What Is Mezcal? A Delicious Mexican Spirit

If you've ever been to a bar in the Western world, then you have probably had mezcal before. Mezcal is one of many distilled drinks that can be found on any shelf or menu, but what is it exactly?

The mezcal was discovered in Mexico and accounts for about 70% of Mexican alcoholic beverages sales. Mextli or mexatl is a Nahuatl word that means "agave" so meztli is what the Aztecs called mezcal which meant "the drink of gods". The first historical document mentioning mezcals dates back to 1531 when Hernan Cortez contacted Moctezuma Ilhuicamina, an Aztec king who told him that mezcals were exclusive for noble people and priests and demanded one thousand jugs of mezcal being prepared for his coronation. The mezcal was used by Mexicans as an offering to the gods during prayers and Mexican nuns were also known to drink mezcal, its fermentation process is similar to that of the chicha, an alcoholic beverage made from corn that was discovered in Peru. Nowadays Mexicans are known to drink mezcals with lime juice squeezed over it, ice cubes, and salt.

Tequila and mezcal are both distilled spirits that can be made from a variety of different types of fruits, including grapes, plums, pineapple, and barley. Tequila is a type of mezcal that is specifically produced in the town of Tequila in the state of Jalisco in Mexico. Mezcal can also be produced in other areas outside Jalisco such as Durango. In fact, mezcal has been around for over 500 years longer than tequila.

Mezcal is a drink that originated from Mexico and is made from cooked agave, which gives it a distinct flavour compared to tequila which uses the blue agave plant instead. Tequila actually has more similarities with mezcal than differences; both are made with Agavaceas (a family of plants containing over 200 known species) and they're both distilled twice. However there are some important differences between mezcal and tequila, mainly how they are produced; tequila is only made from Agave tequilana whereas mezcal can be made with any type of agave, including tequila's closest relative Agave cupreata.

Another difference between mezcal and tequila is that you can make mezcal without using an oven or even refining the sugars in the plant's sap to turn it into what we know as 'agave juice'. This gives mezcal a smokier taste than its cousin tequila, but it also means it cannot be considered 100% blue agave. This makes mezcal more like Tequila's unruly little brother; they're related but still different.

Mezcal is typically distilled in clay pots known as 'barriles' whereas tequila is typically distilled in copper pots. This not only gives mezcal a smokier taste but also means that mezcal oxidises faster than tequila.

Another difference between mezcal and tequila is the production process; tequila uses shredded cooked agave while mezcal uses whole cooked agave. This gives mezcal its trademark 'buzz' when you drink it straight because of all the little bits of agave that go down your throat (just like with eating fresh pineapple).

Mezcal has an average ABV of around 40% while tequila's ABV is usually between 35-40%. Since mezcals are generally made from lower-quality plants, they need to be distilled a second time in order to get rid of all the parts that would cause problems when drinking them. Tequila only has one distillation since the sugars have been refined before going into the still which leaves fewer impurities in the tequila. Mezcal is a distilled alcoholic beverage that is obtained from the "agave Mexicana" plant. The mezcal is different from tequila because it is made with another kind of agave and most mezcals are made in small batches.

• mezcal is usually a colorless clear spirit but there are other types such as gold and black.
• mezcals have unique flavours due to differences in production techniques and raw materials.
• mezcal is mostly made in the state of Oaxaca and has the D.O mezcal certification.

Some famous personalities who have declared their passion for mezcals are:

- Frida Kahlo considered her Mexican identity reflected through mezcal; she usually drank Oaxacan mezcals all her life; she even painted the image of a drunken mezcal in her famous painting "the mezcal".

- Diego Rivera was also mezcal's admirer and he always drank mezcals in his famous restaurant in Mexico City.

- Andres Calamaro, a famous Argentinian singer, declared that mezcal is necessary for him to write songs; he used mezcals as inspiration when writing one of his albums.

- The Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes wrote about mezcals and how they are the "color of fire" which represents passion. Carlos Fuentes said that mezcals keep our hearts warm.

- The most recent aficionado is the Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal who became interested in mezcals after visiting Mexico and Oaxaca.

- The Mexican actor Diego Luna is another mezcal fan, he has traveled several times to Mexico to learn about mezcals and their preparation, he even tried his hand at producing mezcals.

- The Mexican writer Octavio Paz said that mezcals are a manifestation of the rhythm of death and life which means that they have been prepared from dead hearts but it always comes back to life when drinking them.

- Carlos Monsiváis, a famous Mexican essayist, compared mezcal drinkers to members of a secret sect because they prefer not to talk about where mezcals come from.

- The Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal said that mezcals are the fruit of Mexican labor which makes them unique compared to other mezcals.

- Diego Rivera painted mezcal as a symbol of Mexican identity, he portrayed mezcals as having human shapes with arms and legs, sometimes wearing traditional clothes.

- Frida Kahlo said that she preferred Oaxacan mezcals because they tasted better than jarocho mezcals.

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