About 4 years ago, I was introduced to mezcal for the first time. It’s been my spirit of choice ever since. It has gained popularity in recent years, and you’ll find most trendy restaurants & bars have it on their cocktail menu. Basically, if you haven’t tried it yet, you need to. Don’t know what it is?
Mezcal & tequila both come from the Agave plant. One distinction between the two is that tequila, by law, has to be produced from the Blue Agave plant, where mezcal can be made from any variety of Agave. The other key difference is in how they are processed. During production for “premium” mezcal, the piña leaves (leaves of the agave plant) are cooked in an underground oven, surrounded by volcanic rock. At the bottom of the oven, a wood fire burns and heats the volcanic rock, smoking the piña leaves inside. This is where mezcal gets the distinct, smoky flavor that keeps me coming back for more.
I’ve enjoyed quite a few mezcal cocktails this week in San Diego. Some of my favorites include the Manzana Fizz at Craft & Commerce, Ochoa’s Island at Whisknladle and the Dark Storm at Searsucker.
If you’re looking to make mezcal cocktails at home, I’d recommending going with Fidencio Clasico mezcal. It’s not too pricey and it’s great quality (10 awesome recipes to try at home).
Cheers!
Tina
