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  1. Greg Zyn at |

    There are so many brands so tequila that most of us are not aware of but they are really good. You should really read this blog which tells all the good brands out there for tequila.

    Reply
  2. ‘Tequila Sunrise’ at |

    […] is a type of mezcal, much like how scotch and bourbon are types of whiskey. According to spirits writer John McEvoy, mezcal is defined as any agave-based liquor. This includes tequila, which is made in specific […]

  3. Brett Johnson at |

    Zignum not that bad dude

    Reply
    1. Mezcal PhD at |

      If you like tequila, that is probably true. But Zignum does not taste like a mezcal, nor is it produced in an artisanal fashion. It is an industrially produced spirit, and I also don’t like the fact that they are using the limited resource of agave to mass produce it. But if you like, drink it. Just understand what it is.

      Reply
  4. Ron at |

    I’m interested. I was just in Queretaro, MX and was given a bottle of Amores Mezcal and also some Gusano salt. I was told to slice an orange, sprinkle the gusano salt on the orange and do the shot of mezcal with the orange covered in “agave worm” salt, uhm, I mean gusano salt. It is supposed to be “delicious” and I can’t wait to try it. I noticed talk about a lot of things on this blog but nothing about gusano salt and mezcal. So professor, can you share some of your knowledge about the combination of Mezcal and Gusano salt? What’s the right balance of each to take me to the next higher than tequila level?

    Reply
    1. Mezcal PhD at |

      I have a chapter in the new book about salt, the worm and mezcal if you want to learn more. But basically, you can dip the orange slice into a small pile of the sal de gusano, and eat the orange. The sal de gusano is essentally a spicy salt, and it is yummy! They say to use it as a palate cleanser between sips (sip, never shoot, good mezcal). I am not sure it really achieves cleansing as you are left with a spiciness in your mouth. But I tastes good so why not!

      Reply
  5. Code at |

    Hello there,

    I’m looking to introduce Mezcal to a market that knows absolutely nothing about it, what do you recommend i should start with, what are the brand that i should consider ?

    Thanks

    Reply
    1. Mezcal PhD at |

      I think low smoke mezcals are likely to work best. Brands like Ilegal and El Buho are lovely and can be sipped or put in a cocktail. A mezcal margarita is always a great gateway drug! Good luck!

      Reply
  6. Jeff Snyder at |

    Great article and thanks for sharing your knowledge! I have only done a sampling of different mezcals at a local bar/restaurant called Teote and I was quite impressed with them. I’m curious if you’ve tried Casamigo’s new Mezcal and how it is. I love Casamigo’s anejo tequila and is why I’m asking. I’m wanting to buy my first mezcal bottle soon and want it to be a good one! Thanks!

    Reply
    1. Mezcal PhD at |

      Thanks for writing! The Casamigos Mezcal is disappointing and I would not recommend it. There are many good mezcals for $20 less. Try Ilegal Joven if you are looking for a good first mezcal to buy. It is also a good second mezcal, third mezcal, etc! They also have an Anejo which you may love but it is about $100…..

      Reply
  7. J.Clark at |

    Will you people PLEASE STOP THE B—–IT. It really depends on how and with what the agave plant is cooked in the beginning of the process, and exactly which variety of agave plant is being used for the mezcal etc. The tequila must use blue agave.

    Reply
    1. Mezcal PhD at |

      I have no idea what BS you are talking about. If you can politely elaborate I am happy to engage.

      Reply
  8. Christopher Neville at |

    I had my first Mezcal maybe 20 years ago, a Don Amado, and it was gloriously smokey. I am finding the present day Mezcals are barely smoky in comparison. Most likely the processing has been modified for the US market. Don Amado admits as much by indicating they steam after the underground roasting (?). Another flavor dilution by the rich yankees? I wish I had bought a warehouse of Don Amado back then! Sob!

    Reply
    1. Mezcal PhD at |

      There are many great mezcals out there these days. You are right that most are not overly smokey. I personally do not like a heavily smoked mezcal because I feel it masks all the other great flavors that are going on. I find Sombra and the Del Maguey Chichicapa to both be pretty smokey if you are looking for it. Thanks for writing in!

      Reply
      1. Morton Williamson at |

        We have ancestral mezcal from Michocan. Would you be interested in reviewing them? We have Joven, Reposado and Anjeho…..

        Reply
        1. Mezcal PhD at |

          Thank you for offering. I generally do not do reviews. Sometimes I am inspired and I write about brands I try. Or I am likely to at least acknowledge a gift on Instagram, FB, and Twitter. But I cannot promise anything. I appreciate the outreach at any rate!

