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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.

La Medida Tobala

70cl, 40%
La Medida

A joven mezcal from La Medida, produced with the Tobala agave! The agave is harvested from the wild at 1,900 meters above sea level, and this expression is the smokiest from the range.  More info

La Medida Tobala
1
$68.86

Mezcal de Leyendas Tobalá

70cl, 48.7%
Mezcal De Leyendas

The gang at Mezcal de Leyendas cares about agave, from farming and processing it sustainably to showcasing singular varieties in its spirits. In this case, mezcalero Aarón Robles used 100% Maguey…  More info

Mezcal de Leyendas Tobalá
$80.19

Bozal Tepeztate Mezcal

70cl, 45%
Bozal

A sleek and splendid mezcal from the Bozal range made using the tepeztate agave which can take over two decades to mature among steep slopes in rocky soils, making it a more rare and expensive…  More info

Bozal Tepeztate Mezcal
$78.95

Madre Mezcal Espadín

70cl, 40%
Madre Mezcal

The Madre Mezcal range is now home to a single agave variety expression! While the classic bottling features a combo of Espadín and Cuishe, this one is all about the Espadín, one of the most popular…  More info

Madre Mezcal Espadín
$46.23

Madre Mezcal (200ml)

20cl, 45%
Madre Mezcal

A zazzy little 20cl bottle of Madre Mezcal! It's distilled in a copper pot still in Oaxaca from Espadin and Cuishe agave varieties, full of herbal smoky notes. The perfect little gift for agave…  More info

Madre Mezcal (200ml)
$27.78

Madre Mezcal (70cl)

70cl, 45%
Madre Mezcal

Madre Mezcal is produced by the Morales family in Oaxaca, using a cracking combination of Espadín and Cuishe agave, cooked over hot stone in earthen pits and crushed with a stone tahona wheel. A…  More info

Madre Mezcal (70cl)
$64.29
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Ilegal Añejo

70cl, 40%
Ilegal

"This stuff's so good it should be Ilegal [sic]"Chortle chortle, merriment and mirth. Oh, but seriously though, this is a very tasty mezcal, made in Tlacolula in Mexico's Oaxaca region. It was twice…  More info

Ilegal Añejo
3
$89.45

Ojo de Tigre Joven Mezcal

70cl, 37%
Ojo de Tigre

This artisanal mezcal from Ojo de Tigre showcases a blend of both Espadín and Tobalá agave! This is an unaged Joven expression, with oodles of fresh fruit and citrus to be found alongside gentle…  More info

Ojo de Tigre Joven Mezcal
$36.76
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Mezcales De Leyenda Oaxaca

70cl, 48.7%
Destilados Artesanales

An Espadin agave-based organic Mezcal from the Mezcales de Leyenda range, using agave from Oaxaca.  More info

Mezcales De Leyenda Oaxaca
$82.07

Alipús San Andrés 47%

70cl, 47%
Alipus

An Alipús Mezcal here from San Andrés - a rich, surprisingly wood-y joven Mezcal, perfect for sipping neat or taking centre stage in a cocktail.  More info

Alipús San Andrés 47%
$54.27

Dangerous Don Mandarina Mezcal

70cl, 48%
Dangerous Don

Dangerous Don has been experimenting with mandarins for this magnificent mezcal! The mezcal is twice distilled, infused with freshly peeled fruit that is allowed to steep for a day before being…  More info

Dangerous Don Mandarina Mezcal
3
$54.22
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Bruxo No.2

70cl, 46%
Bruxo

An pechuga-style mezcal from the Bruxo range. While your standard pechuga will be distilled with a piece of chicken hung in the still to allow the vapours to pass over the meat, this is a vegetarian…  More info

Bruxo No.2
$52.92

Jaral De Berrio Mezcal

70cl, 36%
Jaral de Berrio

Jaral de Berrio Mezcal is made using 100% Salmiana agave using traditional methods. The Salmiana species is native to central and southern Mexico. A surprisingly sweet nose develops vegetal notes of…  More info

