All tequila is technically mezcal, but not all mezcal is tequila. Tequila is a specific mezcal made from Blue Weber agave in designated regions, governed by tight regulations. Mezcal is the broader category, encompassing dozens of agave varieties, several Mexican states, and a range of traditional production methods that have been practiced for centuries. The result is a spirit of extraordinary diversity — earthy, smoky, complex, and unlike anything else in the glass.
The process begins in the field, where agave plants are harvested after years — often a decade or more — of growth. The heart of the agave plant, called the piña because of its resemblance to a pineapple, is what's used for distillation. In most traditional mezcal production, these piñas are roasted in conical earthen pits lined with hot rocks and covered with agave fiber and earth. This roasting process, which can last several days, breaks down the complex carbohydrates in the agave into fermentable sugars and, crucially, infuses the piña with smoke. This is the primary source of mezcal's characteristic smokiness — not added afterward, but baked into the raw material from the start.
After roasting, the piñas are crushed — traditionally by a heavy stone wheel called a tahona, pulled by a horse or mule — to extract the juice and fibrous pulp. This mixture is then fermented with wild yeasts in open wooden or clay vessels, often for a week or more, before being distilled in small clay or copper pot stills. The entire process is typically artisanal and seasonal, producing small batches that reflect the specific agave variety, the terroir of the growing region, and the individual maestro mezcalero's technique. This is why mezcal from Oaxaca tastes different from mezcal from Guerrero, and why expressions made from tobalá or tepeztate agave taste so different from those made from espadín.