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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.

The Lost Explorer Espadín Mezcal

70cl, 42%
The Lost Explorer

Agave aficionado The Lost Explorer has created this joven mezcal with the well-loved Espadín agave, grown to full maturity and harvested at eight years old! The variety of agave is commonly used for…  More info

The Lost Explorer Espadín Mezcal
$60.57
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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
$56.55

El Mero Mero Mezcal

70cl, 48%
El Mero

El Mero is tasty Mezcal produced by Master Mezcalero Justino Garcia Cruz using traditional distillation methods. The label features a neat illustration of a knife, inspired by the works of Carlos…  More info

El Mero Mero Mezcal
$61.09

Del Maguey San Luis del Rio Mezcal

70cl, 47%
Del Maguey

A wonderful small-batch Mezcal bottled by Del Maguey as part of their single village range of Mezcals. This was distilled in San Luis del Rio in Oaxaca and it has a superb flavour.  More info

Del Maguey San Luis del Rio Mezcal
3
$79.41

El Rey Zapoteco Añejo

70cl, 44%
El Rey Zapoteco

From one of Oaxaca's oldest artisanal Mezcal brands, El Rey Zapoteco comes this exceptional Añejo Mezcal. Produced using 100% Espadín agave, grown on the family estate, traditional methods are…  More info

El Rey Zapoteco Añejo
$62.10

Mezcal Vago Espadín

70cl, 50.2%
Mezcal Vago

Another glorious offering, brought to us by the folks at Mezcal Vago! This expression was produced by mezcalero Emigdio Jarquín Ramirez, in the village of El Nanche, Mexico. Espadín agave is roasted…  More info

Mezcal Vago Espadín
$65.16

Montelobos Pechuga Mezcal

70cl, 47.9%
Casa Montelobos

Prepare yourselves for this Pechuga Mezcal from Montelobos. Firstly, it's made with Espadin agave, though the secret (not so secret) ingredient is added before the final distillation, when a turkey…  More info

Montelobos Pechuga Mezcal
$112.07

Mezcal de Leyendas Puebla

70cl, 48.2%
Mezcal De Leyendas

This is a pichumel maguey, (or Agave marmorata) based blanco mezcal from the Mezcale de Leyendas, distilled by third generation mezcalero, José Ortega, in Puebla, Mexico. The folks behind Mezcal de…  More info

Mezcal de Leyendas Puebla
$70.26

La Medida Madrecuishe

70cl, 47.1%
La Medida

Behold, another expression of La Medida Mezcal! The range explores a whole host of agave varieties (agvarieties?), with this particular expression being made with the Madrecuishe variety. Madrecuishe…  More info

La Medida Madrecuishe
$71.27

Del Maguey Pechuga Mezcal

70cl, 49%
Del Maguey

An unusual and delicious sipping Mezcal from Del Maguey. This spirit is named "Pechuga", which means chicken breast - a reference to the third distillation, in which a basket of fruit and a chicken…  More info

Del Maguey Pechuga Mezcal
2
$192.56

Koch Elemental Espadín

70cl, 40%
Koch El

An artisanal mezcal from the ever-wonderful Koch, made entirely with the popular Espadín agave. With its balance of tropical fruit, smoke, and herbaceous flavours, it'll no doubt stand out in a…  More info

Koch Elemental Espadín
$38.66

Alipús San Juan

70cl, 47.3%
Alipus

An Alipús bottling of joven Mezcal from San Juan. These releases look to give light to Mezcal created by smaller producers, ones that you might not get to discover without them!  More info

Alipús San Juan
1
$58.53

Ojo de Dios ODD Hibiscus

70cl, 35%
Ojo de Dios

Ojo de Dios Hibiscus takes the brand's signature Joven and blends it with Oaxacan-grown hibiscus flowers to create a drink inspired by the Mexican tradition of serving hibiscus tea ‘agua de Jamaica’…  More info

Ojo de Dios ODD Hibiscus
$39.98

Se Busca Mezcal Reposado

70cl, 40%
Se Busca

This is the reposado expression from the Se Busca Mezcal range, which was named as a tribute to the women who fought in the Mexican Revolution for a new constitution. The oak has helped to develop…  More info

Se Busca Mezcal Reposado
$54.12

Mezcal San Cosme

70cl, 40%
Mezcal San Cosme

A close relative to tequila, mezcal can be made with one of 8 different types of agave, whereas tequila can only be made with blue agave. It's also very tasty and traditional (kind of like a Cornish…  More info

Mezcal San Cosme
$43.31

Xiaman Mezcal Artesanal

70cl, 44%
Xiaman Spirits

This Artesanal mezcal from Xiaman is made from a 50/50 blend of Tepextate and Espadín agave, with the wild Tepextate agave grown for around 25 to 30 years to reach maturity, while the Espadín agave…  More info

Xiaman Mezcal Artesanal
2
$134.51
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Casamigos Mezcal Joven

70cl, 40%
Casamigos

George Clooney and Rande Gerber may have sold their five-year-old tequila company, Casamigos, to Diageo for $700 million (with the potential for another $300 million based on sales performance,…  More info

Casamigos Mezcal Joven
7
$68.20

Animas Espadín

70cl, 44%
Animas

This is a delicious mezcal crafted by Animas using a single agave variety, Espadín, which were harvested at 7 years old. It was double distilled using traditional methods before it was bottled at 44%…  More info

Animas Espadín
1
$47.43

El Rey Zapoteco Tepeztate

70cl, 48%
El Rey Zapoteco

From the family run El Rey Zapoteco in Matatlán, Oaxaca comes this equisite Mezcal. Its produced with the Tepeztate agave, a wild variety that can take up to 25 years to mature – so, not one we see…  More info

El Rey Zapoteco Tepeztate
$98.57

Koch El Maguey Espadín

70cl, 47.1%
Koch El

From the ever wonderful Koch El range comes this expression, made using the much loved Espadín agave sourced from San Baltazar Guelavila. This joven mezcal is unaged, bottled at 47% ABV. A great…  More info

Koch El Maguey Espadín
1
$44.57

Memorable Tepeztate

70cl, 47.8%
Memorable

A marvellous treat from the Memorable Mezcal range, made using wild agave - specifically the Tepeztate variety of agave! You can expect softly smoky notes here, along with some mineral-rich elements…  More info

Memorable Tepeztate
$100.82

Pelotón de la Muerte

70cl, 41%
Destilados Artesanales

Pelotón de la Muerte is a silver Mezcal made using Espadin agave. The name means 'Brigade of Death', named after a group of insurgents during the Mexican Revolution - their flag is also featured on…  More info

Pelotón de la Muerte
3
$44.79

Montelobos Ensamble Joven Mezcal

70cl, 45.3%
Casa Montelobos

While the classic Montelobos Joven Mezcal is made using espadin agave, the Ensamble expression gives the espadin some friends to play with. This edition features tobala and papalote agave alongside…  More info

Montelobos Ensamble Joven Mezcal
$71.56
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Zignum Añejo

70cl, 40%
Zignum

This mezcal was aged for 18 months in a combination of French and American oak. Zignum do not roast their agave, as is common for most Mezcal production – instead they opt for a method of steam…  More info

Zignum Añejo
$55.18

El Tinieblo Joven - Special Edition #2

75cl, 54%
El Tinieblo

A special edition bottling of mezcal from the El Tinieblo range, made using espadín and verde maguey, and bottled at 54% ABV. The agave is cooked in an earthen pit, crushed with a tahona, and…  More info

El Tinieblo Joven - Special Edition #2
$93.70

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