While tequila is popular in the southwest, it is still a mystery to many people. Sometimes thought of as a second-rate drink more suited to spring break in Cancun, both tequila and mezcal have developed a connoisseur following, with some brands running into the hundreds of dollars for a bottle. Unfortunately, many bars across the U.S. have long served a well-known cheap tequila that tastes of the additives used to enhance the color. Mixed with an equally cheap sugary pre-packaged margarita blend, it can be a source of hangovers and a bad taste experience that turns off customers who have never tried the premium brands. As a general rule, be careful of tequila with the word “gold” in its name, which usually indicates that they have a color additive. Stick with the top-shelf agave spirits.
There has lately been a trend for celebrities to own distilleries and produce their own brand, including George Clooney, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, rocker Sammy Hagar, TV chef Guy Fieri, as well as Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul from “Breaking Bad,” to name a few.
So, why the sudden interest in tequila and mezcal, and what’s the difference in the two drinks? They are both distilled from agave, a succulent native to arid regions of the Americas. Many distillers go back four or five generations of carefully crafted agave spirits. The taste is unique...earthy, sweet, and herbal, sometimes with a peppery aftertaste.
Tequila has strict government requirements as a national product of Mexico. By law, it cannot be called tequila unless it contains 51% Blue Weber agave and is between 35% and 55% alcohol content. Additionally, it must come from the Mexican state of Jalisco or a few other municipalities that were “grandfathered” in. It is similar to champagne in that it has a geographic location that determines its authenticity. There is a town in Jalisco called Tequila.
Tequila is distilled in copper or stainless-steel stills. Some of it is bottled right out of the still, and some of it is aged in oak barrels. Unaged tequila is called blanco, joven, or silver, and is a clear liquid. Many aficionados of tequila prefer it this way. Drunken neat, it has a more agave-forward profile with notes of citrus and pepper.
We talked to Zach Olson, who is a professional sommelier and is involved in the beverage distribution industry. We asked him about barrel ageing, and he told us, “Reposado includes anything barrel-aged from two months to one year, añejo is one to three years, and extra añejo is anything over three years. Generally, as you age tequila, the product becomes less of the agave taste and more of the flavor of the wood. In this country we have an affinity for dark spirits, and we like spirits that taste of ancient wood. We have a fascination with bourbon that spends a lot of time in the barrel. Generally, the longer the tequila sits in wood, the more it adds a sort of textural velvety smoothness to the final product. My personal preference is for little to absolutely no wood used at all. It’s smoother with barrel ageing, but much of the agave notes are diminished.”
Unlike tequila, mezcal can be made from just about any type of agave and can be produced in a wider geographic area. The process is a more traditional and rustic method, mostly by small-scale distillers, rather than the more industrial method employed by modern tequila producers. Zach told us, “The heart of the agave plant, called the piña, is roasted in earthen pits that impart a smoky note to the mezcal. Many distillers crush the agave with a millstone turned by a burro. The lack of a more industrialized process is the key difference between tequila and mezcal. It can also be barrel-aged like tequila. Many agave connoisseurs feel that the rustic distillation and smoky notes give mezcal more character.”
In recent years, mezcal has seen increased popularity in the U.S. Some mezcal is infamously known for the inclusion of a worm in the bottle. There are many myths about the purpose and effect of the worm. It is more than likely just a marketing ploy, but some distillers swear that it improves the flavor. Most mezcal imported to the U.S. does not contain a worm.
Zach says, “It's important when we're thinking of tequila and mezcal to understand that these are similar to the way that we would approach wine. These are products of the environment. This is an agricultural product. The best examples of tequila and mezcal are the producers that care for the land...that care for their agave...that care for the production of a clean, well-made spirit that is reflective of the land that it was grown in.”
So, what about agave spirits in mixed drinks? We talked to Giovanni Martinez, manager of Los Conejos tequila bar in Albuquerque. He told us, “The biggest thing to think about is what agave spirit you're going to use. The flavor profile is really important, even though each particular bottling has its own unique character. It's good to keep things in mind, like unaged tequila products are going to have more of that cooked agave flavor so you're going to get minerality. You're going to get some sharper pepper and even citric tones once you start going into aged spirits. Then you start looking at what the barrel takes away and what the barrel gives to the spirit, and you start seeing a little bit more of vanilla notes and caramel notes, so as the spirit ages the flavor is going to change and you’ve got to keep that in mind when you're mixing it into a drink.”
Giovanni gave us some mixed drink recipes. “Our biggest seller of all time is our Mezcalero. We’ve made over 800,000 of those in the past eight years. It’s made with Ojo de Tigre mezcal, fresh pineapple, ginger, honey, lemon, and blanc vermouth. Another favorite here is our Carmen, which is hibiscus-infused sotol, reposado tequila, Fresno chile syrup, fresh lime, and rose water. Sotol is a spirit made from the Dasylirion plant which grows in Mexico and throughout the U.S. Southwest. The taste is similar to tequila and mezcal. It’s getting increasingly popular, and there are brands produced here in New Mexico. It gives us a chance to include a local spirit. Our Batanga is also popular. It is a drink that is often mixed in one particular bar in the city of Tequila, Jalisco. It’s a favorite of distillers there. It’s made with tequila, Mexican Coke, lime juice, and salt.”
Putting the finishing touch on an agave spirits drink is adding an ingredient to the rim of the glass. The classic is coarse salt with a lime. Many of us, at some point in our lives, have licked our hand, applied salt, chugged a shot glass of tequila, and then sucked on a lime. A lot of bartenders use Tajin, which is a blend of dried ground mild chili peppers, dehydrated lime, and sea salt. It can be applied to food as well. Another interesting element for the rim is Sal de Gusano, which is agave worm salt. It is a mixture of ground tequila worms, Oaxacan sea salt, and dried chilis. It doesn’t sound appetizing, but it is an exotic addition to a cocktail and tastes very good. It’s a great conversation starter when presenting it to guests and can also be applied to food.
There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about tequila and mezcal. We hope that we have cleared some of them up. Enjoy!
It's important when we're thinking of tequila and mezcal to understand that these are similar to the way that we would approach wine. These are products of the environment.
Editor's note: I traveled all over Mexico during my days as a video cameraman and lived in Mexico for a couple of years, so I had access to high-end tequila and mezcal at lower prices. My recommendation for a good agave spirits drink is a mezcal called Ilegal Joven (so named because it used to be smuggled into Guatemala without a tax stamp), drunk neat in a tequila shot glass with half the rim covered in Tajin and the other half in worm salt. ¡Órale!