Thanks to the popping up of sleek bars shining the spotlight on quirky bottles of small-batch spirits, tequila is no longer a drink you’ll only have in a shot glass rimmed with salt and a wedge of lemon. And now, hot on its heels is mezcal, its lesser-known cousin in the family of agave spirits.
Discovered nearly 500 years ago, when the Spanish invaded Mexico and brought with them their knowledge of distilling spirits, mezcal is now made by over 9,000 manufacturers and produced in specifically nine states in Mexico. While tequila uses only one type of agave — blue agave — its spicier cousin can be made from over 200 species of agave, and is usually a blend of a few different kinds to produce different flavours.
The agave pinas (hearts) are fermented, then cooked in pit ovens over three days and turned into mash using a stone wheel. It is then distilled in clay or copper pots and left to age.
Discovered nearly 500 years ago, when the Spanish invaded Mexico and brought with them their knowledge of distilling spirits, mezcal is now made by over 9,000 manufacturers and produced in specifically nine states in Mexico. While tequila uses only one type of agave — blue agave — its spicier cousin can be made from over 200 species of agave, and is usually a blend of a few different kinds to produce different flavours.
The agave pinas (hearts) are fermented, then cooked in pit ovens over three days and turned into mash using a stone wheel. It is then distilled in clay or copper pots and left to age.
“The whole process uses no chemicals, and small production houses usually differentiate themselves by blending different types of agave, controlling the cooking process or adding aromatic plants during the aging process,” says Leo Gutkowski of mezcal-focused bar Mezcalito in Hong Kong.
Don’t be alarmed if you spot a worm in your bottle of mezcal, either — though touted as a bit of a marketing gimmick, certain mezcal producers add in a worm (often the parasite that feeds on the agave plants, and is dug up during the harvest) in their bottle as proof of the spirit.
Don’t be alarmed if you spot a worm in your bottle of mezcal, either — though touted as a bit of a marketing gimmick, certain mezcal producers add in a worm (often the parasite that feeds on the agave plants, and is dug up during the harvest) in their bottle as proof of the spirit.
While mezcal might be from the same agave spirit family as tequila, its taste profile leans closer towards whisky, with its smoky, spicy flavours. This means they work well in traditional whisky-based cocktails or in creamy cocktails with a bitter note.
“Most of our mezcals are available as either joven, reposado or añejo, and we serve them accompanied by an orange wedge with sal de gusano (crushed worm salt) and sangrita (a non-alcoholic chaser made with Seville orange juice and chilli powder) - the traditional way!” says Gutkowski.
Mezcal goes extremely well with Mexican food such as traditional carnitas and fresh guacamole.
As a popular Mexican saying goes, “Para todo mal, Mezcal! Y Para todo bien, tambien!” — for every bad, drink mezcal; and for every good, as well.
