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Festival of Mezcal
in Oaxaca. And just
last year country
singer Toby Keith
released his own line of Oaxacanmez-
cal calledWild Shot. It’s safe to say the
spirit has arrived.
This surge of interest in mezcal
didn’t come from out of nowhere,
however. It wasn’t until 1995 that
regulations to define mezcal (80 per-
cent agave spirit, as opposed to just
49 percent for tequila) were put into
place by the Mexican government.
Over the next decade, as labeling
conventions were established and
boutique distilleries earned licenses,
North Americans began to learnmore
about the spicy south-of-the-border
spirit, and a movement was born.
Aficionados will tell you that the
only mezcal worth drinking is the
small-batch stuff, which is produced
almost exclusively by independent
agave plantations/distilleries called
palenqueros
that slow-roast the agave
hearts in underground ovens, which
gives the spirit its peppery flavor.
Most towns in Oaxaca have several
family producers, such as Del Maguey,
Los Amantes and Ilegal, and they’re
happy to share.
The traditional way to drinkmezcal
is to place a mix of salt, chili powder
and fried moth larvae on your tongue
and then sip a shot. The strong kick
will help you forget everything bad—
though, if you’re not careful, some of
the good, too. —L.S.
mole chichilo:
Harder to find than
the other six,
chichilo
has a smoky,
almost ashy flavor that comes from
roasted chili peppers.
mole verde:
Most
moles
have a dark
hue that comes from their many
spices;
verde
gets its bright green
color from a purée of fresh herbs and
pumpkin seeds.
manchamanteles:
The name
means “tablecloth stainer,” and it’s
an accurate one. While other
moles
are usually thin sauces, this one is
basically prune and tomato stew.
Bring napkins ... —L.S.
HOT SHOT
Ilegal’s stable of
mezcals livens
up the top shelf
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