origen (DO) for mezcal was first established in the 1990s, overseen by the CRM (Consejo Regulador del Mezcal). As defined by the CRM, mezcal can be produced in ten states: Oaxaca, Michoacan, Guerrero, San Luis Potosi, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Durango, Puebla, and Sinaloa.

As with Tequila, mezcal starts with agave. An agave plant can take anywhere from six to twelve years to mature and can grow up to 2.5 metres (8 feet) tall. Harvesting the agave is a skilled and labour intensive process. When the plant is ripe, has enough convertible sugars in it, the jimador (farmer) removes the agave leaves with a sharp curved tool called a coa. These fibrous leaves are discarded, the part he’s after is the heart of the plant, called the piña, because it looks like a pineapple. These can weigh up to about 100kg (220lb) but usually come in at 30kg. They are made up of complex carbohydrates which are not fermentable so the next stage is to convert them into sugar.

To access those sugars, the piñas need to be cooked. Some will use a steam oven as they do in Tequila whereas others use traditional techniques like cooking them in a firepit full of hot stones. In fact, at every stage of the mezcal making process, there are different ways of doing things. To try to clear things up, in 2016 the CRM came up with three grades of mezcal, Mezcal (plain and simple), Artesanal and Ancestral depending on the techniques used.

Bottles labelled simply as mezcal can be made using steam ovens similar to those used in Tequila to cook the agave. The cooked agave can be milled mechanically to release the juices and fermented in stainless steel with cultured yeasts. For distillation, column stills are allowed to produce a high ABV spirit. Despite this being the most efficient method, only about 7% of mezcal is made this way.

The vast majority of mezcal production (92%) is Artesanal. Here, agave must be cooked in earthen pits or clay ovens. Mechanical milling is permitted, though fermentation must take place in, according to the regulations, “animal skins, pits or tanks made of stone, earth, tree trunk, masonry basins (concrete or earthen tanks), or wood”. Only wild yeasts are permitted meaning that fermentations can take up to 15 days. For distillation only traditional stills made from copper, clay or wood are allowed.

Very few (1%) commit to the Ancestral method, where the agave is cooked in earthen pits, and then crushed using a stone wheel pulled by horse or human power called a tahona. Fermentation takes place in the same way as an Artesanal mezcal, but distillation must be over a direct fire in a clay still. Ancestral mezcal is made in extremely small quantities usually less than about 5,000 litres a year.

Due to the very different techniques used and the huge number of producers, it is very different to generalise about the flavour of mezcal. Some will taste smoky from the way the agave is cooked, and some will have big strange flavours from fermentation or rudimentary distillation techniques but you will also find spirits that are smooth and gorgeously pure. In Mexico most mezcal is drunk neat but any cocktail in which you would use Tequila, you could use mezcal instead.

As with Tequila there are also aged examples which are usually matured in ex-bourbon casks. A reposado must spend between two months and a year in wood, whereas an añejo is aged for one to three years, and an extra añejo for longer.

Finally there’s a very special kind of mezcal called pechuga. Originally this would have been made for special occasions such as weddings and involves redistilling mezcal with some form of protein in it such as chicken or rabbit with herbs, fruit and spices. Nowadays you also get vegetarian versions which use nuts instead of meat. The result is a richly-flavoured botanical spirit with an incredibly unctuous texture.

Del Maguey Mezcal Vida

70cl, 42%
Del Maguey

A single village Mezcal from the top producers Del Maguey, this stuff is twice distilled from 100% Agave Espadin, and it's bottled unblended in a "time-honoured" 400 year old way.  More info

Del Maguey Mezcal Vida
8
$45.60
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Dangerous Don Joven Mezcal Espadín

70cl, 45%
Dangerous Don

From the awesomely-named Dangerous Don is a wonderful joven mezcal! It's produced exclusively from Espadín agave, and is produced in the traditional artisanal fashion. The agave is roasted in a pit,…  More info

Dangerous Don Joven Mezcal Espadín
32
$46.11
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Ilegal Reposado

70cl, 40%
Ilegal

This is a delicious Reposado Mezcal from the Ilegal company. It's distilled at Destileria Tlacolula in Oaxaca, Mexico, and is double distilled in copper stills. It's then aged in American oak before…  More info

Ilegal Reposado
5
$60.99

Dos Hombres Mezcal

70cl, 42%
Dos Hombres

Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston teamed up once more, but this time they're cooking agave to create Dos Hombres Mezcal! Oaxacan Espadin agave is at the heart of this joven expression, and it's…  More info

Dos Hombres Mezcal
6
$66.42

Montelobos Joven Mezcal

70cl, 43.2%
Casa Montelobos

Montelobos Joven Mezcal is made with espadin agave and carefully crafted by Iván Saldaña. This offers up a well-balanced blend of roasted agave notes, herbaceous elements and a classic whiff of…  More info

Montelobos Joven Mezcal
3
$46.69
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Mezcal Verde

70cl, 42%
Verde Momento

Mezcal from the Verde Momento, now bottled at a slightly bumped up ABV of 42%. The labels still feature artwork from Mexican artists, and the mezcal within still impresses greatly. Good stuff all…  More info

Mezcal Verde
2
$34.32
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Pensador Ensamble Mezcal

50cl, 48%
Pensador

Don Atenogenes and his family create Pensador Mezcal in his fields near Miahuatlan, Oaxaca, using traditional methods which remain largely unchanged since the 16th Century. They use a combination of…  More info

Pensador Ensamble Mezcal
12
$40.47

Corte Vetusto Espadín

70cl, 45%
Corte Vetusto

Under the watchful eye of fourth generation Master Distiller Juan Carlos Gonzalez Diaz, Corte Vetusto Espadín Mezcal is produced. Before distillation, the agave is cooking in traditional earthen pit…  More info

