Mezcal has SOUL! – A Mezcal Masterclass

I had the privilege of attending an exclusive Mezcal tasting seminar at the Flamingo Room, hosted by the team from Tlecān in Mexico City, ranked no. 3 in North America’s 50 Best Bars and no. 20 in the world: Eli Martínez, Bernardo Serna, Miriam, Karina Arellano.

While sipping on a refreshing mango-jalapeño-citrus Solmano mezcal welcome cocktail, we learned about the history of mezcal, the agave plant, and the mezcal production process.

Mezcal, with Denominación de Origen (DO) designation, is only produced in 13 areas in Mexico. Oaxaca is the largest mezcal production area in Mexico, producing 85% of this agave-spirit. Each distinct region within Oaxaca (including Valles Centrales, Sierra Norte, Mixteca, Tlacolula Valley, and Miahuatlán) has a vast ecosystem that produces a unique mezcal with different characteristics.

Agave is monocarpic – it only blooms once and then dies, like a person. Every mezcal you drink a mezcal is unique, literally one of a kind. Agave is an adaptive and resilient succulent plant. It thrives in the desert and even in arid, stony areas in the mountains. It takes 6 years for an agave plant to mature, with the oldest being 30 years. The older the plant, the more flavour it lends to the mezcal. There are so many different uses of the agave plant: industrial, medicinal, and ceremonial/ritual applications, and of course food and beverage. As Miriam put it, it’s a life that gives a lot to others.

Mezcal is metizo (mixed European-Latin American heritage), with roots from three continents – the agave plant itself is from America, the clay pot stills used to make ancestral mezcal are originally from the Philippines, and the copper stills, used for artisanal mezcals, are from Europe. The production of ancestral mezcal is an intimate process that involves cooking the agave in earthen pits, manual grinding, natural fermentation, and claypot distillation. As a result, ancestral mezcals are naturally small-batch and have more variations in expression and flavour complexity.

We tasted four different small-batch mezcals produced by maestro mezcaleros. These specially crafted mezcals are “one-time only” spirits and are not sold in stores. Each batch has a different flavour because there’s no control in the terroir. Mezcal has a very high alcohol content (40-55%), and all mezcals produced in Oaxaca have smoky notes.

Eli’s advice on how to taste mezcal: sip a little bit of the mezcal to coat your mouth. There won’t be much flavour in the first sip but the flavour comes through in the second sip. Mezcal is a “slow drink”. You have to take your time get to know it and discover the flavours and aromas with each subsequent sip. It’s a very personal experience.

Here’s what we tasted:

Tobala mezcal (Agave potatorum, 52% ABV) from San Baltazar Chichicapam in Oaxaca by producer Angelica Garcia – florals, orange, and peppery botanicals

Agave Espadilla + Agave Pelón Verde ensamble mezcal from San Lucas Ixcotepec in Oaxaca by producer Enrique Vasquez-Ramirez – herbaceous, citrus, sweet cherry

Ensambles refers to a mezcal made by distilling two or more different agave species together in a single batch, rather than blending them after distillation.

Bacanora (45% ABV) agave spirit from Sonora in northern Mexico. It is not considered a mezcal because it is not made from the 13 DO mezcal-producing areas, but is still made from agave – almond and nutty oil notes, no smokiness. Would pair well with desserts.

Nombre de Dios mezcal (Agave aspermia, 56% ABV) from Durango by producer Gilberto Roldan – an intense mezcal with a super long after taste: spicy, peppery, earthy, chili (jalapeño, smoky pasilla), burnt milk

I now have a new-found appreciation for mezcal. This spirit truly has SOUL! Love the complex flavours and smokiness, especially the spicy one from Durango!

In between sips of mezcal, we enjoyed Flamingo Room’s appetizer platter of crispy plantain chips, tostones, and corn tortilla chips, with guacamole, roasted salsa roja, and chimi aioli dips, and my favourite croquetas de medianoche.