Currency and Delivery Country

We're just loading our login box for you, hang on!

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 Madrecuishe (46.6%)

70cl, 46.6%
La Medida

The La Medida range features a selection of mezcals produced with single varieties of agave - this particular expression features Madrecuishe agave. A great, smoky treat!  More info

La Medida Madrecuishe (46.6%)
$77.37

The Lost Explorer Tobalá Mezcal

70cl, 42%
The Lost Explorer

An intriguing unaged mezcal from The Lost Explorer, produced entirely with the wild Tobalá agave. The rare variety is grown for 10 years before it's harvested, and this is a particularly complex…  More info

The Lost Explorer Tobalá Mezcal
$104.90

QuiQuiRiQui Mole Pechuga

70cl, 49%
QuiQuiRiQui

A rather intriguing expression from QuiQuiRiQui. Usually, Pechuga Mezcal is by redistilling the spirit with a chicken or turkey breast hung in the still along with a selection of nuts, fruits, and…  More info

QuiQuiRiQui Mole Pechuga
$69.02

Alipus San Baltazar (47.5%)

70cl, 47.5%
Alipus

An unaged Mezcal from San Baltazar, produced by Cosme and Cirilo Hernández using Espadin agave. Bottled by Alipus, whom specialise in seeking out great Mezcal from smaller producers.  More info

Alipus San Baltazar (47.5%)
$54.85

Picaflor Mezcal Espadín (49.39%)

70cl, 49.4%
Picaflor

This edition of Picaflor's Mezcal Espadín is bottled at a higher ABV than the original. It boasts some fabulous cooked agave flavour and has a pretty hip looking tattooed bird man on the label, in…  More info

Picaflor Mezcal Espadín (49.39%)
$64.14

Mezcal Vago Ensamble en Barro

70cl, 49.5%
Mezcal Vago

A marvellous expression from Mezcal Vago, this Ancestral mezcal was produced by mezcalero Tío Rey using a combination of Espadín, Coyote, and Mexicano agave, roasted in earthen ovens for several…  More info

Mezcal Vago Ensamble en Barro
$92.67
Try a sample

Del Maguey Wild Tepextate Mezcal

70cl, 45%
Del Maguey

Another excellent Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal, this time featuring the light, sweet and subtly spices notes of rare wild Tepextate agave, which grows at high altitudes. Superb stuff.  More info

Del Maguey Wild Tepextate Mezcal
$112.07

Mezcal Amores Cupreata

70cl, 41%
Mezcal Amores

A mezcal made with Cupreata agave. Amores plant ten agaves for each one they use.  More info

Mezcal Amores Cupreata
$53.99
Try a sample

La Medida Espadín

70cl, 40%
La Medida

Mezcal from the La Medida range, produced using the most popular agave variety for mezcal - Espadín. Smoky stuff, with plenty of fruity, earthy flavours behind it.  More info

La Medida Espadín
3
$42.73

Mezcal Vago Espadín (50.3%)

70cl, 50.3%
Mezcal Vago

An Espadín agave-based Mezcal from the Mezcal Vago range. An elegant expression, with notes of citrus, minerals and touches of fruity agave. This particular edition was made by mezcalero Joel Barriga.  More info

Mezcal Vago Espadín (50.3%)
$55.99
Try a sample

Derrumbes Michoacán Mezcal

70cl, 47.7%
Derrumbes

Highlighting the terroir and craftsmanship of the village of Tzitzio in the state of Michoacán, this Mezcal from Derrumbes is made from regional cupreata and alto agaves. The agave is cooked in…  More info

Derrumbes Michoacán Mezcal
$60.06

Los Siete Misterios Espadín/Mexicanito Ensamble 2020

70cl, 44%
Los Siete Misterios

You don't often see mezcal brands mixing agave strains, let alone declaring it, but Los Siete Misterios is making expressions that are all about showcasing the way two different varieties can come…  More info

Los Siete Misterios Espadín/Mexicanito Ensamble 2020
$96.74

Convite Tobala Mezcal

70cl, 42%
Convite

This joven mezcal from Convite is made with the wild (and rare) Tobala agave! Tobala plants take longer to reach maturity – around 12 years – though it's certainly worth the wait. This complex…  More info