          Reply
  9. […] there, such as the National Museum of Anthropology or the Chapultepec, but have you tried mezcal? Mezcal is the city’s liquor of choice. That has been the case since 2005, when the mezcaleria La Botica […]

  10. […] instead of my good ol’ friend tequila, I was intrigued. For those who are thinking, “what the fuck is mezcal?!” it’s quite different from tequila, although they are both made from agave, mezcal has […]

  11. PrimalReader at |

    wow – it was a discussion about the differences in Mezcals and Tequila and now we are exploiting animals who provide labor to produce them.
    First let me say we as humans have dominion over animals. An animal who is made to pull is happiest pulling. I grew up in Southwest Georgia and had some animal activist attack me while I was stopped for gas when she saw the briar scratches on my Pointer’s underbelly and the raw tail tip bleeding. What said activist does not understand is that a bird dog (in this case a short-haired Pointer) is happy hunting birds. They do not suffer a bit from briars and the inconvenience they present. They live and breath for the next time they can be taken out into the field. The saddest bird-dog is the one you’ll see when its owner has become so consumed by their work life that their free time suffers and the bird dog is never taken out into the briary-filled woods where it is at its most perfect existence. That mule is happier being handled daily and having a Mezcaleros pat it while walking around the tahona. When animals can hire lawyers, read, write, vote, and do homework, I’ll escalate them to the level of human. Until then, get over it.

    Reply
    1. Mezcal PhD at |

      Well said and funny conclusion!

      Reply
    2. Dave at |

      I’m no animal activist, but you’re talking rubbish. ‘Humans have dominion over animals’? – Says who? What humans do have, is a responsibility to protect other animals from the careless and destructive activities of our own species, whether they be domestic or wild.

      Reply
      1. Mezcal PhD at |

        This part of the thread has gone astray. It started because someone suggested that mezcal is not vegan because a horse may have pulled tahona that crushed the cooked agave. That is a bit ridiculous. But maybe we should just let it all rest. On the dominion c.omments, I think you are both right. Animals work for us not the other way around, but that does not mean we do not have a responsibility toward them

        In sum, this is a mezcal blog not an animal rights blog…..know what I mean? So can we leave it here and move on??!!

        Reply
  12. Hank Armstrong at |

    Great story. Your book will be in my library. Godspeed amigo.

    Reply
    1. Mezcal PhD at |

      Thanks!

      Reply
  13. […] to smoke for days on end. John McEvoy, author of “Holy Smoke! It’s Mezcal” and blogger of MezcalPhd explains “this underground ‘oven’ now smokes, cooks, and caramelizes the pina over a […]

  14. […] mezcal is not tequila, tequila is mezcal — don’t be confused: what’s the difference? […]

  15. […] three main differences between tequila and mezcal can also be found in his blog post: Tequila vs. Mezcal. The book continues to cover mezcal production, the use of different agave varietals, and key […]

  16. Ed Fam at |

    Thank you for a well written and factual piece. Any history about why Mezcal started being made in the 1600s would be awesome. Did it come from Spain? Was this an indigenous product?

    Reply
    1. Mezcal PhD at |

      It’s a long story and it’s all in the book! Buy it on Amazon: Holy Smoke! It’s Mezcal! Thanks for writing in….

      Reply
  17. […] To learn more about Mezcal check out this great article by Mezcal PHD […]

  18. Jesse at |

    My takeaway is that mezcal is not considered vegan in that the labor of an animal is used to produce it.

    Reply
    1. Mezcal PhD at |

      Ahhh OK. But not everyone use animals (donkeys, horses, etc). Some use mechanical crushers and others have mechanized their tahonas, while still others crush by hand with mallets. If vegan mezcal is important to you, those brands exist that don’t use animals….

      Reply
      1. prena at |

        Nothing against veganism and I suppose the following depends on ones definition of ‘animal’, but couldn’t one argue that humans/Master Mezcaleros are animals too?
        In addition, could Mezcal (or any other hand crafted product) than be considered some level of cannibalism?
        My apologies for furthering the tangent.

        Reply
        1. Mezcal PhD at |

          I think you have gone off the rails. Mezcal is cannabalism because it is made by humans? I think it is time to move on!

          Reply
    2. Donald G Schofield at |

      So if I use a mule to pull my tiller for my garden, my carrots are not vegan? You don’t have access to sharp objects, do you??

      Reply
      1. Craig at |

        Thank you Donald for being the voice of reason among this “Vegan” bullshit!

        Reply
  19. Sean at |

    Just live mezcal.
    Love it love be it love it

    Reply
  20. […] goodness moment. Told you, I’m a total sucker… To read more about Mezcals, check out MEZCAL PhD Today’s cocktail muddles fresh Hothouse cucumbers (the only kid worth buying at the grocery […]

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