Mezcal

Not to be confused with mescaline.
Various views of a bottle of mezcal. The worm can be seen in the middle image, at the bottom of the bottle.

Mezcal, or mescal, (i/mɛsˈkæl/) is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from the maguey plant (a form of agave, Agave americana) native to Mexico. The word mezcal comes from Nahuatl mexcalli /meʃˈkalːi/ metl /met͡ɬ/ and ixcalli /iʃˈkalːi/ which means "oven-cooked agave".[1]

The maguey grows in many parts of Mexico, though most mezcal is made in Oaxaca.[2] There is a saying attributed to Oaxaca regarding the drink: "Para todo mal, Mezcal, y para todo bien, también" ("For every ill, Mezcal, and for every good as well.").[3][4]

It is unclear whether distilled drinks were produced in Mexico before the Spanish Conquest.[5] The Spaniards were introduced to native fermented drinks such as pulque, also made from the maguey plant. Soon the conquistadors began experimenting with the maguey plant to find a way to make a distillable fermented mash. The result was mezcal.[6]

Today, mezcal is still made from the heart of the maguey plant, called the "piña", much the same way it was 200 years ago, in most places.[3][7] In Mexico, mezcal is generally consumed straight and has a strong smoky flavor.[7] Though mezcal is not as popular as tequila (a mezcal made specifically from the blue agave in select regions of the country), Mexico does export the product, mostly to Japan and the United States, and exports are growing.[8]

Despite the similar name, mezcal does not contain mescaline or other psychedelic substances.[9]

History

A cantaro jar for serving mezcal made from barro negro pottery.

The maguey was one of the most sacred plants in pre-Hispanic Mexico, and had a privileged position in religious rituals, mythology and the economy. Cooking of the "piña" or heart of the maguey and fermenting its juice was practiced. The origin of this drink has a myth. It is said that a lightning bolt struck an agave plant, cooking and opening it, releasing its juice. For this reason, the liquid is called the "elixir of the gods".[10] However, it is not certain whether the native peoples of Mexico had any distilled liquors prior to the Spanish Conquest.[5]

Upon introduction, these liquors were called aguardiente (literally fire or fiery water). The Spanish had known distillation processes since the eighth century and had been used to drinking hard liquor. They brought a supply with them from Europe, but when this ran out, they began to look for a substitute. They had been introduced to pulque and other drinks based on the agave or maguey plant, so they began experimenting to find a way to make a product with a higher alcohol content. The result is mezcal.[6]

Sugar cane and grapes, key ingredients for beverage alcohol, were two of the earliest crops introduced into the New World but their use as source stocks for distillation was opposed by the Spanish Crown, fearing unrest from producers at home. Still requiring a source of tax revenue, alcohol manufactured from local raw materials such as maguey was encouraged instead.[6]

The drinking of alcoholic beverages such as pulque was strongly restricted in the pre-Hispanic period. Taboos against drinking to excess fell away after the Conquest, resulting in problems with public drunkenness and disorder. This conflicted with the government's need for the tax revenue generated by sales, leading to long intervals promoting manufacturing and consumption, punctuated by brief periods of severe restrictions and outright prohibition.[6]

Travelers during the colonial period of Mexico frequently mention mezcal, usually with an admonition as to its potency. Alexander von Humboldt mentions it in his Political Treatise on the Kingdom of New Spain (1803), noting that a very strong version of mezcal was being manufactured clandestinely in the districts of Valladolid (Morelia), Mexico State, Durango and Nuevo León. He mistakenly observed that mezcal was obtained by distilling pulque, contributing to its myth and mystique. Spanish authorities, on the other hand, treated pulque and mezcal as separate products for regulatory purposes.[6]

Edward S. Curtis described in his seminal work The North American Indian the preparation and consumption of mezcal by the Mescalero Apache Indians: "Another intoxicant, more effective than túlapai, is made from the mescal--not from the sap, according to the Mexican method, but from the cooked plant, which is placed in a heated pit and left until fermentation begins. It is then ground, mixed with water, roots added, and the whole boiled and set aside to complete fermentation. The Indians say its taste is sharp, like whiskey. A small quantity readily produces intoxication.".[11] This tradition has recently been revived in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park[12]

Mezcal agave or maguey

A typical maguey landscape.

