There’s More To Mexican Spirits Than Tequila

“We were amazed,” wrote the Spanish conquistador Bernal Díaz del Castillo arsenic he beheld nan grade of nan Aztec empire successful 1521. “Some of our soldiers moreover asked whether nan things that we saw were not a dream.” I retrieve emotion a akin vertigo erstwhile I first saw nan wall of agave spirits astatine nan long-since-closed Los Angeles mezcaleria Petty Cash much than a decade ago. Agave spirits are distilled from nan fermented bosom (or piña) of nan agave works – not a cactus, but a succulent, for illustration aloe vera aliases that point dying connected your windowsill.

Tequila, from Jalisco, is nan astir celebrated kind, but it’s acold from nan only one, overmuch arsenic burgundy is conscionable 1 measurement nan French make wine. And present was an full continent to (respectfully) explore: not only refined tequilas, but hundreds of mezcals from wild, untamable agaves: madrecuixe, arroqueño, tobalá and pulquero, immoderate of which return 25 years to scope maturity. Beyond these foothills were spirits that had hardly penetrated European bartending consciousness: sotól and raicilla, bacanora and pox (“posh”) made from maize, arsenic good arsenic pechuga, whose ingredients include, yum, poultry breasts. And each this astatine a clip erstwhile a batch of tequila sold successful Britain came topped pinch reddish integrative sombreros.

Happily, successful nan intervening years, nan value of Mexican eating and drinking successful nan UK has dramatically improved, though we still person immoderate measurement to spell to drawback up pinch nan Americans, who apparently portion 185,000 margaritas each hour. Tequila is now nan UK’s fastest-growing spirit, and forecast to turn by astir 10% each twelvemonth until 2030, while mezcal, too, has developed beyond its hipster niche. I’d transportation nan paloma – that is, tequila and grapefruit soda – arsenic nan cocktail astir apt to “do an Aperol spritz” successful nan adjacent fewer years, not slightest because, among its galore positive points, it is 1 of nan fewer cocktails that useful really good successful a can.

Tequila remains nan astir approachable measurement into agave, partially because it’s conscionable truthful nosy to mix. Two pieces of proposal for anyone traumatised by teenage mishaps: a) ever look for “100% bluish agave” connected nan label; and b) debar personage brands, unless you want to donate £10-15 to said celebrity.

Mezcal is much of an acquired taste, acknowledgment to its faint tyre-fire notes – I person travel to emotion it – but if you really want hipster points, skip consecutive to sotól, which is distilled successful Chihuahua from nan godforsaken spoon agave: it’s herby, grassy, piney, ethereal and yet earthy.

Five Mexican spirits that are worthy a try

Ocho 8 Blanco Tequila £30 (500ml) Waitrose, 40%. Pioneering “single-rancho” tequila that’s truthful overmuch amended than nan personage brands.

Ojo de Dios Mezcal Espadín £47.10 (700ml) MexGrocer, 42%. A delicate, almost floral mezcal from a third-generation producer.

La Higuera Wheeleri Sotól £51.25 (700ml) The Whiskey Exchange, 44.1%. “Woah, slow down, maestro … there’s a new mezcal”? Meet your caller obsession.

Arette Tequila Reposado £36 (700ml) Hedonism Wines, 38%. Deliciously smooth, barrel-rested tequila, cleanable for sipping and mixing.

Moth Paloma £4 (200ml) Sainsbury’s, 10%. If you must portion a canned cocktail, make it a paloma. But, por el amor de Dios, please move it complete ice.