THE GUIDE TO MEZCAL

The world is developing a passion for mezcal The world is developing a passion for mezcal. It’s gaining ground on tequila in the United States. Here’s what you need to know:

Mezcal is the national spirit of Mexico, first made by pre-Columbian peoples who roasted and fermented the spiny agave plant (also known as maguey). Over time, distinct regional styles of mezcal developed. (Like the one traditionally made near the town of Tequila, in the state of Jalisco. More on that later).

When the Spanish arrived in Mexico, they introduced distillation and mezcal was born. Mezcal is a spirit whose age-old methods of production make it inherently “craft”. It’s one of the few spirits you can find that is a natural product whose industry hasn’t completely industrialized.

There are plenty of ways to enjoy mezcal. Traditionally, it’s sipped (‘or kissed’ as they say in Oaxaca), not shot.

But cocktails are definitely on the menu.

Bottled immediately or aged less than 2 months. REPOSADO (‘Rested’) JOVEN (‘Young’) Bottled immediately or aged less than 2 months. REPOSADO (‘Rested’) Aged in oak barrels for up to one year. Añejo (‘Aged’) Aged one to three years.

By regulation, mezcal can range from 38% to 55% Alcohol by Volume (ABV). The higher the alcohol content, the higher the burn on the palate.

Q: But what’s the difference between tequila and mezcal?

Q: What’s the difference between tequila and mezcal? A: Tequila IS mezcal. There are over 200 types of agave plant 40 are used to distill a spirit called mezcal One, the ‘Blue’ agave, is used to make a mezcal called ‘tequila’. But mezcal, of which tequila is a type, can be made from any agave, adding to the wide variety of mezcal types and flavors.

Q: So why is tequila…. ‘Tequila’?

Q: So why is tequila…. ‘Tequila’? A: Two Reasons: The legal requirement that it only be produced in the state of Jalisco (home to the city of ‘Tequila’) and limited municipalities in the 5 states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas The singular use of the Blue Agave Tequila is recognized as a Mexican ‘Designation of Origin’ product in more than 40 countries. Other ‘Designation’ or ‘Appellation’ products include champagne (France), ouzo (Greece), grappa (Italy), Tennessee whiskey & bourbon whiskey (United States).

Q: Is mezcal also a Designation of Origin product?

Q: Is mezcal also a Designation of Origin product? A: Yes! Mezcal can only come from Mexico, and while it can be made from any type of agave, by law it can only be produced in 9 states within Mexico. 85% of mezcal is made in Oaxaca, but it can also be made in the states of Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Michoacán, and the recently approved Puebla. Although both Tequila and Mezcal have their own Designation of Origin, non-Tequila mezcal must be made with 100% agave while Tequila can be mixed with up to 49% other alcohol (usually sugarcane).  So, ‘Designation’ or ‘Appellation’ products include champagne (France), ouzo (Greece), grappa (Italy), Tennessee whiskey & bourbon whiskey (United States)…and Mezcal!

Pro Tip: All Tequilas are Mezcal

Mezcal is a serious spirit. Because of where it comes from and how it’s made, it’s far more complex and unrestrained than the more mainstream spirits we’ve come to know.

Q: Got it. But are tequila and mezcal made differently?

Q: Got it. But are tequila and mezcal made differently? A: Only slightly. We’ll go through the process of making mezcal later, but the main production difference between how tequila and mezcal is made is how the agave plant is prepared. Prior to processing and distillation, agaves used for tequila are baked in ovens... …agaves used for mezcal are roasted, giving the spirit its distinctive hint of smoke.

Awesome. So how is mezcal made?

Each mezcal has it’s own story. But for MAXIMO, it all begins in Oaxaca.

An Amazing Place in the World Oaxaca About the size of Virginia 4 million people Home of the Zapotec Indians Food to die for The home of mezcal An Amazing Place in the World Food, culture, weather, mystery, and mezcal. What else would you want in your place of orgin? Like ‘New York, New York’, Oaxaca, Oaxaca is the capital city of the state of Oaxaca.

The Agave 8-12 Year Growth Period Hand Harvested Tools of the Trade We cycle between agave and corn to protect the land. We also don’t irrigate. Our plants are 100% natural in growth. The Agave We use the agave Espadín Hand Harvested ‘Agave angustifolia’ is a plant which is native to Mexico and Central America. It is used to make mezcal and also as an ornamental plant, particularly the cultivar 'Marginata’. While there may be various agaves with which mezcal can be made, not all of them taste that great. We choose Espadín because it delivers a light, smooth taste that’s easy on the palate. The guys who harvest our agave are strong, tough, and know their stuff. In Mexico, the farmers and workers who harvest agave are called, Jimadors. Tools of the Trade To get to the Piña, the heart of the agave which contains the sugars for fermentation and distillation, the Jimador uses machetes, axes, sledge hammers, and a hacking blade called a COA.

A skilled Jimador knows how to identify ripe agave A skilled Jimador knows how to identify ripe agave. Unripe agave can have a bitter or overly sweet taste, ruining the distilled spirits made from them. Overly ripe agave is a wasted plant. The primary tool of a jimador is the ‘coa de jima’. It’s a flat-bladed knife at the end of a long pole. The coa is used to first remove the flower from the agave then cut off all of the external leaves of the plant, leaving only the pulpy center which is then chopped and cooked in preparation for the mezcal or tequila production. This photo is of our own Jimador, Hector, and was taken by the MAXIMO team in 2018.