The agave or maguey plant is part of the Agavaceae family, which has more than 120 subspecies.[2] The mezcal maguey has very large, thick leaves with points at the ends. When it is mature, it forms a "piña" or heart in the center from which juice is extracted to convert into mezcal. It takes between seven and fifteen years for the plant to mature, depending on the species and whether it is cultivated or wild.[13]

Reportedly, the maguey species known as "espadín" is by far the most widely used species in the production of mezcal in Oaxaca. Other varieties used include the "madrecuixe", the "arroqueño", the "tobalá", and the "tepeztate", among others.[13] Agave/maguey fields are a common sight in the semi-desert areas of Oaxaca state and other parts of Mexico.[10]

Production

Inside a mezcal producer in Jantetelco, Morelos
A typical earthen oven for roasting maguey hearts.
Roasted maguey (agave) hearts
Grinding cooked maguey hearts.
Gusano de Maguey in a bottle, waiting to be added to finished bottles of Mezcal.

Traditionally, mezcal is handcrafted by small-scale producers.[3] A village can contain dozens of production houses, called fábricas or palenques,[7] each using methods that have been passed down from generation to generation, some using the same techniques practiced 200 years ago.[14]

The process begins by harvesting the plants, which can weigh forty kilograms each, extracting the piña, or heart, by cutting off the plant's leaves and roots.[10] The piñas are then cooked for about three days, often in pit ovens, which are earthen mounds over pits of hot rocks. This underground roasting gives mezcal its intense and distinctive smoky flavor.[4][7] These piñas are then crushed and mashed (traditionally by a stone wheel turned by a horse) and then left to ferment in large vats or barrels with water added.[10]

The mash is allowed to ferment, the resulting liquid collected and distilled in either clay or copper pots which will further modify the flavor of the final product.[7] The distilled product is then bottled unsold. Unaged mezcal is referred to as "joven", or young. Some of the distilled product is left to age in barrels for between one month and four years, but some can be aged for as long as twelve years.[2][10] Mezcal can reach an alcohol content of 55%.[2] Like tequila, mezcal is distilled twice. The first distillation is known as "punta", and comes out at around 75 proof (37.5% alcohol by volume). The liquid must then be distilled a second time to raise the alcohol percentage.

Mezcal is highly varied, depending on the species of agave or maguey used, the fruits and herbs added during fermentation and the distillation process employed, creating sub-types with names such as de gusano, tobalá, pechuga, blanco, minero, cedrón, de alacran, creme de café and more.[4] A special recipe for a specific mezcal type known as pechuga uses cinnamon, apple, plums, cloves, and other spices that is then distilled through chicken, duck or turkey breast. It is made when the specific fruits used in the recipe are available, usually during November or December. Other variations flavor the mash with cinnamon, pineapple slices, red bananas and sugar, each imparting a particular character to the mezcal.[13] Most mezcal, however, is left untouched, allowing the flavors of the agave used to come forward.

Not all bottles of mezcal contain a "worm" (actually the larva of a moth, Hypopta agavis that can infest maguey plants), but if added, it is added during the bottling process.[13] There are conflicting stories as to why such would be added. Some state that it is a marketing ploy.[7] Others state that it is there to prove that the mezcal is fit to drink,[2] and still others state that the larva is there to impart flavor.[10][13]

There are two types of mezcal, those made of 100% maguey and those mixed with other ingredients, with at least 80% maguey. Both types have four categories. White mezcal is clear and hardly aged. Dorado (golden) is not aged but a coloring agent is added. This is more often done with a mixed mezcal. Reposado or añejado (aged) is placed in wood barrels from two to nine months. This can be done with 100% agave or mixed mezcals. Añejo is aged in barrels for a minimum of twelve months. The best of this type are generally aged from eighteen months to three years. If the añejo is of 100% agave, it is usually aged for about four years.[2]

Mexico has about 330,000 hectares cultivating agave for mezcal, owned by 9,000 producers.[8] Over six million liters are produced in Mexico annually, with more than 150 brand names.[15]

The industry generates about 29,000 jobs directly and indirectly. Certified production amounts to more than 2 million liters; 434,000 liters are exported, generating 21 million dollars in income. To truly be called mezcal, the liquor must come from certain areas. States that have certified mezcal agave growing areas with production facilities are Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Oaxaca, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas. About thirty species of maguey are certified for use in the production of mezcal.[8] Oaxaca has 570 of the 625 mezcal production facilities in Mexico,[15] but some in-demand mezcals come from Guerrero as well.[6] In Tamaulipas, eleven municipalities have received authorization to produce authentic mezcal with the hopes of competing for a piece of both the Mexican national and international markets. The agave used here is agave Americano, agave verde or maguey de la Sierra, which are native to the state.[16]

Drinking

Selection of bottled mezcals
Mezcal on the rocks

In Mexico, mezcal is generally drunk straight, not mixed in a cocktail.[3][7] Mezcal is generally not mixed with any other liquids, but is often accompanied with sliced oranges sprinkled with a mixture of ground fried larvae, ground chili peppers, and salt called "sal de gusano", which literally translates as "worm salt".

