Mezcal

Mezcal (, ), sometimes spelled mescal, is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from any type of agave.

Agaves or magueys are endemic to the Americas and found globally as ornamental plants. The Agave genus is a member of the Agavoideae subfamily of the Asparagaceae plant family which has almost 200 species. Mezcal is made from over 30 Agave species, varieties, and subvarieties.

Native fermented drinks from agave plants, such as pulque, existed before the arrival of the Spanish, but the origin of mezcal is tied to the introduction of Filipino-type stills to New Spain by Filipino migrants via the Manila galleons in the late 1500s and early 1600s. These stills were initially used to make vino de coco, but they were quickly adopted by the indigenous peoples of the Pacific coastal regions of Mexico and applied to the distillation of agave to make mezcal. Mezcal is made from the heart of the agave plant, called the .

The most widely consumed form of mezcal is tequila, which is made only with blue agave.

Some 90% of Mexican mezcal comes from Oaxaca. In Mexico, mezcal is generally consumed straight and has a strong smoky flavor. Mexico increasingly exports the product, mostly to Japan and the United States.

Despite the similar name, mezcal does not contain mescaline or other psychedelic substances.

Etymology

The word mezcal comes from Nahuatl , which means "baked agave", from "agave" and "to bake". It is sometimes spelled mescal.

History

thumb|A "Tarascan still", a modified Filipino-type [[still with bound wooden staves as the boiling chamber. It was used by the Purépecha people for distilling mezcal ().]]

Pulque (a fermented drink from agave sap) is pre-colonial, but the distillation of agave heart juice into mezcal was only introduced in the colonial era when Filipino sailors and migrants brought the technology of Filipino-type stills with them during the galleon trade between Mexico and the Philippines (1565 to 1815).

[[File:Generalized Filipino-type stills with labels.png|upright=1.3|thumb|left|Generalized diagrams of the two main variations of Filipino-type stills

thumb|A "Huichol still", a modified Filipino-type still with a suspended internal distillate collector. It was used by the [[Huichol people for making sotol ().]]

These stills were initially used by Filipino settlers who established coconut plantations on the coastal regions of Guerrero and Colima of New Spain to make vino de coco (coconut liquor, also called lambanog). Over the centuries that the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade was active, an estimated 75,000 Filipinos settled western Mexico and intermarried with indigenous and mixed-race families. They passed the knowledge of these stills to local communities who applied it to distill fermented agave. The first historical record of mezcal production is from southern Jalisco, using techniques derived from coconut liquor production from Colima. Most modern mass-produced mezcals are made using alembic-type stills, but the highest category of certification, the "ancestral mezcal" must be distilled using only Filipino-type stills.

Possible pre-colonial distillation

Some authors have also proposed the existence of a separate pre-colonial distillation of small quantities of agave for elites, based on an interpretation of the peculiarly-shaped double or triple-chambered Capacha Culture clay vessels as small stills. These vessels are known in Spanish as , and dates to c.1500 to 1000 BCE. They were hypothesized to have been capped with a condensing cold water-filled bowl, with a very small cup placed inside to collect the distillate. Modern replicas using this method have been successful in producing small quantities of spirits with an alcohol content as high as 35%. If the distillation of mezcal was indeed present in pre-Columbian Mexico, it would mean the introduction of Filipino-type stills merely expanded the production by using new techniques. However, the archaeological evidence for this remains inconclusive, as examination and molecular testing of ancient Capacha in 2019 have not detected any of the expected macroscopic botanical remains (like fibers) or chemical biomarkers for agave or any other high-sugar agricultural products (like fruits, cactus juice, honey, or corn) that could be distilled into spirits. Furthermore, all of the vessels are exclusively only found in association with tombs and burial sites (they are absent in utilitarian or industrial sites); they show completely no evidence of ever having been placed over a fire; and no cups or bowls have been recovered in situ in association with them. There is also a Geographical Indication (GI), originally limited to the states of Oaxaca, Guerrero, Durango, San Luis Potosí, Puebla and Zacatecas. Similar products are made in Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacán, and Tamaulipas, but these have not been included in the mezcal DO. Within Mexico, mezcal is regulated under Norma Oficial Mexicana (NOM) regulations, originally NOM-070-SCFI-1994 (in 1994), by the industry body Consejo Mexicano Regulador de la Calidad del Mezcal A.C. (COMERCAM, the Mexican Regulatory Council for Mezcal Quality). This regulation became law in 2003, and certification began in 2005.

Modern mezcal is divided into three categories certified by the Norma Oficial Mexicana:

The three categories are further subdivided into six additional classes:

In Canada, products that are labelled, packaged, sold or advertised as Mezcal must be manufactured in Mexico as mezcal under the stipulated guidelines. However, Canadian laws also allow for local bottling and resale of imported mezcal, after its alcohol percentage has been adjusted with the addition of distilled or purified water.

