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Mezcal
Mezcal is a traditional Mexican spirit, made 100% of agave plant. It usually has high degrees of alcohol up to 55°.
Learn more about the types of mezcal, how to make it and more here
Mezcaleria
The popularity of mezcalerías is increasing in Mexico and worldwide. There are even bars in Europe with such a name but, what is a mezcalería?
The suffix ‘ria’ in Spanish indicates a place where something is made or processed. For example, shoes are zapato and a place where shoes are fixed is a zapatería.
In the field of mezcal, a mezcalería is a place specialized in offering various kinds of mezcales, where you can find one of each type.
As you may have guessed, mezcalería is a given name to a mezcal conceptualized bar. They usually have Mexican styled architecture known as colonial which is the architecture trend used during when New Spain (Mexico nowadays) was controlled by Spain.
Another element is the music they play, which is usually cumbia, tropical vibes or latin american rhythms. Paralellely, they tend to organize events with genders drastically different such as house or techno. In the end, Mexican culture is versatile, open to changes!
Mezcal Cocktails
Ofrenda cocktail
This cocktail has a seasonal purpose, it was created during the “Día de Muertos” (Day of the Death).
Ingredients:
- Mezcal
- Traditional skull made of sugar
- Ashes of traditional pan de muerto (bread of the death)
- Anise
- Cempasúchil sirup
Viva Negroni
- Mezcal
- Martini Rubino
- Martini Bitter,
- Corajillo
Mezcal and tequila
It is common to believe that mezcal and tequila are the same. Although they come from the same plant, they are made of rather different processes and contexts. In a few words below I highlight the main differences.
First of all, mezcal is always a 100% made of agave, while tequila could be made with just 50%, in this case is popular to have the other half made of sugar cane (that is much cheaper than agave and makes you proner to be hungover the day after).
Secondly, tequila is always made of agave azul, while mezcal can be made up to 20 different species of agaves such as espadín, tobalá, tepeztate, madre cuishe, etc.
Thirdly, the geographical denomination between tequila and mezcal is different. Mezcal can be produced in the states of Oaxaca, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Michoacán, San Luis Potosí, Puebla Tamaulipas and Zacatecas.
Mezcal Worm
Some mezcal brands decide to add mezcal worms into the bottle. These worms grow in the agave plant and are also used for traditional cuisine. Arguably, the reason why some producers decide to add such insects in the beverage is that it provides it with a more sophisticated flavour…
There are two undebatable reasons why mezcals have worms in their bottles
- Because in the past it was a way to differentiate between tequila and mezcal (a tequila bottle is never going to contain a worm inside).
- For marketing purposes: some producers believe that it is an attractive feature of mezcal. They might be right in the fact that it awakens curiosity in some customers but it could at the same time be undesirable to others.
Something to highlight is that mezcal orthodoxes claim that adding a worm into the mezcal bottle is just a way of hiding the impurities of bad-made mezcal and they might be right, otherwise, why would you add an insect into such a complex beverage?
Recognizing a good mezcal
I believe the best way to explain how to recognize a good mezcal is by providing an example. In this case, I would like to describe the characteristics of Tío David.
Learn here about the mezcal brands that do not comply with the Mexican rules of mezcal.
How is Tío David made?
- Selection of magueys: collected and cropped from a hill. Aged from 7 to 10 years and leaving only the piñas (centre of the plant) for the creation of mezcal.
- Cooking: Horno cónico (conic oven). They dig a hole where the piñas are put together with stones and firewood for 8 hours.
- Grinding: Tahona grind. This is a rounded boulder which is dragged by horses or donkeys.
- Fermentation: Once the grinding is done, it is put into wooden tubs together with spring water for about 8 days. Such water provides a fuller taste due to the minerals playing a part in the natural fermentation without chemical accelerators.
- Distillation: copper alembic. By doing two distillations, Tío David reduces the two unwanted edges of the beverage. In the first distillation, the puntas (edges) with above 59° are eliminated. During the second distillation, the cola (tail) with a very low alcoholic content is removed. The result is a balanced taste!
Alcohol percentage
Independently of personal preferences, an indicator of the pureness of mezcal is the alcohol percentage. The higher, the more mezcal in the liquid and the more expensive it is.
From a personal point of view, a low degree of mezcal (35% – 42%) does not taste good if drank alone, as the agave flavour is diluted and you perceive a stronger ethilic taste. Low alcohol percentage mezcals are not bad, their suggested use is for cocktail making.
On the contrary, if you want to try the full flavour of an agave within a mezcal, try with a high alcohol percentage, up to 50%. Just be careful, as it might not taste as strong but it will completely get you drunk.
If what you want is a mezcal that you can drink alone and in cocktails, you could be looking at a middle point alcohol percentage mezcal, which could be 45%.
Aging of the agave
The optimate aging of the agave is between 7 and 10 years. It is important to stress that if the agave is not mature enough, the beverage will not have enough sugars for the transformation into alcohol when distilling it. Download our International Trade Checklist for a complete overview of documentation, tariffs and customs requirements.
Where to buy mezcal?
If you are a casual drinker, then you can always visit your local liquor store. Additionally, there are several websites of retailers all across Europe that decide to sell mezcal online. The last option, and the most recommended, is to go to a mezcalería. There, you can always ask for the mezcal that best fits your taste.
For those who want to distribute it all across Europe, the best option is to import it
. We will be happy to share with you the mezcal’s competitive costs, as well as to help you sort the import process!
You can get to know the basics of importing mezcal in this post.
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About the author
Óscar Iván Pérez Silva is a specialist in foreign direct investment, public affairs and international trade in Latin America. He is the director of exoap, where he works on the structuring of investment projects, regulatory analysis and market entry strategies for international companies, with a focus on Mexico and Colombia.