Jaral De Berrio Mezcal
1
$34.20

The Lost Explorer Salmiana Mezcal

70cl, 42%
The Lost Explorer

A super herbaceous mezcal from The Lost Explorer, showing off the brilliance of the Salmiana agave! The wild species is found at high altitudes, making it rather hard to forage – but it's certainly…  More info

The Lost Explorer Salmiana Mezcal
$133.68

La Medida Tepeztate

70cl, 47.8%
La Medida

La Medida sourced some rare Tepeztate agave for this mezcal! The wild agave was roasted for three days before it was distilled, and this joven expression saw no ageing, so it's full of fresh fruit…  More info

La Medida Tepeztate
$88.41
Best Seller

Ojo de Dios ODD Café

70cl, 35%
Ojo de Dios

The folks at Ojo de Dios have gone and brewed up a marvellous concoction here, combining its glorious Ojo de Dios Joven Mezcal with rich coffee. The result is a tremendous sipper served neat over ice…  More info

Ojo de Dios ODD Café
$40.37

Montelobos Tobalá Joven Mezcal

70cl, 46.8%
Casa Montelobos

This joven mezcal from Montelobos is produced in Puebla, from a partnership between founder Iván Saldaña and the Alva family who have been growing Tobalá agave for many years. It's produced…  More info

Montelobos Tobalá Joven Mezcal
$96.95

Mezcal Vago Ensamble

70cl, 50.8%
Mezcal Vago

A superb mezcal from Emigdio Jarquín Ramirez for Mezcal Vago, produced from a selection of Cuishe, Madrecuishe, and Tepeztate agave. The agave is ground by a stone Tahona wheel, after being roasted…  More info

Mezcal Vago Ensamble
$94.60

Código 1530 Mezcal Artesanal

70cl, 42%
Código 1530

This single-village mezcal from Código 1530 is made in Oaxaca from a combination of espadín and tobala magueys. The agave hearts have been roasted in an earthen oven and the juice extracted with a…  More info

Código 1530 Mezcal Artesanal
$60.43

Enmascarado 54

70cl, 54%
Enmascarado

A marvellous Mezcal from the Enmascarado range ('Enmascarado' means 'masked hero', hence the charming chap on the label). This has been bottled at a full-bodied 54% ABV, so it'll stand out in…  More info

Enmascarado 54
$72.88

Mezcal Los Javis Salmiana

70cl, 47.9%
Mezcal Los Javis

This expression from Mezcal Los Javis (produced by maestro mezcalero Don Javier Mateo and his team) was made using the Salmiana variety of agave – which is sometimes known as "green giant",…  More info

Mezcal Los Javis Salmiana
$116.24

Koch El Ensamble

70cl, 47%
Koch El

This Ensamble mezcal from Koch El shines a light on rare varieties of agave. You'll find a quartet of agaves in here, with wild Tobala, Tobasiche, Lumbre and Cirial all used. Unlike some mezcals,…  More info

Koch El Ensamble
$60.64

Mezcal Amores Espadín Reposado

70cl, 40%
Mezcal Amores

A fab reposado Mezcal from Mezcal Amores, produced with eight year old Espadín agave. Rested for at least three months in barrels crafted from two types of oak, the spirit's vanilla notes have…  More info

Mezcal Amores Espadín Reposado
$55.80

Espiritu Lauro Mezcal

70cl, 40%
Espiritu Corsa

Mezcalero Carino Ramirez made this artesanal mezcal using 70% Espadin and 30% Sanmartin agave at the Espíritu Lauro distillery in Ejutla, Oaxaca. Everything here is made in small batches and is…  More info

Espiritu Lauro  Mezcal
$57.10

Los Siete Misterios Doba-Yej 2021

70cl, 44%
Los Siete Misterios

From just outside the region of Sola de Vega comes the first expression from Siete Misterio to be made in copper pot stills rather than a clay oven. The milling for this mezcal is also done by…  More info

Los Siete Misterios Doba-Yej 2021
$53.23

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