Mezcal, Tequila’s Smoky, Spicy Cousin

By ERIC ASIMOV
NYT

I FEEL almost as if I have to whisper my feelings about mezcal. It is so immersed in legend and colorful misrepresentation that it’s a shame to spoil it all with truth. And yet the truth can be so richly rewarding that I may as well shout it out.

Mezcal is one of the world’s great spirits: complex, gorgeous and endlessly intriguing, distinguished like great wines by a strong sense of place. Mezcal is little known, however, and even less understood, but paradoxically has been anointed in the last few years as the Next Big Thing.

It’s a designation that may send shivers of delight among publicists but is somewhat meaningless since mezcal — good mezcal — is made in minute quantities and is relatively expensive.

Discovering mezcal offers a wonderful opportunity to question our definition of greatness, as it pertains to spirits. By tradition the standard is set by whiskeys and brandies, which are celebrated for their refinement, mellow complexity and delicacy.

(More here.)