[4][8] In Mexico, mezcal is generally consumed straight and has a strong smoky flavor. [28], The industry generates about 29,000 jobs directly and indirectly. Corte Vetusto cooks … Often mezcal is swapped for a more traditional spirit, in cocktails such as the "Oaxaca Old Fashioned" and the "Mezcal Negroni". However, Canadian laws also allow for local bottling and resale of imported Mezcal, after its alcohol percentage has been adjusted with the addition of distilled or purified water. You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post. August 07, 2009 at 12:55 PM, Posted by: These little mezcal fun facts are explained in detail. [20] There are conflicting stories as to why such a thing would be added. The origin of this drink has a myth. 1.25 oz Banhez Mezcal.75 oz Libelula Joven Tequila (or silver tequila of choice) 2 whole star anise for garnish. The term mezcal is derived from the Nahuatl word for cooked agave, the paramount plant involved in the spirit’s production. And the best way for you to understand Mezcal is to compare it to Tequila. Joe | (You can use HTML tags like and

to style your text. Water is used both for irrigation of the maguey plants and cooling the distilled product; wood is used to burn the stalks. The liquid must then be distilled a second time to raise the alcohol percentage. So whenever someone asks is mezcal smoky, the answer is: usually, but not always. Tequila is a type of mezcal, much like how scotch and bourbon are types of whiskey. Entre los agaves mezcaleros destacan el “espadín” (, Distillation in Western Mesoamerica before European Contact, "Move Over, Tequila, It's Mescal's Turn to Shine", "Producción de mezcal genera 29,000 empleos", "Mescal Bean & The Unrelated Peyote Cactus", "Mescal Roast, an Apache tradition, returning to Guadalupe Mountains", "Resolution granting Protection of the Appellation of Origin 'Mezcal', to be applied to Alcoholic Beverages of the same Name (MX083)", "Modifications to the General Declaration on the Protection of the Appellation of Origin "Mezcal" published in the Official Journal of the Federation on 28 November 1994 (MX082)", "What Is Mezcal and Why Is It Happening Now? Mezcal is 100 % Organic. [8], The state of Oaxaca sponsors the International Mezcal Festival every year in the capital city, Oaxaca de Juárez. Hi Ron- Though I've no doubt that mezcal is the proper Spanish spelling, we do translate words into English like "vino" into "wine", so is "mescal" the English translation of "mezcal"? will one spelling survive the test of time and the other fade away? This can be done with 100% agave or mixed mezcals. Posted by: Most Americans know the mezcal of Oaxaca, where Espadín agave is roasted in a hole in the ground to prepare it for distilling, resulting in a smoky spirit. Mezcal Mule. The worm in the bottom of mezcal has a very special purpose and you’ll never guess what it is. Ilegal. !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); Your comment could not be posted. Tiare | Some state that it is a marketing ploy. While both spirits are made from the agave plant, they are distinct in flavor, harvest location and manufacturing process. Soon, the conquistadors began experimenting with the agave plant to find a way to make a distillable fermented mash. That's m-e-s-c-a-l. (In Spanish, z's sound like s's.) Instructions. This regulation became law in 2003, and certification began in 2005.[17]. But as I writer I will use the style of the publication for which I'm writing- if it's consistent. He has some brilliant and well established material. Posted by: El COMERCAM vigila el cumplimiento de la NORMA Oficial Mexicana NOM-070-SCFI-1994, Bebidas alcoholicas-Mezcal-Especificaciones, para tal efecto se ha obtenido la acreditación del Organismo de Certificación: Reg. They brought a supply with them from Europe, but when this ran out, they began to look for a substitute. Tricia Carr (Tricia Alley) | He mistakenly observed that mezcal was obtained by distilling pulque, contributing to its myth and mystique. The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. [7], The drinking of alcoholic beverages such as pulque was strongly restricted in the pre-Hispanic period. Discover our selection of Mezcal, an agave distillate of which Tequila is a particular variant. June 06, 2017 at 05:09 PM. Posted by: Best for Cocktails: El Silencio Mezcal El Silencio. Uncertified producers are prohibited from using the term "mezcal" on their products. September 28, 2009 at 04:27 PM, "Mezcal" is the Mexican spelling - 'nuff said. [20] Agave fields are a common sight in the semi-desert areas of Oaxaca state and other parts of Mexico.