A farmer carrying his daughter in-between rows of agave.
DISTILLED HISTORY Mezcal, Mexico's native spirit, retains its artisanal roots Written by Chloe Gellar
As an ardent consumer of craft cocktails, I recall the rise of mezcal a few years ago, when the spirit was tapped (and some would argue pigeon-holed) to imbue a drink with a "smoky" flavor. And while mezcal and tequila are both distilled from agave, the former can display a broad range of flavor profiles, from bitter to bubble gum. Archaeologists have estimated that humans began utilizing the agave plant 11,000 years ago for clothing, tools, and medicine. For thousands of years, the indigenous tribes of Mexico made pulque, a milky white alcoholic beverage made from the agave plant's leaves or sap. Spaniards were introduced to pulque during the Spanish Conquest. Once the liquor they brought with them ran out, the Spanish used their knowledge of distilling (learned from the Moors) to experiment with agave and create something with a higher alcohol content. The culmination of their efforts became mezcal. The main difference between mezcal and tequila is that while mezcal can be made from nearly 50 species of the agave plant, tequila can only be made from Weber blue agave. Resembling a pineapple, the piĂąa, the rounded stem of the agave plant, is used to make mezcal. 56 slmag.net
Each agave plant takes a minimum of four years to mature, with some requiring as many as three decades. This slow-growing process is what imparts mezcal with complex flavors and aromas. The word mezcal is derived from the Nahuatl word mexcalli, which translates as "oven-cooked agave." Once harvested, the piĂąa is roasted, typically in underground pits, although some contemporary producers employ steam to mitigate smoky characteristics. As it cooks, the plant's fibers soften, and starches morph into sugar. In traditional distillation, a tahona, a giant stone wheel typically pulled by a donkey or mule, pulverizes the cooked plant. Today, this process has been made more efficient by some distillers through mechanization, though some craft producers employ a mallet and manpower to make the pulp. The pulp is fermented (with wild yeast in quality mezcals) and distilled, with some mezcals undergoing barrel aging. Much of what you need to know about a bottle of mezcal is right on the label. Drawing parallels with wine grapes and regions, bottles of mezcal list the variety or varieties of agave plants used, along with where they were grown. Mezcal was first recognized as an Appellation of Origin in 1994, but it did not become law until 2003. Just like a bottle of sparkling wine labeled Champagne must
