Sunset – July 2019

SUNSET JULY/AUGUST 2019 77 --

FOOD & DRINK

A MEZCAL LEXICON

Essential terminology for the

enlightened sipper

Sometimes it’s
not even called
mezcal
There are nine of-
ficially recognized
DOC mezcal-
growing regions.
But agave spirits
are made through-
out Mexico and
those outside the
DOC are simply
labeled “agave
spirits.” You can
think of it as the
difference be-
tween AOC Bur-
gundy and rene-
gade Vin de
France.

“Ensemble” is
another word
for blended
Ensembles are
made up of
multiple varieties
of agave. Prolific
espadin is typical-
ly the foundation,
with smaller
amounts of wild
varieties added
to balance the fla-
vors. This allows a
brand to create a
ahnl^lmre^maZml
consistent year
over year, much
like a non-vintage
Champagne.

One agave at
a time
Espadin is the
most easily culti-
vated variety of
agave and thus
the most sustain-
able. Single variet-
ies, like tepeztate
and tobala, are
more difficult to
cultivate. Do your
research and find
out which brands
practice sustain-
able harvesting
and replanting.
When in doubt,
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Put a bird in it

Pechuga is the

most unusual cate-

gory of mezcal.

BmlZmkZ]bmbhgZe%

celebratory distil-

lation in which

Do the math

plore truly small-

batch mezcal,

look for distilla-

tions that print a

harvest date and

the total number

of liters in the pro-

duction run on the

label. Bottlings

with fewer than

500 liters are typi-

cally from a single

distillation; larger

knglk^jnbk^[e^g]&

ing multiple har-

vests and lots.

Fermentalism

Agave juice is

fermented in pine,

clay, and cow-

hide, which im-

part, respectively,

wood, mineral,

and earthy notes.

Not too much

smoke

If smoke is the first

thing you taste,

maZmlZlb`gh_Z

poorly made aga-

ve. You want just a

hint of smoke, but

not so much that

the flavors are

overwhelmed.

And it’s definitely

not made from

cactus

Despite their spiny

leaves and sage

green skin, agave

plants are not cac-

tus—they are part

of the Agavaceae

family.

1

Tosba Tobala

Made from the wild tobala agave, this super-

small-batch mezcal offers up mellow white-pepper

flavors. Tosba replants the rare plant to ensure bot-

tlings in the future. $109/750ml

2

5 Sentidos Pechuga De Mole

Poblano

Distilled with mole spices and cooked chicken, this

mezcal has a spiced richness that almost pushes it

into the desert-spirit category. $140/750ml

3

Wahaka Espadin Manzanita

This easy-drinking 100 percent espadin is a

sustainably cultivated pechuga distilled with heir-

loom apples. $90/750ml

4

Don Mateo De La

Sierra Cupreata

Made from the cupreata agave in Michoacan at

6,000 feet above sea level, this mezcal is floral,

peppery, and herbaceous. $50/750ml

5

Vago Ensamble en Barro

Each bottling from Mezcalero Salomon Rey

Rodriguez uses a blend of different agave varieties,

depending on what’s at peak maturity—sometimes

it’s fruit forward, sometimes herbaceous. $70/750ml

6

Mezcales de Leyenda Durango

Made from the Cenizo agave in the state of

Durango, this mezcal is floral with toasty, fruity,

and herbaceous notes. $90/750ml

Just don’t shoot it:

3 ways

to drink

6

5

4

3

2

Sip it

Whether you’re drinking

from the low clay copita,

the shotglass-like velado-

ra, or the gourd-like jica-

ra, sip and savor, but

never, ever shoot. (Del

Maguey clay copitas, $17;

cocktailkingdom.com)

Reset with salt

Sal de Gusano is the spicy

agave-worm salt sprinkled

on orange slices served

alongside mezcal. The

salt accentuates the

savory qualities of the

spirit while the citrus

resets your palate. (Sal

de Gusano, $18/1.8 oz.;

granmitla.us)

Mix minimally

The complex flavor of

mezcal combined with

fruit juice and fresh lime

equals minimalist mixolo-

gy. A can’t-fail ratio is

4 ounces fruit juice (such

as mango or pineapple) to

2 ounces mezcal to 1

From farm to glass, see how Oaxaca’s ounce fresh lime juice.

best mezcal is made: sunset.com/mezcal.