Ten Mezcals Perfect for Sipping

Let’s talk about Mezcal - the world's fastest growing spirit! One of Mexico’s most epic exports! A spirit drenched in history, ancestry and rich, deep culture! Mezcal is more than just a spirit in Oaxaca, Mexico (where about 80% of the stuff is made), it’s a way of life. Bottles of Mezcal grace every dinner table at every family gathering; it flows freely in restaurants and even sits as an offering on the intricate altars that honour lost loved ones every year during Dia De Los Muertos. 

For only a few years now, Mezcal has been drip-fed to the western world. As the collection of expressions, agave styles and regions has fallen into the hands of bartenders, so has expanded the diverse array of cocktails sprouting up in the world’s most high end joints every other day. However, what do the master distillers behind Mezcal brands think about these mixological delights? Well, it is not an uncommon answer to receive something along the lines of: “I like the cocktail. I’d rather just drink the Mezcal.” 

Great Mezcal should be ‘sipped with kisses’, just like one might enjoy a fine single malt - no lime and salt in sight! Mezcal is traditionally served at room temperature, and when enjoyed the right way, might open your mind to the huge variety of spirit styles that can be created from the over forty agave species that are distilled into Mezcal! Most - but not all - Mezcal have a smoky, vegetal and herbaceous quality, but the final product comes down to the style, agave species, region and choices made by the distiller, or Maestro Mezcalero. 

There’s a Mezcal for every occasion. We’ve collected ten Mezcals perfect for sipping. Sit back, relax, and delight in the wonders of the ancestral agave spirits of Mexico.

Quiquiriqui Espadin

Handcrafted and made to order, Quiquiriqui (try saying that three times fast) is a shining, affordable example of what family run, artisanal Mezcal has to offer. Espadin is the most common agave variety to be found in Mezcal, and offers vegetal, woody and peppery notes to the final product. The fibres of the plant are cooked in huge stone pits and then crushed with a Tohana - a huge stone wheel - which is then fermented and distilled. What we’re trying to say is, Mezcal takes an incredible amount of work, attention to detail and effort, and Quiquiriqui provides a fantastic place to start on your Mezcal neat sipping journey.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 45%
Find here: £36

Lost Explorer Espadin

The Lost Explorer harnesses the power of travelling through alcohol. When you sip the gently smoky liquid from Oaxaca, you are transported, at least in part, to the place and time that it was made. With Mezcal, the flavour emerges from the soil, the terroir and biodiversity of the region, not to mention the eight years it takes for Espadin agave to reach the required maturity to make Lost Explorer Mezcal. Lost Explorer helps promote biodiversity by planting three new wild agave for each plant they harvest.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 42%
Find here: £62.65

Koch Tepeztate

Tepeztate Agave takes a whole 15 years to reach maturity. That’s 15 whole years before Koch can even begin to cook, ferment and distil the heart of the plant to make their deliciously herbaceous and floral Mezcal. Hailing from the region of San Baltazar Guelavila in Oaxaca, Koch El Mezcal considers their liquid offering to be an art form, and when one considers the historic value of Mezcal, it’s hard to disagree with them. Enjoy sipping this agave spirit knowing that those that create them are dedicated to the survival of the niche agave plants they use, and the biodiversity of the soil in which it grows. Densely smoky, oaky and brimming with herbaceousness. 

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46.8%
Find here: £52.91

Picaflor Espadin

A celebration of the Hummingbirds role in the pollination of Agave Espadin, Picaflor exclusively uses this agave varietal. Distilled in copper pot stills and completely unaged, this Mezcal offers everything and more that one may want from a Oaxacan Espadin. Expect mild smoke, tropical fruits and citrus. Picaflor operate with a “hand to hand” philosophy, meaning the bottle travels from producer, to distributor, to consumer with as little alteration as possible. What you find in and on this bottle is as you’ll find it in the San Luis Del Rio region of Oaxaca, Mexico.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 42.9%
Find here: £40.81

