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Meet your new best friend: Mezcal. This earthy Mexican spirit is a close relative of tequila (like a sexier, smoky-smelling cousin who knows more about sex than you). Although both are made from agave, mezcal is the umbrella term for all spirits using the spiny plant commonly found in Mexico. Ready to get to know your new friend? Like how to pronounce it (when you’re slurring your words), where its flavor comes from (so you can sound smart in a bar) and what the hell is up with that wormy thing in the bottle. We have everything here to satisfy your thirst for knowledge, except of course, the mezcal.
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Mezcal Images
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It’s pronounced with an 'S' instead of a 'Z.'
There’s a reason you’ll see mezcal spelled ‘mescal’ on some menus. That’s because it’s the way it’s actually supposed to be pronounced and traditionalists like to spell it that way. So, next time you order it, pronounce it was an ‘s’ so you don’t look like a noob.
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Real mezcal comes from one area.
Just like Champagne needs to be made in the Champagne region of France and cognac needs to be made in Cognac, real Mezcal must be produced in one of eight specific states in Mexico. The most well-known is Oaxaca.
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Mezcal is similar to tequila.
On paper, mezcal seems very similar to tequila. The main difference is that mezcal can be made from more than 30 different varieties of agave plant, while tequila can only be made from blue agave.
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There’s a reason mezcal is smoky while tequila isn’t.
While tequila and mezcal share many similarities, one of the biggest differences is flavor. Mezcal is smoky while tequila isn’t. That’s because of the different production methods. Tequila is made from oven cooked (or steamed) agave. Mezcal agave is cooked underground in fire pits.
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There’s no worm in the bottle (sort of).
Technically, some bottles of mezcal contain something that looks like a worm. But, it’s actually a larva. The two kinds of larvae are maguey and red. One lives in the agave root itself while the other can be found on the leaves. There’s no real reason why they’re added to some brands. There’s some confusion about the larva being added to tequila. But, it’s actually only found in mezcal bottles.
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The larva won’t make you hallucinate.
The addition of larvae is more of a gimmick than anything else. It doesn’t mean your mezcal is good or bad. It honestly doesn’t add or deter from the spirit. It also doesn’t cause hallucinations even though your cousin Rich swears he tripped after chugging a bottle and eating the worm when he was on vacation in Cabo.
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