Author Archives: Mezcal PhD

Mezcal, Tequila, Sotol, Bacanora, Raicilla, Pulque, and More…

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As you certainly all know by now, any distilled agave-based spirit is a mezcal.  So under the broad category of mezcal, we have a variety of spirits that are unique in their own right.  Also, in the general family of agave-based alcohol, there is pulque, which is derived from the agave but is not distilled.

Sotol is made with the Desert Spoon
Sotol is made from the Desert Spoon

Beyond tequila and mezcal, these spirits are not widely known, though as the growth of tequila and mezcal continue, I think these spirits may slowly seep into the consciousness of agave connoisseurs.  Also, as I get a fair number of questions about these agave alternatives on my blog, Twitter, or FaceBook, I thought a post on this topic would be useful to many.   It actually helps me to sort it all out in my head as well.  Hopefully yours too!

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What Does Mezcal Taste Like?

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When most people taste mezcal, the immediate response is “it’s smoky”, and that would certainly be correct.  Some more than others, but smoky nevertheless.  But as you get into mezcal, and spend more time with it, you start to find that there is a lot more subtlety and complexity beneath that smoky front.  With the help of my friend Ivan Saldana, we are going to get in deeper.

As an aside, there is a saying in the mezcal world that goes…”mezcal is an acquired taste, but a taste worth acquiring.”  I believe this is primarily said because of the smokiness.  But interestingly, I am finding that this seems to be less and less accurate.  I have introduced mezcal to MANY people, and really, it is only about 1 or 2 people out of every 10 that don’t like it on the first sip.  So I don’t know if palates are changing and people have become more accustomed to unique spirits, but I increasingly find that most people like mezcal right out of the gate. (more…)

How Do You Know A Quality Mezcal? What is Traditional Mezcal? What is Artisanal Mezcal? Do the Distinctions Matter?

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There is a debate going around in the mezcal community (yes, there is a community for pretty much everything – are you a member of the A-Rod’s Homeopathic Treatments Club?) about what the definition is of Traditional Mezcal.  I think I know where this started, and I am certain it will not end here, but I wanted to throw my hat in the ring on this debate.

For the most part, I think this whole debate is a problem of nomenclature.  The nomenclature part is simple:  as soon as you say one thing is “traditional”, that means everything else is not.  The problem is that many news outlets, websites, and blogs picked up a recent piece of literature on traditional mezcal, and they are publishing it as gospel.  I think there is more to the story.  Let’s see if we can sort it out. (more…)

Mezcal Tasting Number 2: Vail July 6th

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As a regular reader, you may recall I held a mezcal tasting at our apartment in NYC this past spring (and did I mention it rocked, of course?!).  As we are now spending several weeks in Vail this summer, I thought it was wise to continue planting mezcal seeds wherever I travel.  Once planted, mezcal seeds tend to flourish because mezcal is a discovery process, and usually, once discovered, the converted keep coming back!

So with this in mind, we held a tasting for friends and family this past weekend showcasing some of the finest mezcals that can be found in the U.S.  As with my previous tasting, I had scorecards, groupings, and tasting notes from the brands (unless they could not be found).

The Featured Bottles
                                        The Featured Bottles

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Mezcal: It’s a Movement, Not a Moment

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Recently, I put up a post on why mezcal is happening now.  I started thinking about this again (well, OK, I am always thinking about this) as I saw yet another article where they described the recent popularity of mezcal as “Mezcal’s Moment.”  And I realized that this drives me crazy!  Just Google “Mezcal’s Moment” and see how many misguided articles pop up!

“Mezcal’s Moment” aggravates me.  Bothers me.  Annoys me.  It’s not gross like the guy I recently saw clipping his nails on the subway, but just simply wrong.  You may ask why I am up in arms over this when this whole blog is about celebrating mezcal??  Well, it is because “a moment” suggests a temporary condition.  Mezcal is not a temporary condition! (more…)

What Is Mezcal and Why Is It Happening Now?

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Like many of my posts, I try to hit upon themes that I hear about all the time from friends, family and people I meet.  If I had a bottle of mezcal for every time I am asked “What is mezcal?”, I would have quite a collection.  And I have quite a collection – see what I mean?

