As bottles of mezcal appear on more shelves in bars, restaurants, stores, and homes across the globe, it can be easy to look at them as just another option to choose from in the vast alcohol and spirits industry. However, minimizing mezcal to these simple terms robs you of one of the most important parts of consumption—truly understanding and appreciating what’s being poured into your glass.
Mezcal is often—and correctly—praised for its rich flavors and artisanal roots, but behind each sip lies a production process that also deserves acknowledgement and celebration. From the slow growth of agave plants and painstaking method of distillation to mezcal’s generational foundations and cultural preservation, it’s a spirit that sits apart from others in the category. Here’s why.
Long Growth Cycle of Agave
- Agave Maturity: Unlike spirits made from grains or sugarcane which can be harvested annually, mezcal is made from agave, a plant that, depending on the species, can take anywhere from 7 to 25 years to reach maturity. This makes mezcal’s production and availability highly dependent on natural growing cycles and other environmental considerations.
- Sustainability Concerns: Overharvesting of wild agave species can endanger their availability so producers must be mindful of sustainable cultivation practices to ensure long-term viability.
Labor-Intensive Harvesting
- Manual Harvesting: Agave piñas (hearts) are harvested manually by skilled workers called jimadores who use specialized tools to cut and prepare the agave. This requires physical labor and expertise, and the process is slow compared to the mechanized harvesting of grains or other raw materials used in industrial spirits.
- Size and Weight: Agave piñas are large and heavy, sometimes weighing hundreds of pounds, making the harvesting and transport more difficult compared to other raw materials.
Traditional and Artisanal Production Methods
- Earthen Ovens: The process of roasting agave piñas in underground earthen ovens is time-consuming and labor-intensive. The piñas are buried under hot stones, firewood, and earth and then roasted for several days. This process imparts some of mezcal’s distinct flavor, but requires careful monitoring and significant time.
- Natural Fermentation: Mezcal fermentation often relies on wild yeast and open-air wooden vats which makes it more unpredictable and slower than the controlled, rapid fermentation processes used in industrial spirit production.
Small-Scale, Family-Run Distilleries
- Limited Production Capacity: Many mezcal producers are small, family-owned operations with limited infrastructure. In contrast to the high-volume, industrial production methods used for most other spirits, these producers work in small batches due to the availability of space and natural resources.
- Lack of Automation: From the roasting of piñas to the distillation of the spirit, mezcal production is largely non-automated and relies on manual labor at nearly every step. This keeps production slow and requires a lot of hands-on work.
Challenging Distillation Process
- Small, Traditional Stills: Following the process used for centuries, mezcal is often distilled in small copper or clay stills which are less efficient than the large industrial stills used for other spirits like vodka or whiskey. Clay stills, in particular, require special expertise to manage, and the process can take longer.
- Complex Distillation: Some types of mezcal are distilled multiple times to achieve the desired flavor and alcohol content. This adds time and complexity to the production process.
Terroir and Regional Specificity
- Terroir Impact: Mezcal production is deeply tied to the specific region and conditions where the agave is grown. Variations in soil, climate, and local yeast strains all affect the final product, making mezcal production more complex and unique with each batch.
- Geographical Limitation: Commercial mezcal can only be produced in certain regions of Mexico under Denomination of Origin (DO) regulations, limiting the areas where producers can legally make it. This restriction makes scaling mezcal production more challenging.
Aging Process
- Aged Mezcals: If producers choose to age their mezcal, they must invest time and storage space to let the spirit rest in barrels. This is similar to other spirits such as whiskey, but adds another layer of complexity to the general production cycle.
Cultural and Environmental Challenges
- Preserving Traditions: Many mezcal producers strive to preserve traditional production methods which are slow and labor-intensive. Because of this, balancing authenticity with market demand is a constant challenge.
- Environmental Impact: Producing mezcal sustainably requires attention to the environmental effects of harvesting wild agave, managing water resources, repurposing byproducts, and minimizing deforestation from using wood for roasting.
Regulatory and Legal Constraints
- Denomination of Origin (DO): Mezcal production is subject to strict regulatory controls that specify where and how it can be made. Adhering to these rules adds complexity and limits flexibility compared to spirits with fewer geographic or production restrictions.
Mezcal production is a slow, labor-intensive process that relies on natural, often unpredictable factors such as agave growth cycles, environmental conditions, traditional manual techniques, and small-scale operations. These factors, combined with cultural and regulatory constraints, makes each bottle that’s crafted a work of art. So the next time you take a sip, take a moment to truly appreciate the hours, days, years, and centuries that came together to make it possible.
