Mezcal Is More Than Just Smoky Tequila. Here’s What Makes These Mexican Agave Spirits Different

If you’ve visited a buzzy bar in any major city in the last 15 years, you’ve probably encountered craft cocktails made with tequila or mezcal. At the very least, you’ve likely sipped a Margarita or two on a patio or stoop when temperatures soared, or you had surplus limes. 

“Tequila and mezcal are the hottest spirits on the market right now,” says Ketsuda Nan Chaison, the bartender-turned-restaurateur behind Mestizo and Libre restaurants in Portland, Oregon. 

Yet, confusion about tequila and mezcal abounds, particularly for those new to the agave party. Is tequila a type of mezcal, or the other way around? Can you swap them in a cocktail? And what is agave, exactly?

Ready to dive into the richly nuanced world of tequila and mezcal? Here’s what you need to know.

The history of agave spirits

The popularity of tequila and mezcal has surged stateside, but it’s just the latest development in their long, intertwined heritage. The spirits have deep roots in indigenous and agricultural communities throughout Mexico. Some historians trace their origins to Aztec ceremonies around 250 AD. They often note that the word mezcal is derived from a Nahuatl term that means cooked or baked agave. 

For many, tequila and mezcal are more than ingredients, but also cultural touchstones and global emissaries. They can be “important for Mexican culture because I think a lot of the producers can express themselves through their craft, family bond, and the love of the land,” says Diego Livera, head bartender of The Cabinet Mezcal Bar in New York City. 

What is tequila?

Tequila is a distilled spirit made from blue Weber agave, a succulent that hails from arid regions in the Americas. 

There are five types of tequila: blanco, or unaged; reposado, which sits in oak or steel barrels from two months to one year before it’s bottled; añejo, a golden version that ages in oak barrels for one to three years; extra añejo, aged for a minimum of three years, and joven, a blend of mostly blanco, plus some aged tequilas. 

Like Champagne, tequila is a geographically specific product with a designated appellation of origin (DO). A Mexican governing body, Consejo Regular del Tequila (CRT), regulates where and how it’s made. 

Most tequila comes from Jalisco, a Pacific-facing Mexican state that’s home to a city named Tequila. The spirit can also be produced in specific municipalities within four other Mexican states: Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas.

How tequila is made

To make tequila, the agave piñas, or hearts, are roasted or steamed in ovens to convert the starches into fermentable sugars. It’s typically double-distilled in stainless steel and copper-pot stills, and it’s bottled anywhere from 35% to 55% ABV. 

Quality tequilas are made from 100% blue agave, but the CRT also permits distillers to make a type of tequila called mixto. It’s required to contain at least 51% blue agave, but mixto can include non-agave sugars like cane sugar prior to fermentation. Some drinks professionals believe that mixto tequilas are subpar representations of the spirit.  

“For the most part, a mixto tequila will have a lot of artificial-tasting flavors,” says William Brooks, global brand ambassador for Tequila Herradura and El Jimador. He says that mixto tequilas can be sweeter and lack the layered flavors and minerality of those made from 100% agave. “Even malolactic notes are common in 100% agave tequila, and [they] are lost in mixto tequilas,” he says.

What is mezcal?

Mezcal is a broad category of spirits made from roasted agave hearts commonly referred to as piñas. 

Once, mezcal could be made anywhere in Mexico and from any type of maguey, or agave plant. In 1995, mezcal received DO status, and its production became more regulated. 

Modern mezcal must contain 100% agave. There are more than 40 approved species, like espadín, tobalá, and tepeztate. Production is permitted in nine Mexican states: Oaxaca, Guerrero, Durango, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Michoacan, Tamaulipas, and Pueblo. 

Mezcal’s categories encompass a range of age statements and ingredients, categorized primarily by the type of agave from which it’s distilled. Though not commonly barrel-aged, joven or blanco is unaged mezcal; reposado rests from two months to one year in wood; while añejo ages for at least one year in barrels. 

Mezcal labeled “madurado en vidrio” is aged in glass. Flavored mezcal, or a spirit that contains flavorings added after distillation, will say “abocado con,” which translates to “flavored with.” If additional fruits or flavorings are included during distillation, it’s described as “destilado con.”

How mezcal is made

To make mezcal, the piñas are roasted for several days underground in earthen or stone-lined pits. The roasted piñas are then pulverized to extract juices, fibers, and caramelized sugars. Traditionally, this is done with a large stone wheel called a tahona that’s pulled by a donkey or horse that circles the production area. Some modern distillers use a mechanized roller mill instead.

The extracted materials are fermented in open-air tanks and then distilled in small stills. Mezcal is bottled between 35-55% ABV. 

The key differences between tequila and mezcal

The primary differences between tequila and mezcal have to do with specificity. Tequila must be made from blue Weber agave, and in one of five designated regions of Mexico. Mezcal can be made from an array of maguey, and in nine Mexican states. 

Production processes vary, too. Mezcal production begins in an underground pit and entails many traditional practices, perhaps a donkey or two. However, tequila is often made with more modern processes and distilled twice in stainless steel or copper-pot stills.  

Depending on their origin, production, and age, tequilas and mezcals can encompass a range of characteristics. Mezcal tends to have a wide variety of complex flavor profiles that range from fruity and herbal to vegetal and mineral-like. Tequila generally displays flavors and aromas of cooked agave, tropical fruit, and citrus. Due to production restrictions, tequila has a narrower range of flavors than mezcal.

How to use tequila vs. mezcal 

In many bars, restaurants, and homes across Mexico, people sip tequila or mezcal neat. Tequila is sometimes paired with sangrita, a tangy, savory accompaniment. Mezcal might be served unadorned, or alongside salt or a slice of citrus. 

Both spirits work well in cocktails. “You can use tequila or mezcal interchangeably in most cocktails,” says Jesse Vida, operating partner of Cat Bite Club in Singapore. Swapping in mezcal for the tequila used traditionally to make a Margarita or Paloma “is really just a personal preference.”

Chaison recommends to float an ounce of mezcal atop a Margarita made with tequila. “You’ll find it’s the best Margarita you’ve ever had,” she says.

You can also combine the two spirits to make beautifully nuanced drinks, like in the Oaxaca Old Fashioned or Eclipse. Vida is a fan of this approach. “At Cat Bite Club, we use a blend of tequila and mezcal in multiple cocktails — the best of both worlds,” he says.