Mezcal Margarita

Mezcal is a distilled spirit from Mexico made from the roasted hearts of the agave plant. While similar to Tequila, it is 100% agave (Tequila only needs to be 51%) which makes it purer. It is said to be euphoric and energizing with a bit of an earthy, smoky taste. Tequila, also known as Mezcals cousin, can only be made from the Blue Weber agave, while Mezcal can be made from 40 different agave species. Mezcal is primarily produced in the Oaxaca region in Mexico where the agave (maguey) plants grow abundantly. After the agave matures, which can take anywhere from 8-30 years, it is harvested, the leaves are removed and the heart or pina is cut up and roasted in wood-fired underground pits lined with rocks for about 3 days (this is where it gets its smoky flavor). The cooked agave is then crushed with a wooden mallet or a tahona, a stone wheel drawn by donkeys or horses. The liquid and fibers are fermented with yeast and water in containers for about a month and then go through a distillation process twice in clay pots or copper stills. It is sometimes aged in oak barrels or glass before bottling. In the 1940s-50’s, some makers of Mezcal started putting a worm, which is a moth larva that feeds on the agave plant, in the bottle. Legend has it that a Mexican worker discovered the worm in a batch of Mezcal and thought it actually improved the taste.  It is also rumored that eating the worm has mild psychedelic effects, and although it’s mostly not true, it’s not completely unfounded since the mezcal worm also feeds on the peyote cactus, which contains mescaline (a natural hallucinogen). This Mezcal Margarita is based on the best classic margarita recipe using Tequila, Cointreau (triple sec), and freshly squeezed lime with the addition of Mezcal, orange juice, and agave or simple syrup. Salud! (Cheers in Spanish)