Currently uncertified agave spirits labeled as "destilados de agave" or "agave spirits" can also be bottled in the United States.

Mezcal agave

thumb|Agave angustifolia (espadín)

The Agave genus is a member of the Agavoideae subfamily of the Asparagaceae plant family (formerly included in the now defunct Agavaceae family) which has almost 200 species. There are more than 120 species of agave. The mezcal agave has very large, thick leaves with points at the ends. When it is mature, it forms a "piña" or heart in the center from which juice is extracted to convert into mezcal. It takes between seven and fifteen years for the plant to mature, depending on the species and whether it is cultivated or wild. Agave fields are a common sight in the semi-desert areas of Oaxaca state and other parts of Mexico. Of many agave species that can be used to make mezcal, seven are particularly notable. The term silvestre "wild" is sometimes found, but simply means that the agaves are wild (foraged, not cultivated); it is not a separate variety.

Most commonly used is espadín "smallsword" (Agave angustifolia (Haw.), var. espadín), cirial (Agave karwinskii (Zucc.)), barril (Agave rodacantha (Zucc.) var. barril), mexicano (Agave macroacantha or Agave rhodacantha var. mexicano, also called dobadaan) and cincoañero (Agave canatala Roxb). The most famous wild agave is tobalá (Agave potatorum (Zucc.)). Others include madrecuixe, tepeztate, jabalí, and bicuixe. each using methods that have been passed down from generation to generation, some using the same techniques practiced 200 years ago. This is an important difference with tequila which is nowadays mostly produced industrially.

The process begins by harvesting the plants, which can weigh each, and extracting the piña, or heart, by cutting off the plant's leaves and roots. Not all bottles of mezcal contain a worm. For those that do, it is added during the bottling process.

The industry generates about 29,000 jobs directly and indirectly. Certified production in 2008 amounted to more than ; were exported, generating 21 million dollars in income. To truly be called mezcal, the liquor must come from certain areas. States that have certified mezcal agave growing areas with production facilities are Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Oaxaca, San Luis Potosí, Puebla, Michoacan, Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas. About 30 species of agave are certified for use in the production of mezcal. In Tamaulipas, 11 municipalities have received authorization to produce authentic mezcal with the hopes of competing for a piece of both the Mexican national and international markets. The agave used here is agave Americano, agave verde or maguey de la Sierra, which are native to the state.

Oaxaca produces 90% of the mezcal in Mexico, which presents a serious environmental threat to the state, according to local deputy Elena Cuevas Hernández. She notes that of water and of firewood are required for the production of of mezcal, which comes to per batch consuming of water and of firewood. In 2019, Mexico produced of mezcal and consumed of water and of wood. Water is used both for irrigation of the maguey plants and cooling the distilled product; wood is used to bake the leaves. Certain communities already control or prohibit cutting firewood. The deputy also warns of pollution related to inadequate disposal of rotting stalks left in the fields and pollutants with low pH (3 or 4) and methane (CH<sub>4</sub>). Yet another problem is the low pay that producers receive.

Despite the similar name, mezcal does not contain mescaline or other psychedelic substances.

Drinking

In Mexico, mezcal is generally drunk straight, rather than mixed in a cocktail.

In the US, Europe, and Japan, mezcal is increasingly becoming a prominent ingredient on many craft cocktail menus, due to its unique combination of smoky and vegetal notes. Often mezcal is swapped for a more traditional spirit, in cocktails such as the "mezcal old fashioned" and the "mezcal Negroni".

Exportation

In the 21st century, mezcal, especially from Oaxaca, has been exported. In the United States, a number of entrepreneurs have teamed up with Mexican producers to sell their products in the country, by promoting its handcrafted quality, as well as the Oaxacan culture strongly associated with it.

Festival

The state of Oaxaca sponsors the International Mezcal Festival every year in the capital city, Oaxaca de Juárez. There, locals and tourists can sample and buy a large variety of mezcals made in the state. Mezcals from other states, such as Guerrero, Guanajuato, and Zacatecas also participate. This festival was started in 1997 to accompany the yearly Guelaguetza festival. In 2009, the festival had over 50,000 visitors, and brought in 4 million pesos to the economy.

In the media

On September 29, 2024, CBS 60 Minutes contained a segment "The Mezcaleros" on the tradition of Mezcal in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Notes

References

External links

Mezcales Tradicionales de los Pueblos de México A NGO which promotes historical practices and customs in the elaboration of Mezcal through informative degustations.
Mezcal brands sold in the United States
Best Mezcals as Reported by Ratings Aggregator Proof66
Agave Road Trip, a podcast that helps gringo bartenders better understand agave, agave spirits, and rural Mexico