Tony Bones
Grundalier
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2004
- Messages
- 768
The differences between tequila and mezcal can be likened to the differences between scotch and rye whiskeys. Or between cognac and brandy. And while mixto tequila may be exported in bulk and bottled outside Mexico, mezcal is always bottled in Mexico.
Tequila and mezcal are similar in the amount of alcohol in the bottle: around 38-40% for most tequilas, while the NORMA for mezcal is 36-55%. Mezcal producers are more likely to use traditional methods - artisan style - than tequila manufacturers, and premium mezcals are 100% agave.
The pinas (which agave nectar comes from) are generally cooked in stone ovens when producing mezcal.
Regarding the worm:
Mezcal is the drink with the worm - not tequila. Called a gusano, or gusano de maguey, it is actually a caterpillar of a night butterfly (mariposa), not a worm at all, and it feeds on the plant (both cultivated and wild varieties). Or at least some of the brands have it - most premium mezcal distillers don't put one in the bottle. Certainly Mexicans don't seem to drink anything with a worm and homebrew or local mezcals never have it.
There are two different types of worm - red (rojo - considered superior because it lives in the root and heart of the maguey - colloquially known as the chinicuil) and the less-prized white or gold (gusano de oro), which lives on the leaves. However, in some areas, the red is more numerous and harms the maguey more. The red gusano turns pale in the mezcal, the gold turns ashen-grey. Both larvae are commonly eaten as food and are sold in Zapotec markets. The small (about 1" long) gusanos are cleaned, then soaked in a vat of water for a year.
More info. than you'll ever need
Tequila and mezcal are similar in the amount of alcohol in the bottle: around 38-40% for most tequilas, while the NORMA for mezcal is 36-55%. Mezcal producers are more likely to use traditional methods - artisan style - than tequila manufacturers, and premium mezcals are 100% agave.
The pinas (which agave nectar comes from) are generally cooked in stone ovens when producing mezcal.
Regarding the worm:
Mezcal is the drink with the worm - not tequila. Called a gusano, or gusano de maguey, it is actually a caterpillar of a night butterfly (mariposa), not a worm at all, and it feeds on the plant (both cultivated and wild varieties). Or at least some of the brands have it - most premium mezcal distillers don't put one in the bottle. Certainly Mexicans don't seem to drink anything with a worm and homebrew or local mezcals never have it.
There are two different types of worm - red (rojo - considered superior because it lives in the root and heart of the maguey - colloquially known as the chinicuil) and the less-prized white or gold (gusano de oro), which lives on the leaves. However, in some areas, the red is more numerous and harms the maguey more. The red gusano turns pale in the mezcal, the gold turns ashen-grey. Both larvae are commonly eaten as food and are sold in Zapotec markets. The small (about 1" long) gusanos are cleaned, then soaked in a vat of water for a year.
More info. than you'll ever need
