108 | WINE ENTHUSIAST | OCTOBER 2019
BY KARA NEWMAN
PHOTOS BY JENS JOHNSON
F
rom citrusy and bright to dark and brooding, to laden with chocolate mole
and laced with mesquite, this spirit category can have an almost unbeliev-
able range of descriptors. And further flavor combinations can be even more
startling: roasted meat, rubber and petrol; lychee, rosewater and bubble gum.
Such is the magical mystery of mezcal.
Mezcal is Mexico’s most traditional agave spirit, and perhaps its most nontraditional
in terms of the drinking experience. It can surprise and delight with its extreme range,
and it can show terroir like few spirits can.
For years, it was pigeon-holed as “smoky,” an easy way to diff erentiate its fl avors from
Tequila, which is also distilled from agave. But in reality, mezcal is so much more.
As Americans discover the palate-thrilling roller coaster ride that it can be, the spir-
it’s star is undoubtedly on the rise. Consumption of mezcal in the U.S. grew by 32.4% in
2018, according to UK-based research fi rm ISWR Drinks Market Analysis, representing
the largest gain among all spirits categories. Admittedly, that jump is from a relatively
small base of 261,000 nine-liter cases, but it’s a dizzying trajectory nevertheless, and
experts suggest there’s even more growth to come.Why this super-hot spirit is so much more
than Tequila’s smoky cousin.