Tequila vs Mezcal: What’s the difference?

Tequila vs Mezcal: What’s the difference?

¡Hola, patrones de Salt Dog Slims! We’ll keep the Spanish to a minimum today as we learn about two of the best things to come out of Mexico (after guacamole).

Tequila and mezcal; If a tequila menu has ever had you googling ‘Spanish lessons near me’, you’re not the first, and you won’t be the last. Añejo, blanco, reposado: ‘tell me what it means’ you scream into your Salt Dog TNT cocktail.

So, if you want the lowdown on tequila vs mezcal, how they’re made and what they taste like, stick with Salt Dog Slims.

What is the difference between tequila & mezcal?

Just as all thumbs are fingers (but not all fingers are thumbs), technically, all types of tequila are mezcal. Confused? Don’t be: ‘mezcal’ is just an umbrella term that refers to spirits that are derived from the agave plant. Tequila is one of these.

 

 

Tequila: everything you need to know

How is tequila made?

Tequila is made exclusively using the blue Weber agave plant. To be a true tequila (as all products are inspected and officiated by the Tequila Regulatory Council (TCR)), it must be made of a minimum of 51% Blue Weber agave.

The other 49% can be made of fructose, corn syrup; it all depends on the manufacturer. But tequilas that are made from 100% blue Weber agave (this information will usually be somewhere on the label) are generally considered higher-quality.

You can expect to pay a lot more for these spirits.

The process of producing tequila is long, with agave plants taking 6–10 years to reach full maturity. The spiky-looking plant is harvested by farmers, who will cut the agave’s core (also known as the piña) and cook it in a brick oven.

The piña is later shredded to extract the sugar juice (called the ‘mosoto’). It is stored in steel or wooden barrels to ferment anywhere from 3 days to two weeks. Then comes distillation: the mosoto, after being put through the process twice, is now ready to be aged for at least 2–3 weeks.

Where is tequila made?

Again, according to Mexican production laws, authentic tequila can only be produced in the following five states:

  • Jalisco (the main state for tequila production, as it has the most favourable climate for agave growth and plenty of crop fields).
  • Nayarit
  • Guanajuato
  • Michoacán
  • Tamaulipas

These municipalities have just the right climate and conditions for agave growth. It’s the same way that true Parmesan cheese can only be made in Italy: tequila is a protected designation of origin (PDO) product to guarantee its authenticity and quality.

Fun fact: some other PDOs include champagne (France), Feta cheese (Greece) and Prosciutto di Parma (Italy).

What are the different types of tequila?

It’s easy for the tequila vs mezcal debate to spiral when terms get confusing. Generally speaking, you’ll find five main types of tequila on a menu:

  • Blanco: (also known as silver or white): Bottled immediately after distillation or rested for up to two months in stainless steel or neutral oak barrels. It can be slightly peppery, grassy, and very agave-forward.
  • Joven (gold): A mix of blanco with aged tequilas or sometimes colourants and flavourings; often used in cocktails.
  • Reposado: Aged for a minimum of two months but less than a year in oak barrels, ‘reposado’ tequilas appear pale or gold and err more on the ‘citrus’ side. You may even find some that offer spicy, vanilla tones.
  • Añejo: Añejo tequilas are aged for longer, between 1 and 3 years. As such, they have a darker, amber colour and will have more of those spicy, vanilla notes we talked about with Reposado. Due to its complex flavours, Añejo is great for sipping neat.
  • Extra Añejo: The name says it all: extra Añejo is aged for a minimum of three years. It’s intense, spicy and silky in texture.

Mezcal: everything you need to know

How is mezcal made?

Making mezcal is a slower, more traditional process than tequila. Again, it starts with agave, but not just one type.

Over 30 species of agave can be used for mezcal, from the more common Espadín to rarer ones, like Madrecuishe. After harvesting, the piñas are roasted in underground pits lined with hot stones, where the mezcal gets its classic, smoky flavour.

The cooked agave is crushed, usually with a heavy stone wheel pulled by a mule or machine, and the juice is fermented in open-air wooden vats. The mixture is then distilled in copper or even clay stills – it all depends on the region and maker!

Where is mezcal made?

Did you know that 90% of mezcal comes from Oaxaca, Mexico? Like tequila, it’s a protected designation of origin (PDO) product. While mainly hailing from Oaxaca, Mezcal can also be produced in eight other Mexican states, including:

  • Zacatecas
  • Guerrero
  • Nayarit
  • Puebla
  • Michoacán
  • Tamaulipas
  • Guanajuato
  • San Luis Potosí

What are the different types of mezcal?

With Mezcal, you won’t find it separated into ‘blanco’ or ‘añejo’: instead, mezcal is grouped by how it’s made. There are three official categories:

  • Mezcal: Also referred to as ‘industrial’ mezcal, this type isn’t made using traditional methods. Instead, it can be made with modern equipment like stainless steel stills (and usually in large quantities).
  • Mezcal Artesanal: To be classified as ‘mezcal artesanal’, the spirit must be produced using traditional methods: pit-roasted agave, copper distillation, and even stone-crushing.
  • Mezcal Ancestral: Widely regarded as the best kind of mezcal, ancestral varieties are made the old-fashioned way with clay pots and wooden vats.

Rock on down to Salt Dog Slims for a tequila cocktail!

Where do you stand on the tequila vs mezcal debate? If, like us, you’d prefer to sample some examples, why not take a trip to Salt Dog Slims? We’re the number one dive cocktail bar in Liverpool City Centre and Manchester.

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