- Mezcal is a liquor made from roasting and fermenting agave plants that's often smoky in flavor.
- Tequila is a type of mezcal made from a specific type of agave plant, blue agave.
- Mezcal tastes smoky while tequila is more agave-forward — both get more complex as they age.
Mezcal and tequila are both agave-based spirits, but they're different in flavor profile and where and how they're produced.
Technically, tequila is a type of mezcal in the same way that bourbon is a type of whiskey.
Mezcal refers to a liquor made from agave plants that is produced in certain Mexican states, says Gilbert Marquez, global brand ambassador for Ilegal Mezcal. Tequila is made only from blue agave and produced in one Mexican state and a few municipalities, Marquez says.
Here are some of the main differences between mezcal and tequila.
Mezcal vs. tequila: Comparison chart
Mezcal | Tequila | |
Origin | Traced to indigenous populations in Mexico | First made in the 1600s |
Flavor | Sweet with a hint of smoke | Agave with possible hints of the oak barrel in which is it aged |
Agave type | 28 different varieties | Blue agave |
Process | Most often, agave hearts are smoked, mashed, then fermented. The mezcal may or may not be aged. | Most often, the agave hearts are steamed or baked, then mashed and fermented. All types except for Blanco are aged for some period of time in oak barrels. |
Where it's produced | In nine different Mexican states | In the state of Jalisco and select municipalities in four other states |
What is mezcal?
Mezcal is liquor made from agave. There are 28 types of agave plants that are used to produce mezcal.
How it's made: In most cases, the heart of the agave plant, sometimes called the piña, is slow-roasted in a pit in the ground. After roasting, the agave hearts are mashed and fermented. Some mezcal is aged, where it takes on an amber color and deeper flavor, but some is not.
Where it's from: Mezcal can be produced in one of nine Mexican states, but most mezcal that's shipped to the US is produced in the state of Oaxaca. If agave is used to produce liquor outside those nine states, it can't be labeled as mezcal and will just be called an agave-based spirit.
Taste: Mezcal offers a broader range of tastes than tequila. Most often, smoking the agave hearts imparts a distinct smoky-savory flavor, which Marquez describes as "sweet agave with a slight hint of smoke."
Note: Making mezcal has remained an artisan process, largely unchanged for the past 500 years, Marquez says. Most mezcal is made in small batches.
What is tequila?
Tequila is a subcategory of mezcal. It's made from one type of plant: the blue agave, also known as agave tequilana.
How it's made: In most cases, to make tequila, the piñas of the blue agave are roasted in an oven or steamed, rather than cooked in a pit. Because of that, most tequilas lack the smoky tones associated with mezcal. After the piñas are cooked, they are mashed and fermented.
Where it's from: To be called tequila, a liquor can only be made in certain parts of Mexico. Most tequila is made in the state of Jalisco. Some municipalities in the states of Guanajuato, Michoacan, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas also produce tequila.
Taste: The taste of a tequila depends on if it was aged and for how long. The five types of tequila are:
- Blanco: Young tequila with a clean, agave-forward taste
- Reposado: Aged in oak barrels that impart warm flavors of vanilla and baking spices
- Joven: A blend of blanco and reposado tequila with notes of fruit and vanilla
- Añejo: Aged one to three years for a complex agave flavor with vanilla notes
- Extra Añejo: Aged more than three years for rich caramel, vanilla, and chocolate flavors
Note: Mixto tequila contains less than 100% blue agave, usually mixed with other spirits. In order to be labeled tequila a mixto must contain at least 51% blue agave liquor.
When to use mezcal or tequila
Since mezcal and tequila are both made from agave, they work well in similar drinks. Marquez uses the mantra, "if it grows together, it goes together."
"For me, flavors that are endemic to Mexico will always pair well with mezcal or tequila," he says. Flavors like citrus, agave nectar, and peppers pair well with both liquors. You also can't go wrong with salt and lime.
Since mezcal has a smokier flavor, it can add depth to
Both liquors can also be enjoyed neat or on the rocks, especially if they've been aged.
Example cocktail recipe
Marquez's favorite mezcal cocktail, El Poblano, draws on the flavors of Mexico.
- 2 oz. mezcal
- 1 oz. fresh lime juice
- 1/2 oz. Agave Nectar
- 2 slices of poblano pepper
- Tajín-rimmed glass
Directions: Add all ingredients to a shaker. Muddle the poblano pepper, then shake and strain into an old-fashioned glass rimmed with tajin.
Insider's takeaway
Mezcal is a liquor made from the agave plant. The process of making mezcal usually involves smoking the agave hearts, so the liquor often has smoky tones.
Tequila is a specific type of mezcal, made only with the blue agave plant. To make tequila, the plant is usually steamed or baked before fermenting, so tequila doesn't have the same smoky flavor.
The liquors pair well with the same type of ingredients, but if you want to put an unexpected spin on tequila classics like the margarita, try them using mezcal instead.