HERE'S WHY WELLNESS WARRIORS ARE SIPPING ON MEZCAL
Kate Gavlick, JUN 21 2019
This article was published in Organic Authority on its web version. All rights reserved belong to Organic Authority and the author of the article.
Mezcal is tequila’s cooler, trendier cousin. Although both liquors are derived from the agave plant, that’s where their relationship ends. For the health and wellness conscious, mezcal may even be a cleaner sip. Here’s everything you need to know about the south-of-the-border liquor the cool kids are drinking.What Is Mezcal?
Mezcal is small-batch, smoky and complex tasting liquor hailing from Mexico. Like tequila, mezcal is distilled from the agave plant. Unlike tequila, which is distilled from only the blue agave, mezcal can be distilled from more than 30 varieties of agave, including the blue agave.
Mezcal and tequila come from different regions of Mexico as well. About 80 percent of mezcals are made in Oaxaca, but can come from eight other regions throughout the country. Tequila is made in only five specific regions in Mexico.
Like tequila, mezcal is distilled from the juices of the pressed core of the agave plant, the pina. With tequila, the pina are commonly cooked in large, stainless steel industrial cookers to maximize production. The cooked pina are then crushed to release the juice, fermented, distilled, aged, and bottled to produce everyone’s favorite margarita mixer.
Mezcal production, on the other hand, is a labor of love. Pina are fire-cooked in small underground, earthen pits typically lined with volcanic rock.
Small batches of pina are piled into the pits, covered with earth, and allowed to smoke for days on end. John McEvoy, author of “Holy Smoke! It’s Mezcal” and blogger of MezcalPhd explains “this underground ‘oven’ now smokes, cooks, and caramelizes the pina over a multi-day cooking process,” which creates mezcal’s characteristic smoky flavor.
The cooked and unearthed pina are then crushed with a tahona, an ancient-looking stone wheel pulled by a horse or donkey, to extract the juice. The cooked agave juice is then fermented and distilled (typically in clay pots or wooden barrels), and bottled. This small-batch, artisanal production explains for the high price tag of many bottles of mezcal.
Is Mezcal Healthier than Tequila?
For purists, mezcal is cleaner than tequila.
According to the Tequila Regulatory Council, tequila must be made with at least 51 percent blue agave sugars and 49 percent sugars from other sources, which may include not-so-delicious fillers such as corn and grains. On the other hand, by law mezcal must contain 100 percent agave, leaving no room for anything artificial.
Sip responsibly, not just in alcohol consumption, but also in choosing what to drink. Mezcal can be considered cleaner and more pure than tequila, especially if the later is mixed with artificial sugar and way too many margarita mixers. When it comes to health, wellness, and alcohol, consider balance and sip in moderation – mezcal included.
