Agave is the family of spiny plants that live and thrive in arid desert climates. It grows rampant in the dry regions in Mexico, where it’s been used for centuries to make alcoholic beverages. Unlike many other plants/fruits used to make alcohol, agaves require a much long maturation period, oftentimes taking 7-20+ years to fully mature before it can be turned into alcohol! Tequila and Mezcal are two of the most popular sub-categories of agave-base spirits.
Mezcal
Mezcal is an officially recognized spirit made from agave from specified regions in Mexico, most famously around Oaxaca. Traditionally, the name mezcal was generically used to refer to any spirit made from agave. Mezcal is a rustic spirit (mostly, though there is a growing commercial market) often noted for its smoky flavor due to the production tradition of roasting the agave plants underground. More reading here.
Alipús Ensamble Mezcal
Mezcal Alipús San Andrés Ensamble. Are you familiar with “ensamble” mezcal? This ensamble has been one of my favorite mezcals; the flavors are so deliciously balanced between fruity, smoky, and herbaceous. Ensamble (also sometimes called [...]
Del Maguey Vida Mezcal
Del Maguey Vida. Mezcal is tequila's less well-known, but cooler, more hipster sibling (well technically, mezcal is the term for any agave-based spirit, *including* tequila, but let's just focus on the more common interpretation of [...]
Del Maguey Wild Papalome Mezcal
Del Maguey Wild Papalome Mezcal. This bottle is from the Del Maguey "Vino de Mezcal" line, which include the smaller scale, more limited productions they bottle compared to their regular "Single Village" line (note: not [...]
Fidencio Clasico
Fidencio Clasico. I adore this mezcal so much. I got this bottle to replace my beloved Del Maguey Vida (which was my first mezcal), and it's slowly stolen my heart as my go-to "cocktail mezcal." [...]
Mezcal Derrumbes – San Luis Potosí
Mezcal Derrumbes - San Luis Potosí. This is a super interesting and unique mezcal. Although mezcal is generally noted for its smoky flavor (frequently dubbed as a "smoky version of tequila"), smokiness is not a [...]
Mezcal Vago Elote
Mezcal Vago Elote. If you're familiar with Mexican street food, you probably know that elote means corn (drool worthy Mexican street corn, omg). So, this here is a mezcal with the flavors of sweet toasted [...]
Mezcal vs Tequila
Mezcal vs Tequila. You may have heard "all tequila is mezcal, but not all mezcal is tequila." It's one of those things that seems to be a popular "interesting fact" to regurgitate, but is actually [...]
The Magic of Mezcal
I'm fascinated by spirits and cocktails with a story to tell. Though I've heard of mezcal described as "rustic and traditional," until recently I never really understood what that meant. Mezcal is a spirit born [...]
Tequila
Tequila is an agave based spirit made in various regions in Mexico, primarily around Jalisco. It’s generally made from agaves cooked in above-ground ovens or pressure cookers and thus lacks the smokiness found in Mezcal and other agave spirits.
Cimarron Reposado Tequila
Cimarron Reposado Tequila. Tequila is a spirit that can be quite expensive, but there's no need to fork out $$$$ for over-marketed Patron in search of good tequila, there are definitely quality brands out there making [...]
Siembra Azul Blanco tequila
Siembra Azul Blanco tequila. Happy Cinco De Mayo and #DrinkoDeMayo! While you're enjoying your margaritas and tequila shots, here's some info to hopefully help you find better and tastier tequila to drink. First, some basics: [...]
Tres Agaves Blanco Tequila
Tres Agaves Blanco Tequila. My agave journey continues with this bottle of Tres Agaves, a spirit made right in Amatitán, Jalisco, the historical birthplace of Tequila. Tres Agaves prides themselves on their heritage and is [...]
Other
Outside of Mezcal and Tequila, there are other types of agave-based spirits. These are often very rustic and artisanal, and producers generally focus on the local community and market rather than the international export market. There is a growing number of products now being exported for us to explore.
Rancho Tepua Bacanora
Rancho Tepua Bacanora. Ok, tequila is by far the best known spirit made from the agave plant, mezcal has seriously been having a moment in recent years, and maybe you've even heard of sotol or [...]
Sal de Gusano (worm salt)
Gran Mitla sal de gusano…aka worm salt. 😮 Disclaimer: I never thought I'd brave up to buy a jar of worm salt, but once I tried it at a mezcal tasting, I was hooked and [...]
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