Ilegal Joven Mezcal, 70cl, 40% ABV

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Not all bottles of mezcal contain a " worm" (actually the larva of a moth, Comadia redtenbacheri, that can infest agave plants), but if added, it is added during the bottling process. [19] There are conflicting stories as to why such a thing would be added. Some state that it is a marketing ploy. [5] Others state that it is there to prove that the mezcal is fit to drink, [18] and still others state that the larva is there to impart flavor. [9] [19] a b c d e f Zizumbo-Villarreal, Daniel; Colunga-GarcíaMarín, Patricia (June 2008). "Early coconut distillation and the origins of mezcal and tequila spirits in west-central Mexico". Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution. 55 (4): 493–510. doi: 10.1007/s10722-007-9255-0.

The production of mezcal moved from the coastal river basins of the Río Grande de Santiago to the inland ravines by the early 1700s to evade the prohibition on spirits production, as well as to take advantage of the larger numbers of wild agave plants in the interiors. The plants used expanded to highland cultivars of Agave angustifolia, as well as Agave rhodacantha in Jalisco, and Agave hookeri in Michoacán. [10] 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, though, treated pulque and mezcal as separate products for regulatory purposes. [12] Regulation [ edit ] A typical maguey landscape Here, I’m not just sharing opinions; I’m weaving tales from the rich tapestry of my experiences over these three decades. Agaves or magueys are endemic to the Americas and found globally as ornamental plants. More than 90% of mezcal is made in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, but is now produced and commercialized throughout Mexico for the national and international market. Native fermented drinks from maguey plant, such as pulque, existed before the arrival of the Spanish. Buscan llevar su mezcal a todo el mundo"[They seek to bring their mezcal to the whole world]. El Universal (in Spanish). Mexico City. 4 February 2009. Archived from the original on 16 March 2009 . Retrieved 9 October 2009.Despite the similar name, mezcal does not contain mescaline or other psychedelic substances. [8] History [ edit ] A cantaro jar, made from barro negro pottery, used for serving mezcal The brand gained further attention during the 2016 presidential election with its viral “Donald eres un pendejo” (Donald, you are an asshole) campaign. ILEGAL Mezcal is available in Joven, a full-bodied agave flavor with a light smoke; Reposado, aged six months in medium-charred American oak; and Añejo, aged to taste for 13 months using a combination of new and used American oak, medium char barrels. In the 21st century, mezcal, especially from Oaxaca, has been exported. [12] 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. [7] 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. [5] While fermented drinks from agave (like pulque) is pre-colonial, [10] the distillation of agave heart juice into mezcal was only introduced in the colonial era. How stills reached New Spain remains a point of scholarly dispute; some historians attribute the propagation of distillation to the Spanish who learned the process during the Moorish rule of Iberia, while others trace its origins to Filipino sailors who, after the opening of the galleon trade in the 1570s, brought stills with them to make vino de coco (coconut liquor). [11]

Las nuevas fronteras para la acumulación de la industria del agave en la región mixteca". Radio Zapatista (in Mexican Spanish) . Retrieved 14 March 2021. The old adage goes, “All Tequila is Mezcal, but not all Mezcal is Tequila.” Mexico’s Mezcal spirit is made from the fermented and distilled sugars of agave plants. Unlike Tequila, which must use the Weber blue agave and be made within the designated Tequila appellation, Mezcal can be produced from one of dozens of agave species and doesn’t need to be made in a specific region. Traditionally, mezcal is handcrafted by small-scale producers. [4] A village can contain dozens of production houses, called fábricas or palenques, [5] each using methods that have been passed down from generation to generation, some using the same techniques practiced 200 years ago. [25] This is an important difference with tequila which is nowadays mostly produced industrially. [26] The regulations have been controversial, not only from small artisanal producers for whom the cost of certification is prohibitive, but also from traditional producers outside the chosen GI states and those producers who believe that the term "mezcal" should not be owned by the state. Uncertified producers are prohibited from using the term "mezcal" on their products. Some producers and importers have responded by labeling their products as "destilados de agave" or "agave spirits", a category now recognized by the United States' TTB and in increasing use. [16] En México existen al menos 7 especies de agave cultivadas y silvestres que son utilizadas para la producción de mezcal. Entre los agaves mezcaleros destacan el “espadín” ( Agave angustifolia Haw.), que es el más cultivado y utilizado para la fabricación del mezcal. En orden de importancia le siguen el “arroqueño” ( Agave americana L.), el “cirial” ( Agave karwinskii Zucc.) y el agave “barril” ( Agave rodacantha Zucc.), el “mexicano” ( Agave macrocantha) y el maguey “cincoañero” ( Agave canatala Roxb). Entre los más famosos y apreciados agaves silvestres por la calidad del mezcal que se obtiene está el “tobala” ( Agave potatorum Zucc.)."

The booming industry has been met with opposition from ecological activists, on 9 March San-Francisco based neozapatismo news outlet Radio Zapatista, released an article on the damage the industry and its mass-production is doing to the environment of the Mixteca Region and the cultures of the region. [31] Festival [ edit ] The origin of mezcal is tied to the introduction of distillation technology which was introduced to New Spain either by the Spanish or Filipino sailors.