ALL ABOUT MEZCAL

the story, its use in drinks and how to combine it with food

Always mistreated, always reduced to a speck, always ignored by large retailers, today it is discovering a rebirth and a new interpretation: we are talking about mezcal (or mescal or, again, mexcal). For a long time the conception that the common opinion had of this agave distillate was negative, like a stupid and picturesque cousin of tequila, with that worm inside.

Then there is a whole history and a liturgy linked to mezcal that makes it incredibly fascinating. So let’s see everything there is to know about this distillate, its production method, the combinations we can make and some curiosities.

La differenza tra Mezcal e Tequila

Both are spirits, both are Mexican and when we drink them, they both make us feel the nostalgic notes of Disney’s “Coco”, yet there are differences.

The (or “the”) tequila, to begin with, is produced only from blue agave, only in the Jalisco area; mezcal is distilled from about fifty agave ecotypes and only the heart of the plant is used. There are some types of mezcal that even combine different agave juices, the so-called blended.

The production area is much wider: the Mezcalieri masters are present in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, especially in the districts of Sola de Vega, Miahuatlán, Yautepec, Santiago Matatlán, Ocotlán, Ejutla and Zimatlán.

If so far we have talked about geographical and production differences, there is one not mentioned that concretely separates the two products: to be regulated, tequila can be mixed, Mezcal can be produced exclusively in purity. However, both products are regulated by a very strict protection body, controlled in turn by a strong bureaucracy. In Mexico the matter is very serious because both products are identifying and represent the true soul of Mexico.

To this relationship between tequila and mezcal the United States government has even dedicated a study commissioned by the American Chemical Society, which has stolen the organoleptic secrets of the two drinks from a scientific point of view.

"Mezcal has been made in Mexico since before Columbus arrived!"

Mezcal was born from agave and, like tequila, it carries with it a considerable amount of legends, which bring the product closer to mysticism. The production dates back to the time of the Aztecs and its name owes it to a deity, Mayatl: in the Mexican Pantheon she is a real “agave woman” who feeds the people of her, thanks to 40 thousand breasts from which the mezcal gushes. A “nectar of the Gods”, therefore, given by Mayatl to his own people. Precisely for this reason, even today, it is considered a mystical drink, to be preserved.

The real mezcal is entirely artisanal, it is made in very small quantities, in equally small distilleries. Now that people have begun to know it, they must begin to understand it: mezcal must be given to us on special, very specific occasions, especially if drunk alone; it’s not an everyday thing. It is a very important distillate, very evocative for the people who make it. Mezcal has been in Mexico long before Columbus arrived, let’s realize the historical and sociological value we are going to drink “.

The history of mezcal is therefore lost in the mists of time, but the distillate, before Columbus, was not exactly a distillate. In all pre-Hispanic civilizations, nature always plays a central role until it often assumes the face of a divinity or transcendent spirit to be venerated. In the case of mezcal there was a woman with innumerable breasts, in Greece we had Bacchus with wine, or Ceres for beer. The writer Marziano Guglielminetti studied the case in depth and recounted it in “Travelers of the seventeenth century”, discovering that some “chroniclers” of the time, sent to Mexico by the Spanish government, meticulously describe the importance of the agave for the local population. . The Aztecs use all parts of the plant and, according to Spanish journalists, could survive without any kind of problem and in a completely autonomous way, so much so as to be independent from the Spanish viceroyalty.

The chroniclers think they are doing the natives a “favor” by simply telling the truth, but they get the opposite effect: the kings of Spain take this “independence” as a sign of strength and increase the presence of the army in South America, up to extermination of pre-Columbian civilizations.

Among all this death the mezcal is placed because, before the Conquistadores, the drink is more similar to an agave “wine” than to the product as we know it today. The Aztecs let the agave pine cone ferment after cooking it, to obtain a drink that would relieve pain and sadness. In Aztec culture, during drinking sessions, the first to get drunk with mezcal “hosts the spirit of the goddess Mayatl”. The original type of mezcal invented by the Aztecs is called “pulque”, a drink that the Conquistadores like very much, so much so that they improve it: they import the stills to South America and begin to distil a whole series of drinks, including pulque, arriving at the birth of mezcal about 400 years ago.

Mezcal is produced only with the central part of the agave, the espadin. When the plant reaches 6-8 years of life, all the leaves are collected and cut, leaving only the heart, which is called piña for its appearance and which is cooked in special underground ovens. After cooking it is shredded and left to macerate for 14 to 30 days. The distillation in small discontinuous stills follows, which can last a long time and be carried out twice. Distilling mezcal is a highly debated topic in Mexico, and Science Direct has compiled a study to figure out the perfect temperature to get a level mezcal.

The distillate must be left to rest in large wooden barrels for a period ranging from 2 months to 7 years. The type of aging leads to the distinction of three different types of mezcal:

    Añejo se rests for at least one year in barrels of no more than 200 liters;
    the Reposado, for a period ranging from two months a year, in any barrel;
    the Blanco, the clearest and cheapest one, kept for a maximum of two months.

Mezcal production: how agave distillate is made

"Mezcal in the dishes!"

the story, its use in drinks and how to combine it with food

how to match it

Mezcal is a distillate particularly loved by bartenders.

But how do they use it and what drinks can we find it in? Mezcal works very well in mixology because it has a very strong characteristic flavor, consequently there is no need for large quantities of product in terms of centiliters and can often be combined with other spirits. An example above all is the Margarita Mezcal, a cocktail that requires a blend with tequila.

The smoky flavor of the drinks goes perfectly with the “Mexican cuisine” (it would be better to say the Mexican cuisines). it is perfect with all products from Mexico and South America. It also goes well with fresh, summer products, but with important tastes, such as ceviche. It should be noted, however, that the pairing between mezcal and food is recommended only in mixing.

discover the Meteoro Espadìn

The Mezcal of our online wine shop

It is produced in South America, specifically in the province of Oaxaca in Mexico. Distillation of different types of agave with traditional methods. During the production process, the Agave pine cones are rigorously hand-picked, heated first with Mezquitecotte wood and then in ground ovens with red-hot stones. Afterwards, they are ground with the Tahona, an artisanal mill pulled by a mule. After having distilled it twice with Pot Still, it is bottled without adding aromas or artificial substances. The product thus remains entirely natural.

ALL ABOUT MEZCAL

the story, its use in drinks and how to combine it with food

La differenza tra Mezcal e Tequila

"Mezcal has been made in Mexico since before Columbus arrived!"

Mezcal production: how agave distillate is made

"Mezcal in the dishes!"

the story, its use in drinks and how to combine it with food

how to match it

discover the Meteoro Espadìn

The Mezcal of our online wine shop

Sei maggiorenne?

Newsletter subscription