Convite Tobala Mezcal
$74.32

Del Maguey Tobala (Wild Mountain) Mezcal

70cl, 45%
Del Maguey

Single Village Mezcal from Del Maguey, made using Tobala agave which are grown at a very high elevation. They are also much smaller than your average agave plant. It takes about eight of these Tobala…  More info

Del Maguey Tobala (Wild Mountain) Mezcal
$120.23
Try a sample

El Recuerdo Abocado con Gusano (with worm)

70cl, 40%
El Recuerdo

Produced using 100% Agave Espadín, in the Oaxaca region of Mexico comes El Recuerdo Gusano. You’ll notice it says “Abocado con Gusano” on the label, this is Spanish for “enriched with agave worm”,…  More info

El Recuerdo Abocado con Gusano (with worm)
$36.62

Mezcal de Leyendas San Luis Potosí

70cl, 42.1%
Mezcal De Leyendas

Blanco mezcal from the Mezcal de Leyendas range (which promotes spirits from small producers, with a big focus of social sustainability and environmental responsibility). This particular expression…  More info

Mezcal de Leyendas San Luis Potosí
$70.26

Se Busca Mezcal Añejo

70cl, 40%
Se Busca

Añejo mezcal produced for the Se Busca range, which was named as a tribute to the woman that fought in the Mexican revolution. Sitting at the top of the range, this expression boasts heavy oak…  More info

Se Busca Mezcal Añejo
$60.06

Zignum Joven

70cl, 40%
Zignum

Zignum Mezcal is made using espadín agave, which are harvested at the peak of their maturity. Zignum's mezcalero keeps their eye on every aspect of the production of the spirit, from field to bottle,…  More info

Zignum Joven
$36.63

El Rey Zapoteco Tobalá

70cl, 45%
El Rey Zapoteco

El Rey Zapoteco has been producing artisinal Mezcal since the 1960s, making it one of the oldest producers in Oaxaca! The family run estate grows its own agave and ensures traditional methods…  More info

El Rey Zapoteco Tobalá
$96.53

Le Tribute Mezcal

70cl, 45%
Le Tribute

Le Tribute Mezcal is made using 100% Cenizo Silvestre agave, produced by maestro mezcalero Alan Hernández. The agave is cooked in volcanic stone ovens using holm oak, and after distillation it's…  More info

Le Tribute Mezcal
1
$58.32

Los Danzantes Joven

70cl, 47%
Los Danzantes

An Espadín-based joven mezcal from Los Danzantes, bottled at 47% ABV. If you like your mezcal to have a core of vibrant fruit alongside the traditional smokiness, then you're in for a treat with this…  More info

Los Danzantes Joven
$58.03

Bruxo No.1

70cl, 46%
Bruxo

Made with 100% Espadin agave, Bruxo No.1 is a traditional mezcal, a close relative to tequila (which must be made from blue agave). If you didn't know, "Espadin" is the Spanish name for a ceremonial…  More info

Bruxo No.1
1
$49.67
Price Drop

Corte Vetusto Tobalá

70cl, 43.8%
Corte Vetusto

The Corte Vetusto Tobalá comes hand-crafted by fourth generation master distiller Juan Carlos Gonzalez Diaz, and boasts 100% wild agave. This Joven (un-aged) mezcal stands at 42% ABV. It's a smooth…  More info

Corte Vetusto Tobalá
4
$99.80
$96.75

Del Maguey Wild Jabalí Mezcal

70cl, 47%
Del Maguey

Del Maguey have done it again with this funky mezcal made using Jabalí, a rarer agave that's not commonly used as it's significantly more difficult to distil - the little rascal. Jabalí actually…  More info

Del Maguey Wild Jabalí Mezcal
$101.12

Los Siete Misterios Espadín/Cuishe Ensamble 2020

70cl, 44%
Los Siete Misterios

An intriguing mezcal this from Los Siete Misterios, who brought together two different strains of agave, both the classic espadín as well as cuishe.  More info

Los Siete Misterios Espadín/Cuishe Ensamble 2020
$96.74

Recently viewed