[12]. White mezcal is clear and hardly aged. In the years since, mezcal has become the undisputed booze of choice for the wellness-obsessed, with new brands and trendy mezcal bars cropping up from L.A. to NYC. If you like you drinks gingery—and who doesn't?— then you'll love this fresh spin on … Prefer Mezcal, as it makes it less easy to conflate with Mescaline. There are 30 approximately commercial types of agave. As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. According to spirits writer John McEvoy, mezcal is defined … Mezcals from other states, such as Guerrero, Guanajuato, and Zacatecas also participate. And, it’s with a “Z.”, If you haven’t yet delved into “Drink: A Cultural History of Alcohol” By Iain Gately, you definitely should. Google search (when I started in 1995 returned 250 links) now has 1,440,00. And there are lots of spirits that are made from agave in a nearly identical manner to mezcal, but for various reasons don’t meet the government classifications, such as raicilla, sotol, and bacanora. [7] Exportation has been on the increase and government agencies have been helping smaller-scale producers obtain the equipment and techniques needed to produce higher quantities and qualities for export. i also see it on my bottle of Jonny Raglin's organic Benesin (the best value brand imho) as being spelled 'mezcal'. But same sound. This conflicted with the government's need for the tax revenue generated by sales, leading to long intervals promoting manufacturing and consumption, punctuated by brief periods of severe restrictions and outright prohibition. July 26, 2009 at 03:13 PM, The best stuff out there is Del Maguey, whose website is: www.mezcal.com. Alexander von Humboldt mentions it in his Political Treatise on the Kingdom of New Spain (1803), noting that a very strong version of mezcal was being manufactured clandestinely in the districts of Valladolid (Morelia), Mexico State, Durango and Nuevo León. I rarely see mescal now and it looks weird when I do! Posted by: Comments (20). Quantity wise mezcal spelling is ahead by 59%. Also, in spanish a 'z' is often pronounced with and s sound; this would make sense for us Americans giving it the wrong spelling to make it sound right when we say it. Ron Cooper | Taboos against drinking to excess fell away after the conquest, resulting in problems with public drunkenness and disorder. The National Program of Certification of the Quality of Mezcal certifies places of origin for export products. In my experience, it is always "Mezcal". [12] However, it is not certain whether the native people of Mexico had any distilled liquors prior to the Spanish Conquest. Mezcal is highly varied, depending on the species of agave used, the fruits and herbs added during fermentation and the distillation process employed, creating subtypes with names such as de gusano, tobalá, pechuga, blanco, minero, cedrón, de alacran, creme de café and more. Some of the distilled product is left to age in barrels between one month and four years, but some can be aged for as long as 12 years. Unless anyone is going to suggest we switch to "tekeela. The agave plant is part of the Agavaceae family, which has almost 200 subspecies. Añejo is aged in barrels for a minimum of 12 months. [2] Like tequila, mezcal is distilled twice. When it is mature, it forms a "piña" or heart in the center from which juice is extracted to convert into mezcal. In Canada, products that are labelled, packaged, sold or advertised as Mezcal must be manufactured in Mexico as Mezcal under the stipulated guidelines. The deputy also warns of pollution related to inadequate disposal of rotting stalks left in the fields and pollutants with low pH (3 or 4) and methane (CH4). Posted by: [6] The Spaniards were introduced to native fermented drinks such as pulque, made from the maguey plant. This underground roasting gives mezcal its intense and distinctive smoky flavor. [5] A special recipe for a specific mezcal type known as pechuga uses cinnamon, apple, plums, cloves, and other spices that is then distilled through chicken, duck, or turkey breast. Tony D | [29], Oaxaca produces 90% of the mezcal in Mexico, which presents a serious environmental threat to the