Don Amado Mezcal Rustico

Distilled in Oaxacas highlands, Don Amado is crafted by the Arellanes family, who have been producing Mezcal for well over 300 years. This Mezcal is steeped in tradition and boasts a generational craftsmanship that makes this both complex and approachable. This particularly ashy, nutty Mezcal is fantastic served neat. The Agave Espadin is slowly roasted in firewood embers and distilled in traditional clay pot stills. They’re notoriously difficult to maintain, and make some of the finest spirits one will ever come across.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 47%
Find here: £64.49

Mina Mezcal Blanco

Mina really sets itself apart from other Mezcal by way of its production method. A truly sustainable product, Mina is cooked in a brick kiln that doesn’t require any firewood to fuel, and yet still boasts pronounced smoke and vegetal, earthy aromas. A true triumph of both modern and traditional techniques makes this Mezcal a unique sipping experience, but also provides a real ethical choice. Despite being bottled at 46%, this Mezcal is smooth, lightly citrusy with a chocolate finish. 

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £45.49

Casamigos Mezcal

You’ll find most Mezcal comes from a long line of family-run distilleries, producing the finest of liquids using traditional techniques passed down through the bloodline. Casamigos is a 5th generation Mezcal, and the agave cooks for a whole 6 days in a pit of volcanic rock making for a particularly smoky, peppery flavour profile. Celebrity inclusion is a source of controversy in the world of agave spirits, but George Clooney’s faith in this distillery has proven not only profitable, but propelled a fantastic family led Mezcal into the global market. 

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £62.45

Del Maguey Vida De Meurtas

Produced in the small single village in the beautiful town of San Luis Del Rio, this limited bottling celebrates the ancestral traditions of Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and is dense with rich berry notes, spice and red chilli. In their own words - “A perfect choice for those who wish to explore a mezcal that unites tradition with moments of reflection and festivities” - we couldn’t agree more! Celebrate the life of the dead today with this delicious sipper. 

Size: 700ml
ABV: 45%
Find here: £48.31

Sin Gusano Espadilla and Papalome

With different agave varieties comes endlessly unique expressions of Mezcal, this blend is mostly Espadilla Agave, but also uses 10% Papaolome in the roasting and fermentation. It has that complex quality one tends to get from traditionally clay pot distilled Mezcal, and, fascinatingly, the distilled spirit is condensed down in a hollowed out tree trunk before being bottled for your sipping enjoyment! Expect a delightfully mellow, minerally spirit with chocolate and citrus peels. 

Size: 500ml
ABV: 45.8%
Find here: £50.59

Dangerous Don Joven

This award winning Artisanal Mezcal has one goal in mind - bringing people together! Mezcal is a communal experience in Oaxaca, something to be enjoyed with those you love, and Dangerous Don provides the perfect vessel for an evening with those who mean the most to you. In a male dominated industry, Dangerous Don is proudly female run and owned, and has a commitment to supporting the family led traditions of Mezcal. Richly aromatic, smoky and vegetal.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 45%
Find here: £49

You’ve learnt a lot about sipping Mezcal, now, what to mix it with? Why not check out these Six Stunning Margarita Variations.

By Miley Kendrick

What is Mezcal?

You may currently only know mezcal as ‘that smoky tequila with the worm in’, but today we are here to bust misconceptions on this intriguing drink and educate the world on what mezcal really is.

Where is mezcal made?

Mezcal is produced in nine different states in Mexico. The vast majority comes from Oaxaca, with the rest coming from the Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Michoacán and Puebla states. It is still mostly made by small-scale producers in tiny distilleries and its production is steeped in tradition, often being a family affair, with methods being passed down from generation to generation.

What is mezcal made from?

Unlike tequila which can only be made from the blue agave plant, mezcal can be produced from many different varieties, as well as blends of more than one agave. The most commonly used agave are Espadín, Tobalá, Arroqueño, Tepeztate and Tobaziche.

How is mezcal made?

