Guerrero Mezcal (700ml)

Mezcal is tequila's daddy and has been made by indigenous Mexican peoples since the arrival of the Spaniards in the 16th Century. Oaxaca (pronounced wa-HA-ka), remains the traditional centre for mezcal making in Mexico, as defined by the Official Mexican Standard and protected by the International Appellation of Origin. Mezcal is one of the important drinks of rustic, rural Oaxaca - the traditional toast of choice at ceremonial occasions such as baptisms, weddings and town fiestas. Tequila, on the other hand, is a regional form of mezcal. Originally known as mezcal de Tequila, it was abbreviated in the 1950's to Tequila by distillers in Jalisco State (originally in the town of Tequila) to distinguish it from other lesser-known agave distillates, such as Sotol from Chihuahua and Bacanora from Sonora.

Mezcal further differs from Tequila by the species of agave plant it is produced from, the method of production and the quality standards imposed upon it. There are eleven varieties of agave found in the state of Oaxaca that can be used to make mezcal: quishe, pasmo, tepestate, tobala, espadin, largo, pulque, azul, blanco, ciereago and mexicano. This diversity produces a range of flavours similar to grape varieties in wine. Around 90% of mezcal is made from the agave espadin. Mezcal producers in the villages of Oaxaca still use the same traditional method of roasting agave in underground wood-fired pits and distilling in small-batch, copper pot stills.