Tequila may get most of the limelight,
but there’s nothing quite like a good glass of mezcal.

The first spirit distilled in the Americas, mezcal comes from cooked and distilled agave core (called piña). Though mezcal and tequila both come from distilled piña, the production methods couldn’t be more different. Made with only blue agave, tequila comes from a few specific provinces in Mexico, but mezcal involves a wider variety of agave plants and can be produced in more locations (though most mezcal still comes from Oaxaca). While tequila distillers usually steam piñas in commercial ovens, mezcal producers cook theirs in earthen pits which trap in large quantities of smoke to give the mezcal its distinct smoky flavor. While tequila usually passes through modern metal stills, most mezcal producers continue to use traditional clay stills which preserve the earthen flavor imparted by the smoky fires.

I’ve heard the analogy “mezcal is to tequila what scotch is to whiskey,”
and for both production methods and taste, this couldn’t be more true.

Still, this analogy presents one major issue: naming. Technically speaking, any spirit made from distilled agave core is mezcal, which means tequila is a specific variety of mezcal. Over the years, tequila has surpassed other mezcal varieties in popularity, and at least here in the United States, we’re just rediscovering mezcal. With the more costly production methods and usually higher proof, mezcal tends to be more expensive than tequila, and that’s the reason I had never tried this delicious smoky spirit until a recent trip to Epcot.

I’ve written before about how Disney parks tend to push their sugariest rum and vodka cocktails to appease American sweet tooths (sweet teeth?), but it turns out, if you know where to look, you can also find a lot of good stuff hiding away in back corners. For example, the England section’s Rose & Crown cafe has a full bar where you can order whiskey flights. Epcot’s Germany has a liqueur sampling station tucked away in a gift shop. But the pièce de résistance is Mexico’s tequila cellar. Tucked away in the far right corner as you enter the main Mexico pavilion is La Cava del Tequila, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it hole in the wall with roughly one hundred tequilas and mezcals to choose from (not to mention a solid selection of margaritas, other Mexican spirits, and chips and dip). The friends traveling with us had been talking about tequila for much of the trip, so Jessi and I took one look at the tequila cellar’s menu and knew: we’re doing this. Our friends got a flight of tequila, but Jessi and I decided to be adventurous and bring on the mezcal.

Right off the bat, we knew we were in for something different when the flight arrived with orange slices and… wait, are those… crickets? Yep, the mezcal flight included roasted insects as a palate cleanser. Never doubting the Epcot imagineers, Jessi and I popped the first crickets into our mouths and crunched down. They had the taste and texture of lightly salted pumpkin seeds— not something I’d go out of my way to eat again, but not half bad either. Satisfied with our crickets (which is one of the strangest things I’ve ever written on this blog), we dove into our mezcals. Having no experience with the beverage, we were initially overwhelmed by the smoky flavor, but once our palates adjusted, we discovered a delicious variety. We found the mezcals ranged from citrusy to sweet, bright to bitter, and smooth to peppery. Some were light and even floral like traditional tequilas, while others had the smoky punch of a scotch.

While Jessi never quite got around the intensity of the smoke, I enjoyed the mezcal flight. With tequila’s dominance of the agave-based spirit market, it’s a little tough to find bottled mezcals at local liquor stores. Still, a few cocktail bars in our area offer mezcal and even serve it in cocktails. In particular, Sidecar (one of the premier cocktail bars in Jacksonville) currently features a mezcal cocktail which highlights the spirit’s pepperiness by rimming the glass with chili powder while also providing a cool balance in the form of a cool cucumber garnish. It’s one of my new favorites, and I wish I had found it earlier in the summer.

In general, I’m excited mezcal is becoming more recognized and more easily available, and if you get a chance to try this smoky spirit, I highly recommend it.