All About Agave Spirits: From Mezcal to Tequila, and Beyond

“Mezcal is one of the world’s great spirits: complex, gorgeous and endlessly intriguing, distinguished like great wines by a strong sense of place.” 

--The New York Times (August 16, 2010), “Mezcal, Tequila’s Smoky, Spicy Cousin” by Eric Asimov

At its simplest, mezcal is any distilled spirit made from the agave plant, which is more commonly called maguey in Mexico. Thus, mezcal is an expansive term, encompassing a variety of agave distillates, including tequila. The term mezcal likely derives from the indigenous language Nahuatl, a combination of the words metl (which means “agave”) and ixcalli (which means “cooked”). 

Mezcal, tequila and other agave spirits have a rich and vibrant history. Tequila may get the most publicity in the U.S., but the other agave spirits are worthy of attention as well. I felt it would be very helpful to my readers to compile the links to my Agave Spirit-related posts in a single place. This post will be that repository, and as such will be constantly updated when I write another article. The posts will be listed in chronological order, from newest to oldest. 

I'm particularly proud of An Expanded History of Pechuga Mezcal, my lengthy, well-researched article about the history of the compelling Pechuga Mezcal. I had been previously informed that the oldest written documentation about Pechuga was from the 1950s, but my own research found documentation back to 1863! I found dozens of additional references to Pechuga and they help to provide a better understanding of this unique type of Mezcal. 

“Mezcal hits every magic word—artisanal, organic, gluten-free, vegan. It comes from a small village, and you have to drive there to get it. It’s made by a family. It automatically became cool when knowing what you eat became cool. Tequila got to the point where it’s like Tyson chicken—that’s Cuervo. Now I want to know my chicken’s name. That’s mezcal.”
--The New Yorker (April 4, 2016), "Mezcal Sunrise" by Dana Goodyear (Quoting Bricia Lopez)

Moonshine? A History of Sotol in the U.S. 

A Fascinating Mezcal Resource: "Holy Smoke! It’s Mezcal!" (2nd Ed.) by John P. McEvoy 

Rant: Agave Reforestation & Saving Mezcal 
The Rise Of Tequila In The 18th & 19th Centuries 
An Expanded History of Pechuga Mezcal 
Paranubes Rum: An Oaxacan Treasure 
Pierde Almas Maguey de Lumbre Mezcal: Light My Fire  
Pierde Almas +9 Botanicals: The First Mezcal-Gin 
Ten Reasons To Drink Mezcal  
The Origins of Pechuga, Pierde Almas, & Mezcal de Conejo
Mezcal Amarás Cupreata Joven: An Intriguing Mezcal From a Rare Agave
Thirst Boston: Mezcal & Beyond
Mezcal Bars In the Boston Area
Amuleto Mexican Table, Mezcal Vago & "A Slap To The Face"
Rant: 400 Rabbits Say "Drink More Mezcal"
The Alsatian Connection To Tequila
Move Over Tequila & Mezcal, Here Comes Sotol

“Mezcal is real and has nearly 500 years of history. It is hand-crafted and artisanally produced…. It has deep cultural significance in Mexico, from births, to weddings, to funerals, and is deeply woven into the fabric of community life.”
--Holy Smoke! It’s Mezcal: A Complete Guide From Agave To Zapotec by John McEvoy