What is mezcal?  Why is everyone talking about it?  (well, maybe not everyone – just everyone who knows ANYTHING about ANYTHING!).  Mezcal is any spirit that is distilled from an agave – though not everyone can label it as such as you will see below.  So tequila is a mezcal, for example, because it is made from the blue agave.  What distinguishes mezcal is where it is made in Mexico, the production process, and the types of agaves used.  I go into depth on this topic in a variety of previous posts so check out THIS ONE from last August if you want more on this.

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Now on to what I really want to write about in this piece:  Why Is Mezcal Happening Now?  There is not an obvious answer, and for that reason, I wanted to explore the topic.  So let’s start with a bit of background.

I live in NYC and have been a passionate premium tequila lover for close to 20yrs.  As the premium tequilas (and I am not talking about the only-margarita-worthy Patron)really began to come to market in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, I began to get deeper into great tequilas.  Then when my wife dubbed me a “tequila collector” I felt I had license to really go nuts, and the bottles really began to pile up!

But mezcal in the late 90’s and first half of the 00’s?  It barely existed.  I would dabble (and I loved it) when I saw a bottle of Del Maguey, but that was rare.  I am talking really rare.  Rarer than the NY Post front page without Lindsay Lohan and a bottle of Jack. .

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Mezcal Tasting March 9

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There was a night a few years ago when I decided to have my own very private mezcal tasting.  I had collected a few very nice bottles at that point and wanted to try them side by side to compare, contrast, and enjoy.  But by myself?  Sure.  Why not?  Just me and my booze.  But my wife was worried about me, my parents called, neighbors knocked, the dog barked (imagine my shock since I don’t have one).  They thought I was going over the edge (the edge of glory perhaps!).  But it was alright.  I had a great time and learned a few things along the way.

Something Good Is About to Happen Here
Something Good Is About to Happen Here

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How Many Varieties of Agave Can Be Used to Make Mezcal? (Take 2)

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Here we go.  Strap on your agave nerd hat!  I have been working on this new piece for months.  I put up my first post on this topic in May, but I have learned more since then and this list is better.  Perfect?  No.  But better.  You see, it is a difficult topic to tackle.  Let’s start with the mezcal regulators.

Agave Tobala
Agave Tobala (Potatorum)

Mezcal had its first modernized set of government regulations, called NORMA in 1994.  A new NORMA was drawn up for mezcal in 1997 and revised in 2005.  Under the new laws, all mezcal production must be certified in order to sell or export it.  The NORMA lists only 5 of the common varieties of agave from which mezcal can be made, such as espadin and tobala. (more…)

Mezcal Statistics: Parsing the 2011 COMERCAM Data

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COMERCAM, which is the government entity in Mexico that regulates mezcal production and certification, publishes a limited set of data on the mezcal market every year.  The information comes with a bit of a time delay.  For example, the 2011 data was just published at the end of 2012.  This is clearly not ideal as the market is experiencing fairly rapid growth.  So while 2011 data is interesting, I suspect that 2012 saw substantial growth in mezcal exports, and therefore just having 2011 data leaves me a bit wanting. (more…)

Is There Confusion in the Mezcal Market?

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Recently, a VERY knowledgeable mezcal market participant hypothesized the following theory:  all of the variations and multiple products being pushed out by individual brands is confusing to the average mezcal consumer and potential mezcal consumers.  This person felt there were too many tobalas, pechugas, madrecuixes, etc, and that the overwhelming number of choices led to no choice being made.  It’s like all those great Taylor Swift songs:  how can you choose which one to listen too?

Could all the mezcal choices lead to drinker inaction?  Let’s start by looking at tequila.  With tequila, there are more than 1,000 brands, but virtually every one of them has the same three products:  silver, reposado, and anejo.  And it is all blue agave by definition. Simple.  These 3 expressions are readily understood by most tequila consumers, and even if they do not know this, people are rarely confused.  You walk into a bar, you see tequila behind the bar, and at most, you see 3 bottles of the same brand, but even that is not at every bar. (more…)