Tequila and mezcal: how agave spirits differ
Tequila is one kind of mezcal. What the labels mean, why 100% agave matters in a Margarita, and where the smoke in mezcal comes from.
Both are distilled from the cooked hearts (piñas) of agave plants, which take years to mature. Tequila is made from a single species, blue agave (Agave tequilana Weber, blue variety), in the state of Jalisco and parts of four others. Mezcal may be made from many agave species, in a wider set of Mexican states with Oaxaca the best known.
Tequila labels
- 100% agave
- All the sugar comes from blue agave. The only kind worth mixing. Tequila without that statement (a mixto) may take up to 49% of its sugars from other sources.
- Blanco
- Unaged or rested briefly. Bright, peppery and vegetal: the Margarita and Paloma tequila.
- Reposado
- Aged in oak for two months to a year. Softer, with some vanilla; good in stirred drinks.
- Añejo and extra añejo
- One to three years, and over three. Usually sipped rather than mixed.
Mezcal
The smoky character most people associate with mezcal comes from the traditional method: the piñas are roasted in earth pits over wood and stones before being crushed and fermented. Industrial tequila is usually steamed in ovens or autoclaves instead, so it is not smoky. A little mezcal goes a long way in a mixed drink: the Oaxaca Old Fashioned uses it as a seasoning alongside tequila.
Choosing a bottle
- Margarita, Tommy's Margarita, Paloma: 100% agave blanco.
- Oaxaca Old Fashioned: reposado with a mezcal accent.
- Naked and Famous: mezcal, a gently smoky one.
