The word Mezcal are is used for agave-based liquor produced in certain states of Mexico, and therefore Tequila is a subcategory of Mezcal. They do share a lot of common points for that reason (agave based and Mexican to start with), but they strongly differ!
DIFFERENT BASE MATERIAL
Tequila can only be made with Blue Agave, many species are authorized by the DO of Mezcal.
DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHICAL ORIGIN
Both Mezcal and Tequila are DO, protected designation of origin and can only be produce in certain states of Mexico.
1. Tequila is made in 5 specific regions: Jalisco, Michoacan, Guanajuato, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas.
2. Mezcal is made in 8 specific regions of Mexico: Oaxaca, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, San Luis Potosi, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, and the recently approved Michoacan.
3. 3 states overlap and make both tequila and mezcal: Guanajuato, Tamaulipas, Michoacan
1. Tequila is made in 5 specific regions: Jalisco, Michoacan, Guanajuato, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas.
2. Mezcal is made in 8 specific regions of Mexico: Oaxaca, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, San Luis Potosi, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, and the recently approved Michoacan.
3. 3 states overlap and make both tequila and mezcal: Guanajuato, Tamaulipas, Michoacan
DIFFERENCE IN THE PRODUCTION PROCESS. MODERNITY VS TRADITION ?
Mezcal is often more artisanally produced than Tequila.
A tequila harvest and a Mezcal harvest is essentially the same (with different varieties of agave). How the piñas are cooked is where the process start to differ.
Indeed, in most instances Mezcal producers use the centuries old method of baking the agave in an underground, earthen pit. The pit is typically about 5 meters wide and 2 meter deep, and cone shaped down to the bottom. It is lined with rock. There are indeed a wide diversity of fire techniques, depending of the ingeniosity or commitment of the Mezcalero. Generally, a fire is started in the bottom with wood. This fire heats the rocks to extreme heat. The piñas are then quickly piled into the pit and covered with about a foot of earth, topped with a necessary chimney. This underground “oven” smokes, cooks and almost caramelizes the piñas. This is where Mezcal gets its earthy and smoky flavours.
The way the pinas are ground is often different.
Once roasted, the piñas are crushed in old-fashioned stone wheel pulled by horse or donkey. It's all very artisanal.
Most of the tequila will go through shredding/grinding machine.
The length of fermentation and the use of indigeneous yeasts for Mezcal vs commercial for Tequila consitute another difference. There are of course exceptions, and sometimes a Mzcal can be more "industrial" than a Tequila.
A last difference lies in the distillation process; more pot stills or Filipino stills are used for Mezcal than for Tequila.
A tequila harvest and a Mezcal harvest is essentially the same (with different varieties of agave). How the piñas are cooked is where the process start to differ.
Indeed, in most instances Mezcal producers use the centuries old method of baking the agave in an underground, earthen pit. The pit is typically about 5 meters wide and 2 meter deep, and cone shaped down to the bottom. It is lined with rock. There are indeed a wide diversity of fire techniques, depending of the ingeniosity or commitment of the Mezcalero. Generally, a fire is started in the bottom with wood. This fire heats the rocks to extreme heat. The piñas are then quickly piled into the pit and covered with about a foot of earth, topped with a necessary chimney. This underground “oven” smokes, cooks and almost caramelizes the piñas. This is where Mezcal gets its earthy and smoky flavours.
The way the pinas are ground is often different.
Once roasted, the piñas are crushed in old-fashioned stone wheel pulled by horse or donkey. It's all very artisanal.
Most of the tequila will go through shredding/grinding machine.
The length of fermentation and the use of indigeneous yeasts for Mezcal vs commercial for Tequila consitute another difference. There are of course exceptions, and sometimes a Mzcal can be more "industrial" than a Tequila.
A last difference lies in the distillation process; more pot stills or Filipino stills are used for Mezcal than for Tequila.
two great videos by liquor.com so you can compare both alcohol in less than 2 minutes
|
|
|