Exportation

In the last decade or so, mezcal, especially from Oaxaca, has been exported.[6] Exportation has been on the increase and government agencies have been helping smaller-scale producers obtain the equipment and techniques needed to produce higher quantities and qualities for export. The National Program of Certification of the Quality of Mezcal certifies places of origin for export products. Mezcal is sold in 27 countries on three continents. The two countries that import the most are the United States and Japan.[8] In the United States, a number of entrepreneurs have teamed up with Mexican producers to sell their products in the country, by promoting its handcrafted quality, as well as the Oaxacan culture strongly associated with it.[7]

Festival

The state of Oaxaca sponsors the International Mezcal Festival every year in the capital city. Here, locals and tourists can sample and buy a large variety of mezcals made in the state. Mezcals from other states, such as Guerrero, Guanajuato and Zacatecas also participate. This festival was begun in 1997 to accompany the yearly Guelaguetza festival. In 2009, the Festival had over 50,000 visitors, and brought in 4 million pesos to the economy.[17]

See also

References

  1. ↑ What is Mezcal? Elmezcal.org
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Lagasse, Erich. "Mezcal: típico afrodisíaco mexicano" [Mezcal:Typical Mexican Afrodisiac] (in Spanish). Univision. Retrieved 2009-10-19.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Oaxaca Mezcal". Go Oaxaca. Retrieved 2011-06-05.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Galicia, Angelica (2007-09-09). "¡Salud a la mexicana!: el mezcal" [Health, Mexican Style: Mezcal] (in Spanish). Mexico City: Terra. Retrieved 2009-10-19.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Zizumbo-Villarreal et al. (2009), Distillation in Western Mesoamerica before European Contact, Economic Botany 63(4):413-426.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 De Barrios, Virginia B. (2002). A Guide to Tequila, Mezcal and Pulque. Mexico City: Minutiae Mexicana S.A de C.V. pp. 39–44. ISBN 968-7074-46-9.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 Saltzstein, Dan (2009-04-21). "Hoping Mezcal Can Turn the Worm". New York Times (New York). Retrieved 2009-10-09.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 "Producción de mezcal genera 29,000 empleos" [Mezcal production generates 29,000 jobs]. El Siglo de Durango (in Spanish) (Mezquital, Dgo). 2009-02-23. Retrieved 2009-10-19.
  9. ↑ Ask Erowid 2818
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 "Mezcal" [Mezcal] (in Spanish). Oaxaca: Municipality of Oaxaca. Retrieved 2009-10-19.
  11. ↑ Curtis, Edward S (1907). The North American Indian (Vol 1. The Apache. The Jicarillas. The Navaho ed.). p. 28. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  12. ↑ Mauritson, Martha. "Mescal Roast, an Apache tradition, returning to Guadalupe Mountains". Carlsbad Current-Argus. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 Taibo, Paco Ignacio. "Misterio y magia del mezcal" [Mystery and magic of mezcal] (in Spanish). Mexico City: Mexico Desconocido. Retrieved 2009-10-09.
  14. ↑ "Buscan llevar su mezcal a todo el mundo" [They seek to bring their mezcal to the whole world]. El Universal (in Spanish) (Mexico City). 2009-02-04. Retrieved 2009-10-09.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Niño de Haro, Humberto (2008-03-13). "Productores de mezcal van tras jóvenes" [Mezcal producers getting younger]. El Universal (in Spanish) (Mexico City). Retrieved 2009-10-19.
  16. ↑ "Mezcal tamaulipeco quiere conquistar paladares nacionales" [Mezcal from Tamaulipas wanted to conquer national palates]. El Universal (in Spanish) (Mexico City). 2009-08-09. Retrieved 2009-10-09.
  17. ↑ "Inaugura URO XII Feria Internacional del Mezcal" [XII International Festival of Mezcal opens] (in Spanish). Oaxaca: State of Oaxaca. 2009-07-20. Retrieved 2009-10-19.

Further reading

External links

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