Corte Vetusto Espadín
9
$60.47

Clase Azul Durango

70cl, 44%
Clase Azul

A magnificent mezcal from Clase Azul, made with wild Cenizo agave which is native to the Mexican state of Durango. The agave itself takes between 12 to 15 years to grow before it can be harvested…  More info

Clase Azul Durango
$374.47

Del Maguey Mezcal Chichicapa

70cl, 48%
Del Maguey

Part of the range of single village mezcals from Del Maguay, this particular spirit was made in the village of San Balthazar Chichicapa. It was made using Espadín agave, and is full of big smoky…  More info

Del Maguey Mezcal Chichicapa
2
$75.86
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Dangerous Don Joven Mezcal Espadín 50cl

50cl, 45%
Dangerous Don

This 500ml bottle of Dangerous Don Joven Mezcal Espadín is a pretty perfect gift if you're looking for something to give to a mezcal lover in your life. This 100% espadín maguey mezcal is already…  More info

Dangerous Don Joven Mezcal Espadín 50cl
1
$33.81

Tres Tribus Ensamble Mezcal

70cl, 44%
Tres Tribus

This mezcal from Tres Tribus in an ensamble artesanal mezcal, meaning it's made from a combination of agaves rather than a single variety. The agave hearts are roasted according to traditional…  More info

Tres Tribus Ensamble Mezcal
$62.53

Ilegal Joven (70cl)

70cl, 40%
Ilegal

A 70cl bottling of the classic Ilegal Joven mezcal. This stuff is excellent, and it's produced using traditional methods, like roasting the agave in an earthen pit, which is always appreciated.  More info

Ilegal Joven (70cl)
$50.21

Tres Tribus Espadin Capon Mezcal

70cl, 44%
Tres Tribus

Tres Tribus Espadín Capón mezcal is made in Santa María Zoquitlán, in Oaxaca, Mexico, with organic espadín agave at least 12 years old, a sustainable and traditional approach using a traditional…  More info

Tres Tribus Espadin Capon Mezcal
$174.37

Banhez Joven Ensemble Mezcal

70cl, 42%
Banhez

A top mezcal from Banhez, perfect for mixing or sipping! It's a blend of 90% Espadín agave and 10% Barril agave, with oodles of tropical fruit sweetness balancing a whiff of smoke. We're already…  More info

Banhez Joven Ensemble Mezcal
$42.82
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Tres Tribus Cuishe Mezcal

70cl, 44%
Tres Tribus

This mezcal is made with the agave variety cuishe, as you might have guessed from the name, harvested from the wild after six to eight years. It's traditionally cooked with oak chips and then…  More info

Tres Tribus Cuishe Mezcal
$91.27

Del Maguey Santo Domingo Albarradas Mezcal

70cl, 48%
Del Maguey

A superb single estate Mezcal from Del Maguey. This was produced at Santo Domingo Albarradas, which is located in the Mixe region in southern Oaxaca.  More info

Del Maguey Santo Domingo Albarradas Mezcal
$75.86

Mezcal Unión Uno

70cl, 40%
Mezcal Unión

The Mezcal Unión brand was founded with a respect to mezcal's artisan and traditional production, as well as with a drive to provide social development and economic sustainability for the families…  More info

Mezcal Unión Uno
$42.02

Convite Espadín Madrecuishe Mezcal

70cl, 42%
Convite

An artesanal unaged mezcal from the Convite range, made with a blend of Espadín and Madrecuishe agave. While many joven mezcals are great for mixing, this one certainly stands up to being sipped and…  More info

Convite Espadín Madrecuishe Mezcal
$51.75

Mezcal de Leyendas Guerrero

70cl, 46.9%
Mezcal De Leyendas

An excellent organic mezcal from the Mezcal de Leyendas selection - their Guerrero expression made using the ancho maguey, or Agave cupreata variety of agave. It's made in small batches by fourth…  More info

Mezcal de Leyendas Guerrero
$70.74

QuiQuiRiQui Matatlan Mezcal

70cl, 45%
QuiQuiRiQui

A spectacular starter Mezcal for those looking to get into the traditional spirit, QuiQuiRiQui Matatlan Mezcal is a grandstand of classic flavours, from smoky to sugary sweet, from earthy notes to a…  More info

QuiQuiRiQui Matatlan Mezcal
7
$42.01
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Tres Tribus Tobalá Mezcal

70cl, 44%
Tres Tribus

Tres Tribus makes this mezcal with only wild Tobalá agave that's between six and eight years old. It's cooked in the traditional manner, with oak chips to impart smokiness, and is ground by hand with…  More info

Tres Tribus Tobalá Mezcal
$91.27

Ojo de Dios Joven

70cl, 42%
Ojo de Dios

An artisinal mezcal from Ojo de Dios (which translates at 'God’s eye'), produced from Espadin agave. This here is a Joven bottling, so after the agave is roasted for around 10 days and double…  More info

Ojo de Dios Joven
2
$40.26

Corte Vetusto Ancestral Mezcal

70cl, 50%
Corte Vetusto

Only 80 bottles were produced of this ancestral style mezcal from Corte Vetusto. Made from 100% sierra negra agave, which is a rare, wild varietal of Agave americana that can take over two decades to…  More info

Corte Vetusto Ancestral Mezcal
$153.89

Pensador Espadín

50cl, 47.5%
Pensador

Excellent Mezcal from the Pensador range, with a focus of the Espadín agave! Traditional production methods are used to produce the spirit, making for a flavoured expression that'll be perfect for…  More info

Pensador Espadín
3
$33.80

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