Our featured mezcal Banhez
FARMER & FAMILY owned
The life of a mezcalero once meant inconsistent work, low wages and an uncertain future.
The farming families behind the Banhez Cooperative are changing this, improving lives today and for generations, but it was not always this way.
About Mezcal
Mezcal
which is derived from the Nahuatl word mexicali meaning "cooked agave", has been produced in Oaxaca, Mexico for centuries. The history of mezcal in Oaxaca includes:
Pre-Hispanic time
Indigenous peoples used the maguey plant to make fermented drinks for ceremonial and medicinal purposes. The ancient Aztecs revered the agave plant and extracted its sap to create a fermented beverage called pulque.
16th century
Spanish conquistadors introduced distillation techniques and copper stills to Mexico, which led to the creation of mezcal. Filipino migrants also brought Filipino-type stills to New Spain via the Manila galleons, which were initially used to make vino de coco but were later adopted by indigenous peoples to distill agave.
Today
Most producers still use 16th-century methods to make mezcal. This involves smoking the heart of the agave plant, called the piña, underground for several days, then crushing it with a millstone called a tahona. The pulp is then fermented in wooden vats and distilled at least twice in copper or clay pots. Oaxaca produces over 90% of the world's mezcal and is known as the "World Capital of Mezcal" because it has the best agave for making it.
Mezcal in Oaxaca
More than 90% of Mezcal production is made in Oaxaca, a Mexican state, but still it can be produced in other Mexican states, like Guerrero, Durango, and San Luis Potosi.
Mezcal VS Tequila?
Tequila is a type of mezcal, but there are several differences between the two agave spirits:
- Agave Tequila can only be made from Blue Weber agave, while mezcal can be made from up to 50 species.
- Cooking Tequila is traditionally steamed in ovens, while mezcal is often roasted in underground pits. The roasting process gives mezcal its distinctive smoky flavor, which can range from subtle to overpowering.
- ProductionTequila is more easily mass-produced and can be distilled using a brick oven or autoclave, while mezcal is made by hand and has less constrained methodology.
- Flavor Tequila has a more consistent, darker color, and stronger flavor profile, while mezcal has a greater variety of flavors.
- Region Most mezcals come from Oaxaca, Mexico, while tequilas are typically produced in Jalisco.
- Alcohol content Mezcal can reach an alcohol content of 55%, which is 15% higher than regular tequila, which averages around 40% ABV.
More about the Magic of Mezcal
Agave Catalogue
Oaxaca Mezcal Photo Gallery
