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What is Mezcal?
Posted on 2/25/2011
by Anthony Sotelo
In 1947 the governing body regulating spirits in Mexico designated a specific area around the city of Tequila to be the only recognized origin of Agave spirits to bear the name Tequila. Outside of this area, the distillations would retain the name Mezcal.
They didn’t stop there. They further stated that the product must contain at least 51% Agave. That is why the earliest imports into the U.S. contained 51% Agave and 49% “other spirits”, usually grain alcohol.
All Agave plants are not created equal. A further refinement was necessary. In 1905, Dr. Franz Weber sought to codify the various strains of Agave, a hierarchy of specific plants rated by the quality of their unique fermentations.
His findings formed the basis for the “top shelf” Tequilas and Mezcals of today.
At the top of the list stands the Blue Agave. Today, all premium Tequilas are made from 100% Weber Blue Agave. A select few distillers take the extra step and use only the Highland Blue Agave, the most desirable of all.
Most Mezcals, on the other hand, favor the espadin, the Blue Agave’s smoky cousin. This produces a slightly more aggressive profile, which has given Mezcals their reputation for aggressiveness and power. In addition to espedin, Mezcals are also fermented from manso, the arroquense, and the rare wild tobalá.
El Zacatecano is unique. Their Mezcal is fermented from 100% Highland Weber Blue Agave. The Lamas family harvests their own plants, and has done so for 100 years. The unique profile and history is the reason that our Mezcals are number one in all of Mexico. Pure in heritage, elegant in profile. All you need is a glass.
They didn’t stop there. They further stated that the product must contain at least 51% Agave. That is why the earliest imports into the U.S. contained 51% Agave and 49% “other spirits”, usually grain alcohol.
All Agave plants are not created equal. A further refinement was necessary. In 1905, Dr. Franz Weber sought to codify the various strains of Agave, a hierarchy of specific plants rated by the quality of their unique fermentations.
His findings formed the basis for the “top shelf” Tequilas and Mezcals of today.
At the top of the list stands the Blue Agave. Today, all premium Tequilas are made from 100% Weber Blue Agave. A select few distillers take the extra step and use only the Highland Blue Agave, the most desirable of all.
Most Mezcals, on the other hand, favor the espadin, the Blue Agave’s smoky cousin. This produces a slightly more aggressive profile, which has given Mezcals their reputation for aggressiveness and power. In addition to espedin, Mezcals are also fermented from manso, the arroquense, and the rare wild tobalá.
El Zacatecano is unique. Their Mezcal is fermented from 100% Highland Weber Blue Agave. The Lamas family harvests their own plants, and has done so for 100 years. The unique profile and history is the reason that our Mezcals are number one in all of Mexico. Pure in heritage, elegant in profile. All you need is a glass.
Comments
Posted by Maria Elena
on 2/27/2011 9:12:37 PM
Great article. Will be visiting again.