Mezcal in Oaxaca

Author: Alvin Starkman

Article:
Think of mezcal as you would a single malt scotch, or better yet
when comparing red wines of different vintages from the regions
of France. Or perhaps grape varietals from the diversity of
valleys and coastal areas in Australia. Forget about the worm
for the time being, and forever the reputation with the college
crowd of mezcal's better known sister, tequila.

INTRODUCTION

Mezcal is made from the agave plant, often referred to as
maguey. Its production, according to most recent evidence,
actually pre-dates the Spanish Conquest. Many of today's
facilities use the same age-old technique, although some of the
tools of the trade have been changed, for example from the use
of clay pots for manufacture and storage, to copper serpentine
for distillation, and oak and glass for aging and transporting.

It is estimated that there are about 5,000 production facilities
in the State of Oaxaca (where most mezcal is produced), less
than 150 of which are members of the regulated association. Most
are tiny mom and pop operations serving a local community and
its hinterland, some produce the spirit for distribution in
primarily the City of Oaxaca, and there are a handful catering
to the export market. However, in all three instances there is a
broad range of quality in terms of smoothness, flavor nuances
and smokiness. In fact the well-entrenched tradition of Oaxacans
discerning personal palate-worthiness of different mezcals,
manifests not through sampling store-bought designer bottles
with smart labels, but rather from acquiring multi-liter
receptacles from towns and villages in different regions of the
state.

Product diversity exists for three primary reasons. Firstly, as
is the case with grape varieties in wine production there is a
range of agave suitable for mezcal production. Secondly, we find
micro-climates yielding plants with subtle differences based on
for example soil composition and length and quality of growing
season, again similar to what we find regarding vineyards.
Finally there is significant variation in the means of
production as determined by the mezcalero, or brewmaster if you
will. Each decision is crucial in determining the quality of the
finished product, beginning with choosing the precise time when
the plant is ready for harvest.

PRODUCTION

In Oaxaca there are well over 50 varieties of maguey, roughly 18
of which are used in the production of mezcal. However, about
90% of mezcal is made with the espadín agave, perhaps 5% uses
tobalá, and the remaining types, found predominantly in the
wild, comprise the balance. Espadín is similar to the blue agave
traditionally used in the production of tequila. However, since
blue agave grows in different climates than does espadín, the
geographical distinction alone is enough to create a
differentiation in taste. But the main difference between mezcal
and tequila is that the latter is produced using stone ovens or
stainless steel tanks for cooking, while the former in most
instances still employs the centuries old method of baking the
agave in an in-ground oven over firewood and river rocks.

The investment of time required to produce a bottle of mezcal
begins with 8 years, being how long one must usually wait
between transplanting a tiny agave plant produced from runner or
cut from its tall stock, and harvest. Towards the end of the
growth period, the stock shoots up, signifying the initial stage
of readiness. The stock is cut down, and for several months
thereafter nutrients gather in the base of the plant known as
the piña because of its appearance once the leaves are removed.
It is this central core of the agave which is transported by
truck or on the backs of donkeys to market (the factory), and
not the spiny succulent leaves which in effect are discarded
once cut from the piña, the spherical form of which is only then
revealed. It takes approximately 7 tons of raw piña to produce
1,000 liters of mezcal, depending on the type of mezcal being
produced.

A pit dug into the earth and measuring about 8' deep by 12' in
diameter is preheated for a couple of days with thick smoldering
logs, on top of which are then placed river rocks. After the
rocks have become red-hot, a thin layer of discarded fibrous
material from another stage of the process is often placed atop,
serving to insulate the rocks from the piñas which are piled on
top of the heated rocks, forming a mound, perhaps 4' - 5' above
ground level. Traditionally the small hill would then be covered
with a woven palm leaf mat known as a petate, but now a sheet of
synthetic product such as grain sack material is used, sometimes
in conjunction with the petate. Then all is covered with earth
so as to ensure the contents of the mound remains airtight.
Finally and for good measure a few logs are placed on top of the
heap of earth.

The agave bakes for 2 - 3 days, absorbing the characteristics of
the earth, any clay brick used to line the pit, charred wood and
smoke. (It's important to keep in mind the particulars of each
step during which distinct flavor and smokiness may be
imparted.) Carbohydrates or starches are converted into
fermentable sugars. With its now carmel-like sweetness, the
piñas are ready to be removed, then cut into small pieces with
the use of a machete, and thereafter crushed by a horse or
donkey dragging a multi-ton circular concrete wheel over a
round, low-walled area in which the charred piña pieces have
been placed.

The pulverized cooked agave together with any extracted juices
is then pitched into large pine vats where it is left to ferment
for between 5 and 15 days depending on the then prevailing
climactic conditions. Only a bit of water is added to the wooden
receptacles which are either covered with plastic or left
exposed to the air. No chemicals or other substances or agents,
either man-made or natural, are added.