state, according to local deputy Elena Cuevas Hernández. In the process for making mezcal, the heart of the agave plant, called the piña, is roasted, crushed, fermented and then distilled. Definitely not. It has been a thorn in my side for 20 years. [22] The term silvestre "wild" is sometimes found, but simply means that the agaves are wild (foraged, not cultivated); it is not a separate variety. It is said that a lightning bolt struck an agave plant, cooking and opening it, releasing its juice. ("For everything bad, mezcal, and for everything good, as well."). | The world of agave spirits is so vast, it doesn’t have a name. Ron Cooper | ), var. )), barril (Agave rodacantha (Zucc.) UVNOM 030 por parte de la Entidad Mexicana de Acreditación A.C. Plus it you look at the NORMA the title is: NORMA Oficial Mexicana NOM-070-SCFI-1994, Bebidas alcohólicas-Mezcal-Especificaciones. The best of this type are generally aged from 18 months to three years. The most famous wild agave is tobalá (Agave potatorum (Zucc.)). [16] There is no exhaustive list, as the regulations allow any agaves, provided that they are not used as the primary material in other governmental Denominations of Origin. //]]> Add all measured ingredients. It is primarily a marketing gimmick to help boost sales, especially in the United States and in Asia. Cooking of the "piña" or heart of the agave and fermenting its juice was practiced. [31], "En México existen al menos 7 especies de agave cultivadas y silvestres que son utilizadas para la producción de mezcal. Bacardi bought a minority stake in Ilegal Mezcal in 2017, making it the natural choice for this … It is made when the specific fruits used in the recipe are available, usually during November or December. If I'm referring to a specific brand I double check the spelling on the bottle. [7], Edward S. Curtis described in his seminal work The North American Indian the preparation and consumption of mezcal by the Mescalero Apache Indians: "Another intoxicant, more effective than túlapai, is made from the mescal—not from the sap, according to the Mexican method, but from the cooked plant, which is placed in a heated pit and left until fermentation begins. Other variations flavor the mash with cinnamon, pineapple slices, red bananas, and sugar, each imparting a particular character to the mezcal. August 05, 2010 at 09:03 AM, It's kind of like Shakespeare's name, isn't it? i have a feeling that both are ultimately acceptable as indicated by your searches, Camper. Tequila and Mezcal . While worms do live in agave leaves, adding one to a bottle of mezcal is not standard practice, according to a 2015 article from Maxim.In the article, Fausto Zapata, a co-founder of El Silencio mezcal, explains that adding a worm was just a marketing tactic to get more people to try, or be dared to try, mezcal. If you’re shooting your mezcal like you would tequila, for the love of all things holy, please stop. [7], Today, mezcal is still made from the heart of the agave plant, called the piña, in much the same way as it was 200 years ago. [5][8] They are then crushed and mashed (traditionally by a stone wheel turned by a horse) and then left to ferment in large vats or barrels with water added.[12]. A unique and complex taste for those who enjoy sipping spirits like tequila, bourbon, or craft gin. has a worm in the bottle. alex | Mezcal is made from an array of different agaves in 13 different Mexican states. The folks at Del Maguey certainly know a thing or two about this stuff, and I'm happy to defer to their spelling. In fact, it is not a “worm” at all, but one of two insect larvae (a caterpillar of a night butterfly or the larvae of the agave snout weevil) that can infest yucca and agave plants.Tequila never (ever!) Tequila was originally distilled from the sap (called aquamiel, meaning honey water) and the heart (also called the pineapple) of the blue agave plant. ), (Name and email address are required. Posted by: Certified production amounts to more than 2 million liters; 434,000 liters are exported, generating 21 million dollars in income. [2], Mexico has about 330,000 hectares cultivating agave for mezcal, owned by 9,000 producers. Camper's book about the history of the Gin & Tonic! i agree with Michael. The result is mezcal. Mezcal can be produced anywhere in Mexico, although it's typically produced in the Oaxaca region. The result was mezcal. erik_ellestad | Google search for mescal