The average person will probably tell you that they have never tried mezcal , but that ’ s not necessarily true — especially if that person has ever consumed a margarita . While mezcal may be the fastest growing spirit in the United States , most consumers do not know they are buying or drinking it .
Just like bourbon is whiskey , tequila is mezcal . And while not all whiskey is bourbon , the same can be said for tequila and mezcal . To be named “ tequila ,” the spirit must be produced in a specific region in Mexico , mainly within the state of Jalisco , and only from one very particular species of agave , the blue weber . When blue weber agave is distilled in certain places under certain rules it becomes tequila . All other byproducts , made from dozens of different types of agaves across Mexico , are called mezcal .
To make matters even trickier , mezcal has a confounding array of labels and styles , which vary based on state regulations . If the variety and market for tequila is akin to bourbon , mezcal is more comparable to wine , heavily driven by the varietal used and the terroir , or where it was grown . As a result , mezcal is one of the least understood spirits , but following on the success ultra-premium tequilas have enjoyed , it is currently trending in cocktails across the United States .
UNEARTHING MEZCAL There are three distinct styles of mezcal or tequila production : ancestral , artisanal and industrial , usually labeled as such . Ancestral is the oldest form , with agave milled by hand or donkey power , and the spirit made in clay stills . Artisanal is the modernized version of that , with small-scale production using a mechanized tahona ( stone mill ) to grind the agave , and copper stills . And lastly , industrial production involves cooking agave in autoclaves , extracting the liquid with a diffuser , and distilling it in a stainless-steel column .
Much of the highest quality mezcal is still produced through small , local businesses . Bar owner Justin Lavenue , whose craft cocktail bar the Roosevelt Room in Austin , Texas , stocks more than 30 bottles of mezcal , says , “ It ’ s wild : A mom-and-pop or sonand-daughter business often make a couple of thousand bottles , and 100 % of that brand shipped around the world is literally made by two people .” If you do want to pick up a bottle at retail , the best-established specialty importer is Del Maguey , which sources these ultra-small production single village mezcals and sells them under its umbrella label , making it a reliable and curated way to shop for quality .
OPPOSITE PAGE : STEPHAN HINNI / UNSPLASH ; THIS PAGE : COURTESY OF MEZCAL CAMPANTE
To make mezcal , the agave ' s leaves are removed before steaming .
SPRING / SUMMER 2023 | SEA ISLAND LIFE 71