The fermented by-product at about 6% alcohol content is then
placed in a brick still, heated with firewood. The vapor rises
into copper piping which leads to a companion vat filled with
water and the continuation of the copper piping, serpentine in
shape entering the tank of water. The water cools the vapor in
the tubing. A small spigot at the bottom allows a liquid,
mezcal, to slowly drip out into a provisional receptacle. It is
normally distilled for a second time, often with the addition of
further fermented agave, using a recipe determined by the master
mezcalero, to bring the finished product to the desired alcohol
content, usually about 40% alcohol by volume. Mezcal is now in
its purest form, known as blanco, before aging or the use of
additives such as herbs, fruit or the worm.

THE GUSANO

The gusano worm is in fact not a worm, but rather a caterpillar,
an infestation to which the agave plant is susceptible. However,
in the production and sale of mezcal it has served three primary
functions over the years. Firstly, prior to there being any
labeling or regulation of mezcal, a gusanito was inserted into a
bottle of mezcal as proof to the purchaser that the liquor had a
sufficiently high alcohol content. The worm's preservation in
the mezcal, without any decomposition, signified that the
alcohol content ought to be acceptable to the purchaser.
Secondly, today the worm is a valuable marketing tool. Often the
one to finish the bottle is expected to ingest the gusano
remaining at the bottom. Finally, and perhaps most importantly,
it adds a distinct and appealing flavor to the mezcal as well as
smoothness, particularly crucial if the mezcal is otherwise not
particularly suave or has not yet been aged in wood.

The gusano has been a staple in Oaxacan cookery for generations,
often purchased live in the marketplace, or dried, sometimes
with 100 strung up into a necklace. Some of the finest prepared
salsas are made with ground gusano. And of course there is sal
de gusano, a combination of salt, chili and worm, used not only
in the ritual of imbibing, but also to bring out and add flavor
to fruit, to rim glasses used to serve other alcoholic
beverages, and more.

TASTING NOTES

The three main types of traditional mezcal one encounters are
blanco or joven (young), reposado and añejo. The first
represents mezcal which has come directly from the still without
any aging whatsoever, except while in glass or plastic
receptacles awaiting bottling or sale. It can be quite sharp or
strong, but is also encountered in a rather smooth state
depending on the skill level of the mezcalero, percentage
alcohol, number of distillations, and so on.

Reposado literally means lying down, resting, or reposing, so
when one finds mezcal reposado it's been aged, in theory in oak
barrels anywhere from 3 to 18 months or so, but frequently
simply allowed to sit for a period of time with fruit in it
which imparts flavor and smoothness. Añejo, by contrast,
signifies mezcal which is mature or aged, having been kept for
generally 3 or more years in French or American oak barrels
sometimes previously used for wine or brandy, or perhaps charred
inside to produce a distinct taste. A good añejo which has been
carefully distilled and aged has a fine, smokey essence and is
extremely smooth.

One can encounter joven or reposado with gusano, but virtually
never an añejo with the worm because the latter has already had
a great deal of time and effort expended in producing a product
of the finest of quality. Notwithstanding that industry controls
are by and large lacking apart from with those producers which
are members of the association, it's rare that one finds a small
operation which even purports to produce añejo. However they may
have other varieties in addition to the foregoing three or four
staples.

In Spanish "pechuga" means breast. Within the context of mezcal
manufacture, true mezcal pechuga has been made by hanging a raw
chicken breast in the still during production, imparting in the
spirit a subtle flavor nuance and a bit of body created by the
minute percentage of fat which has been allowed to vaporize. One
should exercise caution in purchasing what is purported to be
true mezcal pechuga, once again because of the matter of lack of
industry control. In some rural operations one sometimes
encounters pechuga which is dark in color. The mezcalero may
state that indeed it has been made with chicken breast, the
color having been derived from aging with fruit. Whether chicken
has actually been used in production is not certain unless you
witness the process. That is not to state that the mezcal should
be avoided since we've sampled some excellent rural
pechuga....only to warn that with what the mezcal has been made
might be debatable.

The balance of mezcals one is apt to taste fall into two broad
categories. The first is a spirit similar to the above-noted
selections, with no additives except a particular herb or fruit
zest. Regarding the latter, one well-known producer, Mezcal del
Amigo, has a citrus mezcal. Similar to the citrus mezcal is
cedrón, a local herb producing a pleasant lime-like aroma. Then
comes the more herbaceous products such as poleo, often also
used to make a tea to cure stomach ailments. The sweet mezcals,
referred to as cremas are made with a range of exotic fruits,
but almost always contain a sweetening agent, most often honey,
sugar or cane alcohol. The percentage mezcal used in such
production is frequently quite small, and in fact there is
currently controversy in the industry regarding whether or not
the word mezcal ought to be used in labeling the beverage. Some
cremas are made with cream or milk, while others are not, but
can nevertheless be mixed with either, perhaps on the rocks, or
in making desserts, for example poured over vanilla ice cream.
Those who reside in Oaxaca have the opportunity to purchase bulk
blanco mezcal and experiment with their own private recipes such
as peach-honey, raisin-apple, guava, rosemary, and innumerable
others.

Regardless of any preconceived notions you might have about
mezcal, have a taste, whenever the opportunity arises, and of
whatever is being offered, if only enough to discern differences
and develop a palate for one or more types you prefer from the
broad array of flavors, agings and degrees of smokiness.