What does mezcal mean?
Mezcal is a distilled alcoholic drink made from agave and rooted in Mexican drinking and production traditions. Its defining distinction from tequila is flexibility: tequila is made specifically from blue agave, while mezcal may be distilled from other agave varieties, with each variety contributing different flavors. Traditional producers often roast the agave in earthen pits or vessels before distillation, producing the smoky character for which many contemporary drinkers know mezcal. The spirit can be fresh and green, floral, fruity, earthy, or intensely smoky, so it is not a single uniform style. Although global popularity has grown considerably, mezcal remains closely associated with Mexican regions and traditional producers, particularly in Oaxaca. Today it appears in straightforward drinks, elaborate cocktails, tastings, and specialist collections, and it has become a useful word for anyone wishing to distinguish distilled agave spirits from tequila and from the fermented drink pulque.
nounAn alcoholic spirit distilled from agave, traditionally in Mexico. Unlike tequila, it may be made from several varieties of agave, and its characteristic smoky flavor often results from roasting the agave before distillation.
- An alcoholic spirit distilled from agave in Mexico, often made from roasted agave and valued for flavors ranging from smoky and earthy to floral or fruity.
"She ordered a mezcal neat and admired its smoky, floral aroma."
"The bartender mixed the mezcal with lime juice, agave syrup, and chili salt."
"At the distillery, visitors sampled mezcals made from several traditional varieties of agave."
Usually uncountable when referring to the spirit in general; the plural can refer to servings, bottles, tastes, or distinct varieties.
"The tasting included eight mezcals from different producers."
Mezcal is the agave spirit that opens the oven: its signature smoke comes not from flavoring but from roasting the agave before distillation.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does mezcal come from?
The English word comes through Spanish, which borrowed mezcal from Nahuatl. It belongs to the Nahuatl vocabulary for agave and its prepared products and is related at the root level to metl, the Nahuatl word for the maguey plant. The name developed through the history of agave cultivation and the making of fermented and distilled drinks in Mesoamerica.
Related word forms
How mezcal is actually used
In contemporary English, mezcal usually refers to the Mexican distilled agave spirit. It is used in cocktails but can also be drunk neat, and its varieties and production methods are major subjects of specialist tasting and collecting culture.
Easily confused with mezcal
Tequila must be made from blue agave, whereas mezcal may be made from other cultivated agave varieties and is often associated with smoky, roasted flavors.
Pulque is an un distilled, milky fermented agave beverage, whereas mezcal is a distilled spirit.