Bebe Mezcal Todo Dia
(Drink Mezcal Everyday) by Lucas Korth
“P
ara todo mal, mezcal, y para todo bien también.” I’m going
to assume most of you chonguses don’t speak the Española,
so let me put on my little translation glasses and get really close to
the monitor. Ah yes, it means, “For everything bad, mezcal, and for
everything good, the same”. This here is a very old saying from the
Oaxaca region of Mexico, where mezcal is produced. Mezcal, the
word itself, is derived from the Nahuatl word mexcalli, which means
oven-cooked agave – the plant from which it is derived.
Now many moons ago, in pre-conquest Mexico, the agave or
maguey plant was considered sacred and was greatly involved in all
facets of Aztec culture. Its importance would subsequently skyrocket
once it was discovered you could make booze out of it. Using
techniques very similar to modern beer brewing practices, those
Aztec fellas would ferment the sweet juice of the agave to create a
potent potable called pulque. I am not a worldly fellow and thus
have not ever had pulque, but the internet’s best description is,
“it is the color of milk, somewhat viscous consistency and sour yeast
like taste”. Wow, sounds great. I’ll be sure to put that one on the old
bucket list (in that I just vomited into a bucket).
“What makes mezcal special,
and very different from your garden
variety tequila, is the manner
in which it is produced.”
Unfortunately for the Aztecs, they were not familiar with the
magic of distillation, and had to wait several centuries for the agave
plant to reach its full potential. Beginning in the 16th century,
the Spaniards would bring this knowledge, along with guns, germs
and that dingleberry, Hernan Cortes, or as he was known to his
men, Hernie. My guess is the conquistadors tried pulque and were
all, “Holy CRUD, this stuff is hella nasty. Let’s make some dang
liquor out of it, Hernie”. And so, it was.
What makes mezcal special, and very different from your garden
variety tequila, is the manner with which it is produced. The best
42
mezcals are made using traditional methods, basically the same
way it was done over 400 years ago. First the agave is harvested and
trimmed, leaving the “pina”, or heart of the plant. The pinas are
then cooked in an underground kiln for several days. The kiln is a
deep pit lined with stone and has a wood fire at its base. The pinas
are dumped atop the fire and the pit is covered with earth.
This smokes the pina and gives the mezcal its distinctly
unique flavor. Once they’ve been sufficiently caramelized, they
are crushed using a “tahona” which literally means “donkey mill”
(I made that up). If you’ve ever seen a John Wayne movie you’ve
seen a tahona. The resulting mash is fermented, distilled and
yada-yada-yada.
Indeed, mezcal is true artisanal liquor, and should be enjoyed
properly. In Mexico, it is drunk straight, with no ice or other liquids
added. It should be considered like a fine scotch or bourbon, add ice
if you find it too potent, or perhaps a few drops of water to release
its bouquet. And por el amor de Dios, don’t shoot it. Don’t ask for
it chilled. Don’t ask for training wheels. I will personally burn your
house down if you do this.
Now that we’re clear on that, I’m going to recommend some
brands for you. Well, honestly it’s really just one, Del Maguey.
Del Maguey is the undisputed king of mezcal, and they have a
large, diverse portfolio imported from different villages throughout
Oaxaca, for which they are named. Chichicapa and Minero are
my two favorites, but they’re all excellent and very easy to spot;
each bottle has a beautiful
depiction of the village of
origin painted on the label.
Do yourself a favor and try
one.
There’s another really
great saying about mezcal
that I neglected to mention
before, “From the heart of
the agave, and the soul of
the village”. I can’t stress
enough how cool that is.
You are literally drinking
a small region of Mexico
with every sip in a way
that only wine lovers
could understand. Even
if you don’t like it, you
damn well better respect
the work that went into
it. From el jimador to the
el palenquero and all los
trabajadores in between,
Mezcal is truly a craft
spirit. These days ingenuity
quickly capitulates to
industry, so mezcal is a
rarity indeed. I implore you
to enjoy it while it lasts.