Before I came to Mexico I knew all about tequila, much like most of us do, but I had no knowledge about mezcal, a drink which was actually introduced to me during my time here. In fact I have to say that I did make a mistake when I first came here, taking shots of mezcal rather than sipping it as I should have been, as you can imagine, things didn’t go so well for me that night.
What I now know about this drink however, thanks to the remarkable Rose Burillo who taught me how things should be, is that mezcal is a drink which should be appreciated rather than downed, and for the life of me I cannot understand why it isn’t appreciated more around the world.
Depth of Flavor
Mezcal offers outstanding depth of flavor and it is very similar to whisky in terms of how it is left to age and the wide variety of flavors which you can find in different types of mezcal. There are many place around Mexico where they will pair mezcal with certain foods too, and there is certain a luxury feel about this drink in particular owing to this depth of flavor.
No Hangover
To suggest that there will be absolutely no hangover would be untrue but the reality is that after a night of just drinking mezcal, you won’t feel anywhere near as bad as you might if that was tequila, vodka or whisky. This of course is a benefit which I think we can all agree would be good for us.
Less Harsh
Very few people drink tequila for the taste, unless you are buying high end tequila, and the majority of people drink it to help them get on their way. With mezcal however there is a much less harsh taste than there is with tequila and this means that you can actually enjoy it as a drink, rather than just throwing it down your throat. Again this is why I cannot understand why the drink isn’t more popular than it currently is.
Cocktails
Most of the world’s cocktails, at least the most popular ones, are based with rum, tequila or vodka. What many may not be aware of is that the best cocktails are those which are based with mezcal. The smoky flavor of mezcal offers something completely different and given how adventurous so many cocktail bars are, I can’t understand why more wouldn’t be looking at mezcal as a great option to bring something new to their business. Ultimately this is a drink which would sell like crazy once enough people were introduced to it.
Perhaps we should start exporting mezcal around the world and see what people make of this incredibly tasty and powerful spirit, which has many benefits to the stomach as well. What about you, is this a drink which you have tried before? What did you make of it? Let us know in the comments.
