Mezcal - Part 1
A few months ago, a friend asked me if I had moved from Tequilla to Mezcal. I told him no, I still liked Tequilla, but I was enjoying Mezcal too. After all, there are some incredible tequilas like Casa Dragones, Código, Don Julio 1942 and Fortaleza Still Strength just to name a few. However, I lied! Mezcal has become more diverse and therefore more interesting to me than Tequila.
You see Tequila is a Mezcal. Named after the town of Tequila, it is limited single agave mezcal made from the Blue Agave from states around Guadalajara. Its parent distillate, Mezcal, can be made from almost 50 different types of Agaves from areas of Durango all the way to the Guatemalan border. And similarly, as with wine, there are many blends of agave called, “assemblage”. Mezcal’s diversity is unparalleled. In fact, because tequila is limited to one agave, producers have introduced different stages of barrel ageing (Ex. Blanco, Reposado, Anejo) so they can offer more than one bottling. This process is frowned upon in Oaxaca, they feel that the rich nuances of the Mezcal shouldn’t be masked by oak.
So how did Tequila branch itself off and become the huge empire that it is today (Jose Cuervo produces about 4 million cases annually) while Mezcal remains the boutique artisan distilled liquor mostly from Oaxaca. A brief Mexican history lesson should clear things up:
Pulque (wine from agave sap) was made as long ago as 2000 BC. Of course, nothing was distilled until the Europeans brought over their simple alembic stills. Hundreds of years ago a method was created where the agave was roasted in barbacoa pits to release the sugars so they could be fermented with its own wild yeast. The resulting wine could and was distilled to very high alcohols and Mezcal was born. However, the high alcohol content made everyone crazy, so the government made all agave spirits illegal. Though it remained illegal for quite some time, Mezcal had already ingrained itself in the Oaxacan culture. It was used for holidays, weddings, and any other kind of celebration, even after futbol matches as I found out. Mezcal continued to be produced (bootlegged) and became very popular among Mexicans. Its production outgrew the small and poor market of Oaxaca. Bringing it up north to sell in the more populated and richer areas was the answer. This is where the town of Tequila came in.
Fun fact: Tequilla is considered the birthplace of the Mariachi Musicians.
Tequila is a town very close to Guadalajara, the second biggest city in Mexico, and in the 1900s became the perfect place to market agave spirits even though it was still illegal. As you might imagine, it was only a matter of time until the Mexican government figured out that they were losing out on a lot of tax revenue. Finally, in 1977 they decided to legalize Mezcal, name it after the now famous town of Tequila, regulate it, and of course tax it. To maximize tax revenues, it was agreed upon to make it a law that Tequila could only be made from the blue agave. This was an excellent agave that was a good producer because it had a large pina and only took 6-8 years to mature. Other agaves had much smaller pinas and took as much as twice the time to mature. The blue agave was also easily cultivated while other agaves were mostly wild. Obviously, the growth of the tequila industry and its taxes was in good hands with this agave.
Meanwhile, all other spirits were still illegal, and producers were exiled back mostly to Oaxaca and Guerrero bootlegging. These tiny producers were almost always generational family affairs producing Lots that were one or two hundred bottles at a time using the most rudimentary methods. They also made the most natural product where most of the agave was wild utilizing its own wild yeast and used only fire and river water.
With the combination of incredible handmade quality, ancestral natural processes and a world of diverse flavors, present day interest in Mezcal has skyrocketed. The Mexican government finally made it legal in 1994 and regulated it not by agave but by how the Mezcals are made. There are 3 levels of Mezcal: Industrial, Artisan, and Ancestral.
Stay tuned, in Mezcal Part 2 I will discuss these 3 levels along with the many varieties of Agave. I will look at some brands that I like and discuss the many myths and customs of Mezal. Until then, enjoy one of my favorite Mezcal cocktails!
Cheers,
Chris
Mezcalita
Ingredients:
- 2 oz mezcal
- 1 oz lime juice
- 1/2 oz orange liqueur
- 1/2 oz agave syrup
- Salt for the rim
- Lime wedge for garnish
Instructions:
- Start by salting the rim of your rocks glass. Rub a lime wedge around the edge and dip it into salt.
- In your shaker, combine mezcal, lime juice, orange liqueur, and agave syrup with ice.
- Shake well until the outside of the shaker feels cold.
- Strain the mix into your prepared glass filled with fresh ice.
- Garnish with a lime wedge. Enjoy!