What is tequila, how is it different from mezcal and how is it made?
Tequila may only be made from the Balue Weber agave plant, only produced in Mexico, and only in five designated regions: Jalisco, Nayarit, Tamaulipas, Michoacán and Guanajuato.
Distillates produced using the same process, but not in the five designated areas, cannot be called tequila and are known as mezcal. This is the generic term for all agave distillates. A blue agave needs 8 to 12 years until it is fully grown and can be harvested.
The plant is dug up and the leaves are removed, leaving only the heart. The hearts are also called pina. The hearts are cut into pieces and then packed into brick ovens for cooking. The cooking process takes around 24 to 36 hours. The hearts lose what is known as honey water in the process. After cooking, the agave is squeezed out and all the “aqua miel” is removed. The sugar it contains is then fermented into distillable alcohol.
The myth: mezcal worm
The so-called worm is actually a type of caterpillar (gusano) that lives in the agave plants. The gusano caterpillar does not intensify the flavor, even if many people think it does. However, this little worm is not added in the classic production method. Because the worm definitely has no place in a good mezcal. This was more of a gag or a marketing measure in the 1940s. One of the best-known types of mezcal with the Gusano caterpillar is the Gusano Rojo mezcal. There are also mezcals with real scorpions, but these do not make the taste any more positive.
Unique production
The majority of mezcal production takes place in the southern state of Oaxaca. Mezcal is also prepared almost exclusively in family businesses using traditional manual labor. There, the agave hearts are prepared in earth ovens and are given their individual aroma depending on the type of wood used. The piñas are then ground and distilled. The agave spirit is available in three quality levels: joven, reposado and añejo. Mezcal Joven is bottled immediately after distillation and has a clear color; Reposado is aged in oak barrels for 2 to 11 months after distillation, giving it its golden color. If stored for longer than 12 months, it is a Mezcal Añejo.
