Tequila by tradition is given in the city of Tequila in the state of Jalisco in Mexico (Courtesy Kaitlyn Mathis)
(CNN Spanish) -
To speak of the two quintessential Mexican drinks in the world is to refer to tequila and mezcal.
In this pop tour we take you to enjoy these drinks and learn a little more about them.
But what are the differences between these two drinks?
If you thought that one has a worm and the other does not, there is some truth in that, but we are not referring to those kinds of differences.
Rodrigo Cedano, executive president of Tequila Tromba, assures: “Without talking about the regulatory part, by organoleptic principle, mezcal is smoked, its way of cooking and distillation make it a product with character, complex, but that invades all the senses in a sip.
"Its alcoholic strength is very variable since the mezcaleros like the product to go into the bottle almost almost as it comes out of the alembic and sometimes it brings a worm inside the bottle," he adds.
Tequila is the city where this drink is born (Courtesy Getty Images)
Tequila does not bring a worm
In many Hollywood films it is staged that the tequila keeps a worm in the bottom of the bottle and this has mythologized it, but it is not true, as Cedano assures: “Tequila in its generality is not smoked and cannot have a worm inside the bottle ”.
"Its flavor is refined, friendly and has evolved in such a way that today it is a drink that allows pairing the most select dishes and entertaining the most demanding palates," he contextualizes.
What is true is that both drinks come from the agave plant, in which a worm lives that feeds on it.
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What are the main differences between tequila and mezcal?
Both tequila and mezcal are obtained from the fermentation and distillation of agave, but the type of maguey, raw material for this purpose, varies from one drink to another.
Just like champagne to be called Champagne, it has to come from the province of the same name in France, with tequila the same thing happens.
The region where it comes from is called Tequila and is in the Mexican state of Jalisco.
In wines, there are different types of grapes, but what is it that makes there different types of tequila?
Adriana Baca, “Volcán de mi Tierra” tequila business developer, explains the two categories in this drink: “There are two, 100% agave and mixed, that is the first division.
Later, by type of tequila: white, young, rested, old and extra old;
crystalline is not a category, it is just the process of removing the color.
The production of both drinks is based on artisanal methods, the mezcal is cooked in an underground oven with wood and, later, it is usually ground with an Egyptian mill.
The tequila receives a cooking process in masonry ovens.
“Mezcal has a denomination of origin in 9 states of the country: Oaxaca, Puebla, Michoacán, Durango, San Luis Potosí, Guerrero, Guanajuato, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas.
However, agave distillates can be produced throughout the country, these are distillates that involve a process that is the same or similar to that of mezcal production, but they do not have a designation of origin ”, says Sol Rodríguez, global brand manager of Mezcal San Cosme .
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Mezcal San Cosme has a control laboratory that helps to establish and control quality parameters higher than those indicated in the Official Mexican Standard, it also has the certification granted by the Mexican Council for the Quality of Mezcal.
• • #Mezcal #Oaxaca # México #Drink #Mixology #SanCosme #Agave #Cocktail #time #bar #orgullomexicano
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How to define tequila?
The Tequila Regulatory Council, AC, an organization dedicated to verifying and certifying compliance with the Official Tequila Standard, as well as promoting the quality, culture and prestige of the national drink par excellence, indicates that “tequila is a brandy made in a small region of Mexico.
It is produced from the distillation of fermented must obtained from the heart of a plant known as blue agave ”.
He adds that: “In Mexico, from the two hundred different agaves that are available, other similar spirits are obtained from certain places.
These receive the generic name of mezcal and take the surname of the town where they are born ”.
The best way to enjoy tequila and mezcal is directly.
Although there are those who prefer to mix them with various flavored drinks.
(Courtesy Getty Images)
What do mezcal and tequila have that are one of the favorite drinks in the world?
But are these drinks fashionable?
What makes them so special?
Why do people all over the world consume them?
Sol Rodríguez assures that drinking mezcal is a global trend: “In recent years, people not only buy a brand of alcohol because of its 'fame' but because it seeks to affect their health and the planet as little as possible.
That said, naturally people find a lot of value in mezcal because it is a product that is made by hand and has a production history of at least 8 years, which makes it unique in taste and quality ”.
For his part, Rodrigo Cedano speaks from a romantic point of view: “They both have a romantic story to tell;
they have scars transformed into culture.
A tequila and a mezcal are nowadays drinks that generate experiences in their generality linked to moments of joy, happiness and celebration ”.
A mule moves the stone mill to process the agave pineapples in Santiago Matatlan, Oaxaca, Mexico.
(Credit: OMAR TORRES / AFP / Getty Images)
How are tequila and mezcal enjoyed?
Although these drinks give identity to the Mexican, how can they be enjoyed in the best way?
Rodrigo Cedano explains: “There is the traditional way and the cosmopolitan way.
For mezcal the traditional way is to serve it in a gourd or caballito and accompany it with orange slices and worm salt.
For tequila, the traditional way is served on a little horse accompanied by lemon and sangrita ”.
“The cosmopolitan form represents a change from how it is served;
the horse is replaced by the best creative glasses or glasses of various shapes and colors.
Haute mixology and mixology are incorporated in order to highlight the flavors of both drinks through innovative ingredients and mixes ”, adds Cedano.
To conclude, is tequila a mezcal?
"Tequila is a mezcal ... Yes, but a mezcal can never be tequila," says Adriana Baca.
MezcalTequila Popero Tour
