Mezcal historically was the broad term for distilled alcoholic products derived from cooked agave hearts (piñas).  Mezcals can be made from a wide mixture of agave varieties and show strong regional distinctions. These liquors are generally 40-60% ABV. 

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Production Process:

Considered the mother of tequila and a broader conception of the distillation of agave spirits. It is made in nearly all of Mexico’s thirty one states but is only legally recognized in seven of them, with Oaxaca being a cultural mecca.  It is typically made with wild agaves and, unlike modern tequila, harvested by the same hands that cook, ferment, and distill the mezcal.  The wild agave (primarily the espadin variety) hearts are roasted in underground pits where they are covered by smoldering wood logs, which gives it its distinct “smokey” flavor.  These caramelized piñas are then mashed in a stone mill or beaten by a club. The liquid (aguamiel) is then fermented in open wooden tanks with the piña fibers. This fermented product is then distilled in very small batch copper stills to create a higher proof spirit. 

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Legal Definition: Designated product of origin. Must be produced with 100% agave from the states of Oaxaca, Guerrero, Durango, San Luis Potosi, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Tamaulipas, Michoacan, and Puebla.  Based on recently passed new regulation, there are three categories depending on how it is produced:​

• Mezcal: includes any industrially produced mezcal where piñas can be cooked above or below ground and utilize modern machinery to cook and crush the agave.  The fermentation can occur in stainless steel, wood, stone containers and distilled in copper or continuous columns.

• Artisanal Mezcal. A more restrictive categorization, this covers producers who cook piñas in pit ovens or brick wells.  Producers can mill the hearts in modern machinery, but there still is an emphasis on wooden or hand milling. Fermentation more closely resembles the traditional method as it is done in wood / stone containers or in animal skins (which change the taste profile).  Distillation is required to be over direct fire in copper or clay stills. 

• Ancestral Mezcal: This categorization most closely aligns to the historical production process, restricting roasting to be done in direct-fire pit ovens and requiring hand crushing in stone or wooden mills. The agave sap (aguamiel) can be fermented in wooden, clay , or stone vats, with the agave fibers unfiltered. Distillation must occur through direct-fire clay stills with wooden or clay still tops.

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Types of Mezcal -what do these all mean? ​

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• Blanco (white): unaged spirit.

• Reposado (rested): stored in barrels for between 2 to 12 months                                                     

• Anejo (aged): stored in barrels for 12+ months 

• Madurado (glass matured): this category bottles ancestral mezcal to mature in glass bottles.

• Distilado con (distilled with): the mezcal is redistilled with fruits, grains, or raw meats (most commonly chicken or turkey breast for pechuga styles) for additional flavor and different complexity.

• Abocado con (flavoured with): mezcals that are macerated or flavored with flavor essences, or with an added worm after distillation.

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Industrialization of the trade: Government designations have been better at trying to maintain traditional practices by creating distinct categorizations of mezcal by their manufacturing process.  

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Environmental / Production Issues: Certain international investors have begun industrializing mezcal brands to increase production volume, thus starting the process that transformed the tequila industry.

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Friends of Xoma: These are brands that maintain the traditional forms of producing tequila and sustainable agriculture of blue agave plants.

 

 

VIDEO EXPLANATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSEMddNRE-8