Definition: Mezcal (mescal)

Mezcal (or mescal) is a Mexican alcoholic beverage made from agave (not to be confused with mescaline, a hallucinogenic alkaloid extracted from peyote - Peyote, which originates in southern Texas and the plateau. Like pure mescaline, peyote causes vivid visual hallucinations).

There are several types of agave, and each produces a slightly different mezcal. Tequila is a mezcal made from the sap of blue agave (specifically the agave "Tequilana Weber") in the Tequila region of Mexico. In fact, Mexican standards (Norma Oficial) require that at least 51% of the alcohol in a mezcal come from this variety in order to be labelled tequila.

Mezcal is produced from the heart of the agave. The agave matures for 6 to 12 years before harvesting, called jima: the sharp leaves (pencas) are pruned by the agave farmer (jimador) using a sharp tool, the coa, to keep only the heart or piñas (Spanish word for pineapple). The piña, which resembles a giant pineapple weighing 30 to 60 kg, is then steamed at a temperature of around 55°C for 24 to 50 hours. This cooking process transforms the starches naturally contained in the plant into sugars which, after fermentation, will produce alcohol.

After cooking, the piña is cooled and left to rest for up to a week. It is then ground to extract the pulp. This last operation is carried out in a press or on a stone or concrete disc on which a stone wheel rotates.

The resulting "purée", to which 5 to 10% water is added, is then placed in large vats of 5,000 to 50,000 litres where the sugars are converted into alcohol by fermentation, under the action of its own yeasts. This fermentation lasts up to 30 days. Catalysts (such as chemical yeasts) are sometimes added to speed up fermentation to 2 to 4 days. Cane sugar or corn sugar can also be used during this fermentation. Mexican law requires that only 51% of the alcohol come from the fermentation of agave.

The fermented juice obtained, called mosto, is then distilled twice in a stainless steel or copper still. The result of the first distillation, once the fibres have been removed, is called ordinario and has an alcohol content of between 20% and 30% ABV. It is returned to the still for a second distillation, which raises the alcohol content to 55%. Sometimes water is added to reduce the alcohol content to 40% ABV (mixtos, diluted with water). At this stage, the mezcal can be bottled or aged. Ageing takes place relatively quickly compared to other spirits. It is carried out in wooden barrels for two months to several decades. During this period, the mezcal takes on a golden colour and its taste is altered by the wood of the barrels. The older it is, the darker its colour and the greater the influence of the wood on the taste.

Age classification:

* Blanco - white (clear), aged less than two months;

* Reposado (rested) - aged for at least two months and up to one year;

* Añejo - aged for at least one year in oak barrels.

The worm

The worm in the bottle of mezcal is a promotional gimmick. The worm is an agave worm. The origin of this practice dates back to a man named Jacobo Lozano Páez. In 1940, while tasting prepared agave, he and his partner found that the worm changed the taste of the agave. (Agave worms are sometimes found in the piña after harvesting, a sign of an infested agave). Contrary to popular belief, tequila is not allowed (by law) to contain the worm.