Some Fascinating Facts about Mezcal

Mezcal is the contribution of Mexico to the drinking world, which is usually used as a base for cocktails. Mezcal has a rich history and not many of us know about this amazing beverage that well. Here are some interesting facts about Mezcal which you didn’t know.

A Peep into Mezcal

• The word Mezcal is derived from the Aztec word Mexcalli – which combines Metl (meaning maguey, also known as agave) with Ixcalli (means cooked). So Mezcal means “Cooked Agave.”
• Mezcal is not a type of Tequila, but Tequila is a type of Mezcal. Mezcal is any liquor that is made from agave, where Tequila can be made from just one type of agave, called the Weber’s blue agave or agave tequilana.
• The most commonly used agave for making Mezcal is Espadin. Yet again, Mezcal made from the Tobala agave is much popular in the United States. Tobala agave grows in extremely high altitudes and you can extract only 1/8 the amount of liquid from this agave when compared to Espadin. This is why Mezcal made from Tobala agave is rare and expensive.
• Mezcal had a bad reputation until 1990, and many people thought it was just a poor quality Tequila. This came from the lack of regulation on what could be called Mezcal as a drink. This even resulted in many cheap knockoffs of Mezcal.
• Original Mezcal drink is produced in the eight Mexican states only; though drinks with the same name are seen to be produced in many different parts of the world, they are of low quality.
• The smoky taste and smell of Mezcal is obtained from the way agave breaks down prior to fermentation. A pit is made on ground and then agave is placed in the pit. Hot coal is used to fill the pit, and the agave is left in there to mature for 2 to 3 days.
• As per legends, Mezcal was initially made when a lightning struck an agave plant, opening and cooking it, and ultimately releasing its inner liquids. This is why people refer to Mezcal as the “elixir of the gods.”