Agave field in Yagul Valley, Oaxaca, Mexico
In a sun-kissed valley of Oaxaca, southern Mexico, Luis Niño de Rivera pulls a machete from his pocket and starts to hack a large agave plant with intimidating precision. Cutting away the leaves, or pencas, he’s after the piña, the heart of the plant.
Once cooked, fermented and distilled, it will become mezcal, one of the most exciting, terroir-driven spirits in the world.
Historically, the Aztecs made alcoholic beverages from agave, extracting the sap to produce pulque – a milky, potent alcoholic drink. The Spanish brought distillation to Mexico in the 16th century, creating what we know as mezcal and entrenching agave’s cultural, medicinal and spiritual significance.
For centuries, mezcal was the drink of the poor. But a surge in demand from well-travelled consumers – thirsty for novelty and authenticity – has fuelled a plethora of small-batch mezcals. Some cost upwards of hundreds of pounds a bottle. Many are worth it.
Understanding agave
Well suited to the dry, arid plains and mountains of Mexico, there are more than 30 different varieties of agave that can produce mezcal. This gives it an incredible range of aroma and flavour profiles.
Of all the spirits, mezcal is the most like wine, in that the soil, variety, growing conditions and production method can all have a defining impact on the taste. Machete-wielding De Rivera (below), co-founder and co-CEO of Mezcal Amaras, describes it as ‘the soul of Mexico in a glass’.
Luis Niño de Rivera of Mezcal Amaras in an agave field CREDIT: Paul Caputo
Depending on the variety and terroir, agave can take anywhere between five and 30 years to flower – making some of them extremely rare. The Tobalá variety, for example, requires 25 years to reach maturity, and unlike most, cannot reproduce by itself. Cupreata, often found hugging cliffs at high altitudes in the state of Guerrero, needs up to 15 years.
Many agave plants grow wild, foraged from rugged terrain by those in the know – and produce only a few litres of spirit. Understandably, as a result certain mezcals have developed a cult following. Intimately connected to the land, they are every bit as collectible as single malts.
The plants used in most commercial mezcal production are cultivated and encouraged to flower after about eight years.That’s still significant, given the fickle nature of global markets; mismatches in supply and demand are predictably cyclical.
How is mezcal made?
The harvested piñas weigh up to 90kg. They are roasted, traditionally in large, conical pits dug into the earth and lined with hot stones, a process that can take several days. The smoky aromas of some mezcals are introduced during this stage. The choice of firewood matters, as various woods burn very differently. Oak is preferred; mesquite is used for a much smokier style.
Resembling a large pineapple, each piña is then crushed to extract the juice, often using a tahona, a large stone wheel pulled by a horse. The mosto (must), aided by wild yeasts, ferments in large wooden vats over several days or weeks. It is then typically double-distilled in copper or clay pot stills.
Maguey agave piñas before being cooked CREDIT: Bloomberg Creative Photos / Getty Images
Some producers opt for a third distillation, but De Rivera cautions that ‘the more times you distill, the more neutral the spirit becomes, losing aroma and flavour.’ Some producers compensate by adding a twist to the process; hanging raw chicken breast inside the still to infuse savoury notes is not uncommon – look for the term ‘pechuga’ on the label.
More important however, is the use of wood-fired, clay pot stills. These, together with traditional roasting and fermentation processes, define a mezcal as ancestral.
Is mezcal different from tequila?
Produced primarily in the state of Jalisco, tequila is produced from only one type of agave: Blue Weber. To be labelled ‘tequila’ at least 51% of the fermentable…
Source : https://www.decanter.com.master.public.keystone-prod-eks-euw1.futureplc.engineering/spirits/get-to-know-mezcal-eight-to-try-541092/
