Mezcal
Also called mescal, mezcal artesanal, mezcal ancestral
Agave spirit from eleven Mexican states, led by Oaxaca, made from any of dozens of agave species, most often espadín. Pit roasting the hearts over wood gives the smoke; wild fermentation and small copper or clay stills give the rest. It replaces tequila when a cocktail wants smoke and earth.
- wood smoke
- roasted agave
- wet earth
- green pepper
- tropical fruit
- mineral
- lingering heat
Origin
Mezcal's denomination of origin dates from 1997 and now covers eleven states including Oaxaca, Guerrero, Puebla, Michoacán and Durango. The standard NOM-070-SCFI-2016 requires 100% agave with no added sugars. Agave hearts are roasted in an underground pit for days, milled by stone wheel or shredder, fermented with ambient yeasts for one to four weeks and usually distilled twice. The three categories, mezcal, artesanal and ancestral, are defined by the equipment allowed: ancestral means pit cooking, hand or stone milling and clay pot stills.
Common uses
- mezcal Margarita
- Oaxaca Old Fashioned with tequila
- mezcal Negroni
- a Paloma with smoke
- neat with orange and sal de gusano
Pours that use it
Sources
- Mezcal basics, Experience Agave · secondary source, retrieved 2026-10-11