When an agave plant is fully mature, which can take anything from 8-15 years if not longer, it is harvested, and the piña located in the centre of the agave is cut away from the roots and leaves of the plants and brought back to be roasted.

Traditionally the agave is slowly roasted in an earthen pit oven which is usually lined with rocks that are heated by wood. The piñas are piled into these pits and sometimes reach up to 5 or 6 feet above ground level. This mound is then covered with leaves and earth to keep in the heat and the piña are left to roast. Some, but not many, mezcal producers cook their piñas in ovens above ground heated using gas, wood or steam and a few mezcal producers even cook the piñas in stainless steel ovens with steam, but this is a much more industrial way to produce mezcal.

Once cooked, the piñas are removed from the oven and crushed to release the juice and sugars. The crushing method varies from producer to producer, some use a tahona, a stone wheel drawn by a horse, donkey or tractor, whereas other producers crush the piñas by hand with mallets or put them through a wood-chipper.

How is mezcal fermented?

Once crushed, it is time for fermentation. The container for fermentation varies, but the tanks are usually made from either stone, steel, wood or animal hide. Often, at this point, water is added to the crushed piña and this mix is then left to ferment, however, temperature variations mean different methods need to be used in different areas, for example, in San Luis Potosi and Durango, agave juice is used to kick start fermentation.

How is mezcal distilled?

The liquid from the fermentation process is then moved to the stills. Stills are usually made from either copper, clay or stainless steel and are traditionally wood-fired. Mezcal must be distilled twice to meet regulations although some producers distill it a third time for extra smoothness. When bottled, you may find some mezcals (usually industrially produced) come with a worm, however, this is not traditional. There has been much debate over why the worm has been added to mezcal bottles, though many put it down to a marketing ploy.

Aging mezcal

Some mezcals are aged before being bottled, giving them a different colour and flavour due to the barrels they are aged in. The aging classifications are:

Joven: Unaged or aged for less than 2 months.
Reposado: Aged for between 2-12 months.
Añejo: Aged for 1-3 years.
Extra Añejo: Aged for 3 years or more.

A further and much more common form of aging is Madurado en Vidrio which refers to mezcal that has been stored in glass containers for over 12 months. This method traditionally took place underground but these days is also allowed to occur in warehouses that have good temperature control. The glass aging allows the spirit to mellow slowly without evaporation and also without taking on any extra flavours from oak.

How is mezcal drunk?

In Mexico, mezcal is mostly drunk neat or over ice and is often accompanied by citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons and limes. In the US and Europe, however, mezcal is swiftly making its way into many cocktails. Try a Mezcal Old Fashioned - it’s a smoky delight!

Which Mezcal Should I try?

Pensador Mezcal

Pensador Mezcal is produced by Don Atenogenes and his family in Oaxaca, using a combination of the espadín and madrecuishe agave. It has notes of roasted apricot, black pepper, citrus and an oak-y smoke.

ABV: 48%
Size: 500ml
Find here: £39.20

Dangerous Don Joven Mezcal

Produced exclusively from the espadín agave, this mezcal is a smoky, fresh spirit with the sweetness from the agave coming through and subtle notes of citrus. Try this in a Mezcal Old Fashioned - you won’t regret it!

ABV: 45%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £43.90

Ilegal Reposado

Made in Mexico's Oaxaca region, this mezcal is twice distilled in copper stills before being aged in American oak. On the nose, it has slightly woody, caramel-like aromas and on the palate, you’ll find notes of butterscotch, caramel and soft smoke. Yum!

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £58.90

Ilegal Añejo

Another delicious treat from the Ilegal company, this añejo mezcal is also twice distilled in copper stills. It has hints of honey and soft smoke on the nose and to taste has lots of herbal notes with a floral and slightly salty hint. Drink this one neat or over ice to get the most out of it.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £75.10

Has all this mezcal talk got you thinking about tequila too? If so, take a look at The World’s Best Sipping Tequilas or The Top Celebrity Owned Tequilas.