Because they’re both Mexican spirits made from similar ingredients, mezcal and tequila are often confused for one another. Tequila is in fact a type of mezcal, but mezcal is not always tequila. Mezcal is a vast category of spirits made from agave, and tequila is a small subset of mezcal, much like bourbon is a kind of whiskey, or Chardonnay is a kind of wine. Both spirits utilize a basic method of cooking, fermenting and distilling agave hearts, but the similarities end there. Mezcal and tequila are made in different regions using distinct methodologies and have unique flavor profiles.
A succulent native to Mexico, the agave plant is comprised of some 200 species. Tequila may be made only from the Blue Weber agave in five Mexican states, with the majority produced in Jalisco. Mezcal may be made from roughly 30 different agave species including the blue variety, and in eight Mexican states, with the majority produced in Oaxaca. Mezcal can be made from either wild or cultivated agave, but for tequila, it can only be cultivated Blue Weber agave.
Once the mature agave is harvested and its spiky leaves are cut off, you’re left with the pineapple, or piña, which gets cooked and crushed in order to be fermented and distilled into a spirit. But how that piña is cooked is another difference that separates mezcal and tequila. Most tequila is a major commercial product and most mezcal is still artisanal in production. With mezcal, it’s all made by hand, no machinery is ever allowed to be used in the process. The mezcal is cooked with fire and wood in large underground pits, pressed, and then naturally fermented. Tequila is subject to more rigid standards than mezcal. When making tequila, the hearts of blue agave are typically cooked in industrial, above-ground ovens or autoclaves before being fermented and distilled.
The cooking method is why mezcal often tastes smokier than tequilas, as well as the varying taste depending on the species of agave used. However, because the methodology for making mezcal is less constrained than tequila, there’s a great deal of variety in mezcal. Some mezcals taste bright and delicate, while others are herbaceous and viscous. In tequila, the process is more standardized, and therefore, you can expect more consistent flavor characteristics. Tequila tends to have a smooth, sweet flavor.
Each of these agave spirits brings something unique to cocktails, but you can easily substitute a mezcal for a tequila without really changing the taste of a cocktail. No matter if you’re ordering tequila or mezcal, you’re drinking an agave spirit that has a long history in Mexico.
