Tequila & Mezcal

There are five distinct styles of tequilas: white, gold, reposado, anejo, and 100 percent agave. Authentic tequila must contain a minimum of 51 percent agave. The legendary appeal of tequila includes the rituals that define the tequila experience. Mezcal is traditionally consumed in the same way as tequila, with a lick of salt and a bit of lime, though traditionalists will use a mixture of sea salt and spices.

If tequila is Mexico's best-known spirit, Mezcal is certainly its most mysterious. While tequila can only be produced from the blue agave cactus in two specific delimited regions, mezcal derives from the blue agave in the Oaxaca Province in Southern Mexico. Each bottle of mezcal must contain a worm from the only species of agave used to produce the spirit, and the worm is meant to be eaten as part of the ritual of mezcal consumption.