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Mezcal is a real Mexican treasure that you can buy cheaply here in our store. Mezcal, also spelled mescal or mescal, is a spirit that is produced in Mexico. It has an alcohol content of between 36% and 55% and can be produced in the following states: Oaxaca, Guerrero, San Luis Potosi, Durango, Guanajuato, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas. Tequila is produced in the state of Jalisco - exclusively from the blue agave.
The history of mezcal
Legend has it that one day a bolt of lightning struck an agave and caused the agave heart to burst into flames. The people discovered that a sweet nectar had been produced inside. From then on, they regarded this potion as a gift from the gods. To this day, Mexicans drink this drink of the gods, which has since become Mexico's national drink. The indigenous people of Mexico have known about agave for thousands of years. The Spaniards brought the knowledge of distillation and began to distil the so-called pulque of agave.
How is mezcal produced?
Basically, every tequila is a mezcal, but not every mezcal is a tequila. While tequila can only be made from the heart of the blue agave, different types of agave are used in the stills of mezcal.
There are around 300 different varieties of agave. Mezcal can be made from around 30 of these varieties.
The agaves are mainly cultivated by small farmers. The taste and appearance of the mezcal therefore vary depending on the type of raw material, the agave, the region, the preparation and the length of storage. The agave takes around 6 to 10 years to flower for the first time. Agave Tepeztate even takes up to 25 years to reach maturity. Only then is the agave harvested from the field, the leaves are cut off and only the so-called agave heart remains, which is boiled and later crushed into a pulp.
There are traditional and modern methods of production. The traditional method involves the cooking process, which is carried out by the mezcaleros, in large pits in the ground. Hot stones are placed at the bottom of the pits and the agave hearts are placed on top. The whole thing is covered with palm mats and earth. After about three to five days, the agave has absorbed the aroma of the soil and the smoke. The agave hearts are left to rest for a week before being crushed with a millstone.
The modern method of preparation, on the other hand, involves cooking the agave in steel ovens and then crushing it mechanically. If you don't want it to be 100% mezcal, sugar can be added. Yeast is, of course, an unavoidable part of the fermentation process. This mash is distilled twice. The distilled spirit is diluted with water. It is either bottled straight away or stored in a wooden barrel for ageing. Ageing can take between 2 months and seven years. The darker the mezcal, the longer it has been in a wooden barrel to mature. The wood not only makes the mezcal more balanced and "rounder", but also gives it aroma and color.
So what does mezcal taste like?
Mezcal has a smoky, earthy or woody taste. Some would say it resembles whisky in some facets. At the same time, however, it also has its own form of sweetness.
The diversity of agave varieties and storage gives each mezcal a different taste. For example, a nuance of green apple, citrus fruit or caramelized pear. The smoky aromas are particularly typical and unique for the Mexican schnapps. It is always a new taste experience.
What varieties are available?
Depending on the storage period, you can buy mezcal as:
- Joven: clear and unaged
- Reposado: stored for at least two months to a year in wooden barrels. White or holm oak barrels are used for this. The result is a slightly matured, subtly caramel-colored mezcal that has already absorbed interesting aromas through the barrel.
- Añejo: Stored for at least one year and up to three years. White or holm oak barrel. Matured and caramel-colored mezcal that has already absorbed distinct wood aromas.
- Extra Añejo: Extra Añejo is generally used to describe all mezcals that have been stored for more than three years. These have very dominant wood barrel aromas and are therefore much more complex in taste than the younger mezcal varieties.
How do you drink mezcal?
Mezcal (like everything else) can of course be drunk to your heart's content: neat or mixed. As a cocktail, long drink, mixto or shot. Mexicans often drink their mezcal with a lime, which is refined with chili salt in a mezcal glass.
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