Every mezcal maker’s recipe is a closely guarded secret Every mezcal maker’s recipe is a closely guarded secret. So is the one we created for MAXIMO. But the basic process for all mezcal goes something like this:

Mezcal is made at a Palenque. It’s part farm and part distillery. Our Palenque is the place where the entire process of making our special spirit happens.

Step 1: Roast the piña Step 2: Create a Mash Step 4: Distillation The piñas are placed in a stone grinding ring, and a mule or donkey turns the grinding wheel round and round.. A conical, wood-fired oven, dug out of the ground, concentrates its heat in the river-rock lining. The piña are put in the pit, covered with the cut leaves and left to bake for three days. Step 4: Distillation In a copper still, the fermented mixture is heated, evaporated and sent through a condensing coil. The alcohol from the first distillation is run through the still again, repeating the distillation process. The resulting double-distilled product is MAXIMO mezcal. Step 3: Fermentation The resulting juice is then left to ferment on its own yeast, from 4 to 30 days.

MAXIMO mezcal right out of the still…

…and in delicious cocktails or sipped neat.

Q: What about the wor…

A: Stop right there. Let’s settle some myths. Q: What about the wor… A: Stop right there. Let’s settle some myths. The maguey worm is a naturally-occurring insect larva found on the maguey plant. It is edible and often used in Mexican dishes…especially in Oaxaca. There is no reason for the worm to be added to a bottle or shot of mezcal…other than as a marketing — or drinker’s — choice. Mezcal is not in any way related to mescaline. Mezcal is not hallucinogenic. Mezcal is not ‘illegal’ or ‘wild’ or ‘dangerous’. It’s a highly regulated spirit that must conform to very specific ingredient, origin, and production laws.

The Lightning Round:

Is all of the agave plant used to make mezcal? No, just the ‘piña’, which is the heart of the plant. It grows mostly underground, looks like an acorn, and is protected by tall, spiny leaves. The leaves are hacked away and the piña is harvested. How much does the average agave piña weigh? 70 to 100 kilos, or about 150-225 pounds. How much liquid does an average piña produce? It depends on the plant; usually you’ll get a liter of liquid for every 8 to 9 kg of plant (17-19 pounds); so up to 15  liters of liquid per plant. How many 750ML bottles can you get from one plant? About 25. How many piñas do you harvest per day? It depends on how many kilos we’ll need in a day. In a day you can harvest or cut up to 20,000 kilos but it is necessary to use everything you cut; you can’t let plants linger after they’ve been harvested, and you don’t want to waste the valuable piñas.

How long are MAXIMO piñas smoked? Do you let the piñas rest before they are smoked? After the plants are harvested they only last up to two days, so it’s necessary to start with the smoking, processing, and cooking process right away. How long are MAXIMO piñas smoked? Three days. What kind of wood is used to smoke your plants? Oak. How are levels of smoke in our mezcal controlled? There is no hard-and-fast way to to control the smokiness of our mezcal; it’s as much art as science. One reason is that it depends on the moisture conditions of the wood to avoid generating too much smoke, but because it is a natural element it will always cause smoke at the time of combustion. In other words, you’ll always have smoke (that’s why you’re doing it), but the trick is to control how much through either moisture or time. MAXIMO is smoked less than usual, which is why the product tastes how it does...light, smooth, and extremely drinkable.

How long does fermentation take? It can take between 2 to 4 days depending on the environment; i.e., the weather has an effect (the warmer it is, the faster the fermentation) How big is each fermentation vat? 200 liters (about 50 gallons) How much water is added to each copper still? 250 liters (about 66 gallons) How long does distillation take? One Day

What happens to any excess plant after processing? We compost as much as we can, but usually there’s not much left over. It’s an extremely efficient and sustainable process. At what ABV does liquid come out at after distillation process? MAXIMO mezcal is distilled twice. The first distillation is known as punta, and comes out at around 75 proof (37.5% alcohol by volume). The liquid must then be distilled a second time to raise the alcohol percentage to 55%. Then, we bring the ABV down to our desired percentage of 40%.

A word on ‘craft’ A spirit made by an independently-owned distiller The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States and the American Craft Spirits Association define a craft spirit as follows: A spirit made by an independently-owned distiller 75% owned by the distiller and not outside companies or non-distillers) A spirit that is produced in ‘small scale’ Less than 100,000 gallons per year. That’s 42,000, 12-bottle cases Hands-on production The use of any combination of traditional techniques including fermenting, distilling, re-distilling, blending, infusing or warehousing.

About MAXIMO A 100% private, family-owned company Handmade in 150 gallon micro-batches at less than 10,000 cases per year. Third-generation mezcaleros controlling every step of the process: planting, harvesting, distilling, bottling, marketing, and selling. No middlemen! Available in select states and online at Potomca Wine and Spirits (www.PotomacWines.com) JOVEN 40% ABV $40.00 USD

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Contact Us at MaximoMezcal.com