Mezcal FAQs

What is “Mezcal”? Mezcal is a classification of agave-based spirits distilled within the territorial boundaries of Mexico’s Denomination of Origin for the category. As initially determined in 1994, five states were permitted to produce spirit called “Mezcal”: Oaxaca, Guerrero, Durango, San Luis Potosi & Zacatecas.…

Types of Tequilas

What do the names of Tequila mean? Blanco Tequila Blancos, also known as “Silvers” and are un-aged tequilas that are generally crisp and dry in taste. Blancos are not necessarily served as a shot, but can be served on the rocks or mixed into a…

How Is Tequila Made?

Tequila manufacture starts with the blue agave plant. After planting, agave is watched for ripening, an astonishing 8 to 12 years. The plant leaves are then cut, and the core, called a piña, is pulled from the ground. The piña, aptly named because of its…

Don Amado Mezcal Featured in Saveur

An Incredible Elixir By Eric Lawlor, Published in Saveur on May 8, 2002 Until the end of the last century, Alberto Sánchez López tells me over chiles rellenos de picadillo at the excellent El Topil restaurant in the city of Oaxaca, mezcal was the libation of…