MEZCALTURISMO
As mezcal becomes more famous, visitors want to see where it is
made. Mezcalturismo!
More details about where to go in our guide to Mezcal
Tours.
A MEZCAL FOR EVERY TASTE
Mezcal can be consumed as a straight drink or in cocktails, such
as the Donají made with orange juice, grenadine, gusano worm
salt and ice.
Choose from a variety of flavors -- minero (white), con
gusano (with worm) or pechuga (chicken breast).
You can also choose the mezcal on the basis of aging -- joven
mezcals are very young. A strong drink is the joven white mezcal.
Smoother options include reposados, aged for two months,
and añejo, aged for at least one year.
Mezcals can also be served with herbs and fruits. These are curados.
RECOMMENDED
BRANDS
Alipus, De la Vega, Don Agave, Embajador, Matateco, Real Minero,
Rey Zapoteco and Sinai
MEZCAL AND TEQUILA
Tequila
is a finely distilled mezcal made from the blue agave in grown in
the state of Jalisco.
Oaxaca's mezcal can be produced from 18 different varieties of agave.
Mezcal often includes the worms from the agave, gusanos de
maguey, (photo)
as part of the decoration and flavoring. Tequila is never bottled
with worms.
Another major difference -- mezcal is roasted underground while
tequila is prepared in stainless steel steamers. Which drink is
more popular? Tequila is the national and international favorite.
A few years ago tequila production stood at 53 million gallons
per year and mezcal at 2.6 million gallons. That said, do not mistake
quality with quantity. Thousands of Britney Spears fans can be wrong.
CERTIFICATION
It is unclear how well the COMERCAM
program is working.
DICHOS
Aqui es Oaxaca, tierra del legitamo mezcal
No es mezcal, es conejo.
Arriba, abajo, al centro, pa' dentro
Al tomar que el mundo se va acabar
No es mezcal, es conejo.
Solito es lo rico.
Para todo mal, mezcal, y para todo bien, también
Salud!
QUOTES
Para celebrar, es condición jamás perder la fe,
abrir el corazón y servir el mezcal.
- Jose Manuel Aguilera, El Mezcal
GOOD ADVICE
Sip, don't gulp!
When sampling a minero mezcal, the number and size of the bubbles
in your glass signal the potency and quality of the drink. Aficionados
say that if the mezcal is good enough, it does not need flavoring.
If you are buying mezcal direct from the palenqueros in the countryside,
take a clean, empty bottle that can be filled.
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