Spirit Mastery
Mezcal: Smoke, Earth & Agave
Mezcal predates tequila by centuries and can be made from dozens of agave varieties, each expressing its own flavor. Understanding artisanal production separates genuine mezcal culture from mass-market appropriation of its aesthetic.
All Tequila Is Mezcal; Not All Mezcal Is Tequila
This is the first thing to understand: mezcal is the broader category. Any agave-based spirit made in Mexico is, technically, a mezcal. Tequila is a subset — a mezcal made specifically from Blue Weber agave in designated regions using specified methods. The regulated Mezcal category (with its own Denominación de Origen) covers production across nine Mexican states, using numerous agave varieties, traditional production techniques, and methods that vary dramatically by producer.
The smoke that defines mezcal in popular imagination comes from roasting the agave piñas in underground earthen pits before fermentation — a technique that tequila producers don't use (they steam-cook or autoclave their agave). That roasting creates compounds that persist through distillation: the campfire, the earth, the ash quality that mezcal lovers recognize immediately.
Artisanal Production: What "Traditional" Actually Means
The Consejo Regulador del Mezcal (CRM) classifies production into three tiers:
Ancestral Mezcal
The most traditional category. Agave must be roasted in earthen pit ovens, ground with a tahona (a large stone wheel pulled by a horse or ox), fermented in natural containers (wood vats, clay pots, or animal hides), and distilled in clay pot stills. No modern equipment is permitted at any stage.
Ancestral mezcals are extraordinarily labor-intensive, produced in tiny quantities by individual families who have maintained these methods for generations. Los Danzantes' Wahaka mezcal, some Vago expressions, and certain Gracias a Dios bottlings work with ancestral producers.
Artisanal Mezcal
Allows metal or stone for roasting and grinding (tahona or modern shredder), wood fermentation tanks, and copper or clay pot stills. Still fundamentally a small-batch, traditional process, but with allowances that make production more practical.
The majority of quality mezcal you'll encounter falls in this category. Brands like Vago, Bozal, Del Maguey, and El Silencio work with artisanal producers in Oaxaca, Durango, San Luis Potosí, and other mezcal states.
Industrial Mezcal
Allows autoclaves (for cooking), diffusers, column stills, and other modern equipment. Brands targeting supermarket placement often use this tier. The resulting spirit may be smoky but lacks the depth of artisanal production.
The Agave Varieties
This is where mezcal's complexity most dramatically exceeds tequila's. While tequila is restricted to a single agave species, mezcal can legally use dozens. Each agave produces a different flavor profile:
Espadín (Agave angustifolia): The workhorse — 80% of all mezcal. Matures in 8-12 years. Produces the most approachable, balanced mezcals with moderate smoke, green fruit, and gentle sweetness. Ideal for mezcal beginners and cocktail applications.
Tobalá (Agave potatorum): Wild-harvested, extremely slow-growing (15-25 years). Small plants produce concentrated, highly aromatic mezcal — floral, fruity, almost wine-like, with less smoke than Espadín. Expensive due to rarity and hand-harvesting constraints.
Tepeztate: Grows wild on steep hillsides, takes 25+ years to mature. Intensely floral and herbal, with unusual savory notes. Among mezcal's most distinctive expressions.
Cuishe and Madrecuixe: Wild agaves from the Mexicano family. Herbal, citrusy, sometimes almost medicinal. Complex and difficult to produce.
Tobaziche: Produces one of the most mineral, earthy mezcals — austere and complex, for serious palates.
Arroqueño: Grows in tropical climates; produces sweeter, fruitier mezcal with less smoke.
The practice of blending agave varieties in a single mezcal ("ensamble") creates layered complexity unavailable in single-variety expressions. Bozal Ensamble and Wahaka Ensamble demonstrate the technique.
Mezcal vs. Tequila: The Actual Differences
Beyond the agave variety difference, several production distinctions separate the categories:
Agave cooking: Tequila uses steam ovens or autoclaves. Mezcal (artisanal and ancestral) uses earthen pit ovens packed with wood and hot rocks — the source of smoke.
Distillation equipment: Tequila uses column stills or copper pot stills. Traditional mezcal uses clay pot stills or copper pot stills, often in two distillations.
Geographic footprint: Tequila is restricted to five states (primarily Jalisco). Mezcal spans nine states with dramatically different climates and terroirs.
ABV: Mezcal is typically bottled at natural proof (often 46-50% ABV, sometimes higher) without dilution. Tequila is usually adjusted to 40%.
Flavor: Tequila ranges from clean and citrusy (blanco) to vanilla-oak (añejo). Mezcal ranges from smoky-earthy to floral-tropical depending on agave and production.
Mezcal in Cocktails
The Oaxacan Old Fashioned (created by Phil Ward at Death & Co in 2007) legitimized mezcal as a serious cocktail ingredient and inspired a wave of mezcal cocktail creativity. The formula: replace half the bourbon in an Old Fashioned with mezcal. The result demonstrates mezcal's cocktail potential — smoke adds depth, agave earthiness grounds the Sweetness, and the drink becomes more interesting than either spirit alone.
Mezcal Negroni: Replace gin with mezcal for smoke and agave against Campari's bitterness and sweet vermouth's richness. Use a lighter Espadín to avoid overpowering the balance. Stirring over ice, strain into a rocks glass over large ice.
Margarita with Mezcal: Smoky margarita — mezcal, fresh lime, triple sec. The smoke against citrus creates a different, more complex drink than the tequila original. Equally valid, particularly for those who find straight tequila margaritas too clean.
Mezcal and Ginger Beer: The simplest mezcal cocktail application — smoky spirit with spicy ginger, lime, and ice. Essentially a mezcal mule. Low skill floor, high reward.
Buying Guide and Ethical Consumption
Starting with mezcal: Del Maguey Vida — made in San Luis del Río, Oaxaca, with artisanal production. Accessible smoke, affordable for the category, consistent.
Step up: Vago Espadín en Barro (distilled in clay pots) — rounder, earthier. Bozal Espadín — clean, versatile.
Wild agave exploration: Vago Tobalá — floral and delicate. El Jolgorio Tobalá for comparison.
Sipping excellence: Koch El Mezcal Único, Wahaka Espadín, El Silencio Joven Espadín.
Ethical note: Wild agave overharvesting is a genuine conservation concern. When buying wild-agave expressions (Tobalá, Tepeztate), look for producers who replant and manage agave populations sustainably. The CRM's regulation helps, but consumer attention to producer practices matters.
Mezcal's complexity is genuine and rooted in genuine agricultural tradition. Approach it with curiosity and respect for its origins, and it rewards with an unmatched flavor experience.