How does mezcal differ from tequila?
Although both are exclusively made in Mexico and distilled from roasted agaves, tequila can only use the Blue Weber variety and must be distilled in the town of Tequila in Jalisco and four other specifically designated Mexican states: Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. On the other hand, Mezcal—which was not recognized by the Mexican government until 1994—can be made in any of nine specified Mexican states, primarily in Oaxaca, but also in Durango, Michoacán, Tamaulipas, Guanajuato, Guerrero, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas and Puebla. In addition, approximately 40 different varieties of agave—many growing wild—can be used to make Mezcal, unlike most of tequila’s cultivated Blue Weber agaves.
Why is mezcal smoky?
But mezcal‘s real standout characteristic is the way it is produced. Unlike tequila, in which the piñas or hearts of the agaves are steam-cooked in ovens, the piñas of mezcal agaves are fire-roasted by burning wood or charcoal in open stone or brick-lined pits, or palenques, which are covered with palm leaves or other native plant materials for three to four days to condense the smoke (“mezcal” roughly translates as “roasted agave”). This is what gives mezcal is smoky countenance, much like drying malted barley over burning peat is what gives Islay single malts their smoky flavors.
How should you drink mezcal?
“Don’t shoot the mezcal!” is sage advice by knowledgeable aficionados south of the border, because despite its hearty flavors, mezcal is not a spirit to be knocked back in one gulp. Rather, it should be sipped slowly—traditionally in a small earthen copita or a vaso veladora (votive cup)—to gradually discover and savor the many nuances of flavor that different mezcals offer.
“There is a saying in Mexico, ‘Treat both women and mezcal with respect and kisses,’ which means to appreciate mezcal you need to take small sips—like kisses—to properly taste it,” says Paola Magalí Segovia Arce, a master mezcalier who oversees 250 mezcals at Bakan Wynwood Mexican Restaurant in Miami, Florida, “And always accompany your mezcal with a bit of water between tastings, to cleanse the palate and hydrate.”
Unlike other spirits, mezcal should be served at room temperature. Chilling it dulls mezcal’s many natural flavor congeners. In Mexico, they often follow each sip with a slice of orange or grapefruit sprinkled with smoked sotal plant ashes or gusanos de maguey (salt mixed with pulverized agave larva; stateside, you may opt to use kosher or lava salt mixed with a small pinch of chili powder instead).
How did I choose the mezcals on this list?
Believe it or not, the first thing I did was to see if they were readily available on the internet. Because if you can’t get it, what’s the point? Unlike most imported tequilas, where production is structured on a relatively large scale, many mezcals are small individual or family-run operations, and unless they are fortunate enough to have marketing and distribution connections, you may never find them on this side of the Rio Grande. But then comes the all-important element of taste. The degree of smokiness is not the deciding factor; while some of the best mezcals thunder out of the bottle with domineering smoke, other superbly crafted mezcals offer just a faint whiff. It’s the flavor beneath the smoke that matters most.
I start by nosing the liquid directly from the bottle, as that small opening provides an initial—although rudimentary—concentration of each mezcal’s personality. Then I pour a small amount into a Glencairn tasting glass and do a sniff, sip and spit routine, not actually swallowing the liquid but by “breathing” it though the nose, as there are far more taste receptors in our noses than in our mouths. Only then can I dissect more of the flavors, which are often hidden underneath mezcal’s varying degrees of smokiness.
Why should you trust us?
Richard Carleton Hacker has been writing about spirits, restaurants, wines and cigars for over forty years and has written for Robb Report since 1995. His work has also appeared in numerous other lifestyle magazines, including Playboy, The Quarterly Review of Wines, Tasting Panel, and Somm Journal. In addition, he served for 10 years as a judge and team captain for the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. He has authored 11 books, was knighted in Germany, is an honorary member of numerous whisky and wine societies, and has traveled the world visiting countless distilleries in Scotland, France, Italy and, of course, Mexico.