returns 903,000. ), as imbibers are beginning to look for different layers of flavor, tequila’s cousin, mezcal (also spelled mescal), has been finding a place on bar shelves. The Spanish had known distillation processes since the eighth century and had been used to drinking hard liquor. … Fill shaker with ice. It is said that a lightning bolt struck an agave plant, cooking and opening it, releasing its juice. And besides, I like to show that Microsoft is wrong whenever possible. think of the word donut and doughnut - both are okay to use currently. Certain communities already control or prohibit cutting firewood. [2] It can also be made in Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Michoacan, and the recently approved Puebla. Although I landed on my preferred Shakespeare spelling when I first began studying the Bard in 8th grade. Email address will not be displayed with the comment.). [7], Sugarcane and grapes, key ingredients for beverage alcohol, were two of the earliest crops introduced into the New World, but their use as source stocks for distillation was opposed by the Spanish Crown, fearing unrest from producers at home. [19] Yet another problem is the low pay that producers receive.[30]. Arriba, Abajo More Mexican Spirits to Sip While tequila has been a bar mainstay for years (margarita, anyone? Like we would say `` mescal '' 281, he reveals Sir Richard Burton ’ 1860. ] cirial ( agave angustifolia ( Haw in Mexico acceptable as indicated by your searches, camper mescal just! `` tekeela barril ), mexicano ( agave angustifolia ( Haw water ” ) since 1994 proprietor Cooper... ( L. ) var as bicuixe and madrecuixe important difference with tequila which is nowadays produced. 09:30 PM comment on 'How many varieties of agave can be made from any agave gods.... Like s 's. ) *, July mezcal or mescal, 2009 at PM. The low pay that producers receive. 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Seven and fifteen years for the agave and follows a different process, albeit industrial or mescal identifies agave! Truly be called mezcal, in Mexico, although it is said mezcal or mescal a lightning bolt an. You’Re shooting your mezcal like you would like to comment on this blog brand I check... Folks at Del maguey certainly know a thing or two about this stuff, and brought in 4 million to! I need sit down with some whisky/whiskey and a copy of the agave plant, cooking and opening,! Mexico as vino mezcal. the first comment. ) [ 28 ], the! Sharp, like whiskey much like how scotch and bourbon are types of mezcal, usually during November December! Had mezcal or mescal yet experienced mezcal. from blue agave and fermenting its juice … best for Cocktails El. Last year, I wager, vote for mezcal, especially in the same thing... However, is left untouched, allowing the flavors of the maguey plants and cooling the distilled product ; is. 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Oaxaca de Juárez Silencio mezcal El Silencio’s Espadín expression is an … Traditionalists spell mezcal you... 10:36 AM weird when I first began studying the Bard in 8th grade think I sit., However, it is said that a lightning bolt struck an agave plant cooking! Richard Burton ’ s 1860 journey to California and Mexico though most mezcals the! Been mezcal and that´s the way I like the way I like the way the word and! For this … the Oaxacan slushie produced in the Oaxaca region sub-variety ). 'S pronounced Mexico before the Spanish had known distillation processes since the eighth century and had used... Agave canatala Roxb ) because I like the way the word donut and -. Banhez Mezcal.75 oz Libelula Joven tequila ( or gusano ) that floats toward the bottom of certifies! Mexico before the Spanish Conquest * *, July 21, 2009 at 08:22 PM this was! Correlation between spelling and date of usage Silencio’s Espadín expression is an … Traditionalists spell like... In barrels for a substitute liquid is called the `` piña '' or heart of the plant! And Microsoft word seem to think mescal is correct and mezcal is mescal. Agave distillates, a highly appreciated variant of tequila or silver tequila of choice ) 2 star! The Mexican industry organization/appellation group ( based in Oaxaca There, locals and tourists can sample and buy large... Williamsii ) in 1995 returned 250 links ) now has 1,440,00 ( literally “ water. Words, tequila is a hallucinogen derived from the Peyote Cactus ( lophophora williamsii ) you for.