Whether you’re mixing up a margarita, pouring out a paloma or just looking for an exceptional spirit to sip, tequila has long been a staple in the drinks cupboard.
And in recent years, mezcal has gained popularity as another Mexican spirit of choice.
But what’s the difference – if any – between them? Is mezcal just smoky tequila? Read on to have agave spirits explained and discover the essential differences between tequila and mezcal...
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Mexican spirits explained
Tequila and mezcal are both Mexican spirits distilled from the agave plant. The agave is a genus of long-lived succulent indigenous to hot, dry areas of Mexico, South America, Central America and parts of the Caribbean.
Mezcal and tequila history dates to at least the 16th century, when distillation was introduced by Spanish conquistadors. But the roots of the spirits lie in pre-Hispanic times. For centuries indigenous peoples used the agave plant to produce pulque, a fermented agave wine.
Today the production of both tequila and mezcal is tightly regulated in Mexico.
What is the difference between tequila and mezcal?
While both tequila and mezcal are made in Mexico from agave, the precise agave varieties, growing areas and production methods for these spirits differ.
Production areas
About 98% of tequila is made in the state of Jalisco, while the other 2% comes from certain municipalities within the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit and Tamaulipas.
Mezcal can be made in nine Mexican regions – Oaxaca, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Oaxaca, San Luis Potosí, Puebla, Michoacán, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas. However around 90% of it currently comes from Oaxaca.
The altitude and climate where agave is grown has a notable effect on its character. For example, blue agave grown in the Jalisco highlands has a fruitier aroma than that grown in lower altitudes.
Types of agave
The agave species features a plant core – referred to as a piña or cabeza – covered in long and thick, spiky leaves. This core, which is rich in complex carbohydrates, is used by distillers to make tequila and mezcal.
There are around 250 species of agave in Mexico but of these only about 30 to 40 are regularly used in distillation.
Mezcal can be made from any of these varieties. Some of the most common include:
- Espadín/Angustifolia: the most popular variety, representing the vast majority of production. It is easy to cultivate, quick to mature and simpler to process
- Barril: wide and round, like a barrel. More difficult to cultivate and slow-growing
- Cenizo/Ashen: mostly found in dry and cold conditions
Tequila is a made from just one type of agave: Agave tequilano Weber var. azul (commonly referred to as blue agave). It gets its name from the blue hue of the leaves, which can reach 120cm or more.
Depending on the variety, it can take between five and 30 years for an agave plant to reach maturity. Due to a skyrocketing demand for tequila, most blue agave is grown on large farms and harvested young, which often contributes to a lighter and less complex style of spirit.
Stripped agave piñas,ready to be cooked in a steam oven.
Production methods
So, how is mezcal made differently from tequila?
First, it’s important to state that there are many similarities in the production methods between the two spirits.
In both cases the agave piñas are hand-harvested and stripped of their leaves by sharp metal blades. They are then cooked, crushed and mixed with water to extract sugars. The resulting liquid is then fermented before being distilled.
However, the two spirits vary in:
- Cooking methods: Tequila piñas are cooked using efficient steam ovens, while mezcal piñas are cooked in a traditional method over fire pits (called hornos de pozo). The fire pit method is slower and usually smaller in scale.
- Permitted additives: In tequila, producers are may add glycerol, corn syrup, cane sugar or agave sweetener during the production process. Up to 49% of sugars can come from non-agave sources, unless the tequila is labelled as Tequila 100% de Agave, which indicates only agave sugars have been used.
In mezcal, only agave sugars may be added.
There is no set extraction, fermentation or distillation style for either spirit category. However, mezcal regulations outline some sub-categories that do require specific production methods:
- Mezcal artesanal: Agave must be cooked in fire pits or masonry ovens and extraction must be via mallet, stone wheel (tahona) or simple mechanical mill. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in traditional vessels. Distillation is in directly heated pot stills, made from copper or clay and with a head of copper, clay, wood or stainless steel.
- Mezcal ancestral: Agave must be cooked in fire pits and extraction must be via mallet or stone wheel (tahona). Alcoholic fermentation takes place in traditional vessels. Distillation is in directly heated pot stills, made from copper or clay and with a head of clay or wood.
Flavours and ageing
Both tequila and mezcal come in a broad range of styles, from expressive and agave-forward to light and subtle.
The production methods, including extraction, still and use of cultured vs wild yeasts all impact flavour, as does the terroir in which the agave was grown.
Mezcal often – though not always – has a smoky character due to the use of fire pits in cooking the piñas.
The flavour of both spirits is also impacted by whether and how it has been aged.
Oak aging is common in tequila. Traditionally large old-oak vessels (pipones) were used but now producers experiment with everything from French new oak to sherry butts. Depending on its age tequila is labelled differently, as follows:
- Blanco or Plata (silver): unaged tequila, stored in oak vessels for under two months
- Joven or Oro (gold): softened with additives like caramel colour, oak extract or sugar syrup
- Reposado (aged): aged for a minimum of two months in oak vessels
- Añejo (extra aged): aged for a minimum of one year in oak vessels
- Extra añejo (ultra aged): aged for a minimum of three years in oak vessels
In traditional mezcal production oak aging is rarely used, as the character of the spirit tends to come from the production process. Instead spirits are often aged in glass vessels to allow the aromatic complexity and rich texture imparted during production to evolve.
Mezcal, with the famous 'worm'.
Mezcal is classed as follows:
- Blanco or Joven: not altered in any way after distillation
- Madurado en Vidrio: aged in glass vessels for more than 12 months
- Reposado: aged in wood for between two and 12 months
- Añejo: aged in wood for more than 12 months
Tequila misconceptions and mezcal myths debunked
Myth 1: Mezcal is just smoky tequila
As detailed above, mezcal has its own agave varieties, production areas and production methods – so it’s much more than just a smoky tequila.
Saying that, because piñas are cooked using fire pits, the mezcal flavour profile very often contains a smoky note. The intensity of this varies depending on the specifics of production.
Mezcal often has highly expressive agave aromas as many producers use traditional, unmechanised methods and a range of foraged and wild agaves. However, it is important to understand that this is not a blanket rule and tequila can also be very expressive.
Myth 2: Tequila is only for shots
Like any spirit category, tequila ranges in quality. Most tequilas are excellent for cocktail-making and some make excellent sipping spirits, regardless of whether or not they are aged.
Many tequilas are made in a more mechanised way than mezcal, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are inferior in quality.
Myth 3: Mezcal is ‘the one with the worm’
The ‘worm’ seen in some bottled mezcal is actually the larva of a moth which traditionally feeds on the agave plant. It is largely a marketing gimmick, though some producers say it imparts added flavour.
Most mezcals do not contain larve, but in cases where additional ingredients like this have been added mezcals must be labelled accordingly.
Mezcals labelled as ‘abacado con…’ have been flavoured by maceration, whether that’s with the agave ‘worm’ or the likes of lemon, honey or orange.
When labelled as ‘destilado con…’ the mezcal has be redistilled with flavouring ingredients.
A final note
Tequila and mezcal have much in common – they are both are made in Mexico from the agave plant, using similar techniques. However they vary in their permitted production areas, agave types and production specifics, as well as aging criteria.
As with most spirits, both tequila and mezcal come in a range of styles, flavour profiles and quality levels.
