I was taught about mezcal thanks to a very dear friend of mine Rose Burillo. Rose was kind enough to take me to the state of Oaxaca where so much of the spirit is made and it was there where I gain a real appreciation for this spirit. Now not all of you may be aware of what mezcal is, yet we all know about tequila. The two drinks actually both come from the same blue agave plant, and yet it is tequila which has clearly been exported better than mezcal.
I do think however that this is something which will change in the coming years, and here is exactly why I think that it is a better sell than tequila.
Smooth
I’m pretty sure that part of the reason why tequila became the drink to ‘slam’ was because of its harsh taste. Even when tequila is mixed, it is usually with something sweet like orange juice which takes that strong flavor away. With mezcal however, there is a much smoother flavor to it and that’s why it is a much easier drink to enjoy. Even those who don’t like to drink spirits straight will be able to enjoy a mezcal.
Hangover Happiness
If you stick to just a few mezcals on a nighttime then you are highly unlikely to have much of a bad head the next day. This is because the mezcal is so pure and it has significantly less sugar, zero tannins and it is in fact something which offers a small amount of hydration rather than stripping your body of it.
Healthy Option
This is by far and away one of the healthiest drinks in the world and if you take it on its own or with some sparkling water then you will be able to ensure that you have a great time without the added worry of piling the pounds on. Many cite tequila as being healthier than most and whilst this is true we have to recognize that there is often a lot of sugar in that drink. Tequila only needs to be 51% agave to be called tequila, mezcal is 100%, with tequila the rest is often made up with sugars. Now of course it will be your responsibility to eat well after you have had a couple of mezcals, but at least the drink won’t be putting any weight on you.
Appreciation
Mezcal, much like whisky in Scotland, is a drink which is enjoyed and the process of mezcal with regards to aging is again similar to the way in which Scotch is made. There are some low cost mezcal of course but you can also find some at the very fine end of the spectrum which are high cost and very high quality indeed.
There is no doubt in my mind that in the next decade we are going to be talking a lot more about this delightful drink.
