If there’s only one thing I’d tell you, it’s “Sip it, don’t shoot it!”
Read on for (pretty granular!) details on how mezcal is traditionally sipped and appreciated throughout Mexico and now around the world.
Follow these 13 steps as a guide to get the most enjoyment from your mezcal tasting experience. THIRTEEN?! Really, it comes quite naturally after awhile. And this may open up a lot of fun conversation with your friends next time you're sitting around the table trying the latest exciting batch you recently procured.
- VESSEL
Pour about 1 oz neat into a traditional veladora or other smaller, wide mouthed drinking vessel.
The veladora is the most commonly used vessel in Mexico and has always been my favorite. But I've become a huge fan of the Glen Cairn recently thanks to a whiskey-loving friend who is exploring mezcal with increasing excitement. I love the hand feel plus the ease with which I can swirl the mezcal and observe the viscosity without spilling it all over the place. I know it evaporates, I just don't want to waste any! - PERLAS
Observe the perlas in your vessel as you pour (although, you have to pour with some gusto for this step so you may just want to shake the bottle when it's closed). The longevity of these bubbles is how mezcaleros traditionally gauge, quite accurately, the ABV of the mezcal.
- OPEN IT UP
Let it sit and open up for a few minutes - if you have the patience!
This is where I will begin my exhaustive wine parallels. Just like with wine, oxygen "opens up" the flavors and aromatics of the mezcal allowing the taste to stabilize and soften. Also, like wine, too much oxygen will cause mezcal to go bad. It will become watery and taste gross and you'll know it. This has happened to me quite quickly in Oaxaca during dry season on a windy rooftop patio. I am a slow drinker and definitely regret it on those occasions.
Pro tip: When the bottle on your bar gets less than half full, you can inject it with wine preserver spray which uses heavier gasses like nitrogen to create a barrier layer on top of the alcohol, displacing the oxygen to keep your opened bottles fresh indefinitely.
- SWIRL AND SMELL
Never forget to swirl and smell to appreciate the aromatics - swirl gently and observe the legs. Holding the vessel level, keeping your nose just above it, not deep in it.
- COLOR & VISCOSITY
Observe the color (better be clear, unless it's purposefully aged in which case that's a discussion for later!!), and legs. I find this can sometimes translate to the mouthfeel.
- TOUCH
Some traditions have you touch the mezcal as well by pouring a bit into your hands and rubbing them together. They say you are then left with the essences of the agave and of course nothing sticky since there are no additives.
- BESOS
Besos or "kisses" as you sip the mezcal first into the front of the mouth, then “chewing” it back over the tongue with control. Some people smack (cough my husband cough - drives me nuts!) but whatever gets the job done. This helps prevent the accidental back-of-the-throat hit which will ruin even a veteran drinker’s experience.
- TASTE
Enjoy and observe the front, middle and finish of the tasting experience - are you wine lovers out there noticing all the similarities to wine tasting techniques?
- MOUTH FEEL
Feel the mezcal in your mouth. Is it creamy, lactic, oily, thick or thin, watery, maybe bright and crisp? Keep in mind, your brain cross references the “feel” with the “taste” as well, so there can be a lot going on!
- TASTING AGAIN
Sometimes the first sip can awaken you palette and subsequent sips allow additional flavors to come forth. See if you can identify specific flavors. Remember, mezcal is PURE, with no additives so everything you taste is from the agave species, where it's grown and natural production process itself - local water source, yeast in the air, fermentation vessel and roasting/distillation firewood.
- TASTING NOTES
If you want to do this step, blurt out the first words that come to mind - that’s probably what you’re tasting! Sometimes it’s “cranberries”, sometimes it's “eucalyptus trees” inspired by those you just passed on your daily walk. As you go through daily life, you may now encounter smells that you have experienced in mezcal before - you might find yourself saying “This is a good mezcal descriptor, I should remember it”.
- SIMPLIFIED VERSION
If you just want to zone out and relax, follow the basic smelling/besos steps 1-7 and then kick back and just enjoy it with no other thoughts except “WOW, this is delicious!” (hopefully). You know when you like a mezcal, but personally, I know I LOVE a mezcal when I find myself mindlessly reaching for that copita again and again!
- REVIEWS
If you really don’t want to forget what you’re drinking, grab a mezcal tasting book and take notes. Or rate it over on mezcalreviews.com.
What do you think about the above steps? Would you add anything?
What kind of a mezcal drinker are you? I prefer to:
- Formally taste, rate and enjoy OR
- Zone out and enjoy
It depends on the day, mezcal, and occasion for me, so I'm a combination of both!
