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Estadistica

The word Mezcal comes from the word Náhuatl Mexcalmetl that " Agave " means. at the present time, the term commonly used in Mexico to name the " Agave " it is " Maguey ". The " Maguey " is not a cactus, since, botanically, he/she has its own family Agaveaceae; this family is conformed for more than 120 species,

among those that highlight Potatorum zucc, Amarilidáceas (Tobalá) and the Angustifolia haw (Sprat), since for their vegetative characteristics, to the being become mezcal they give a quality and unmistakable flavor to the drink.

DESCRIPTION

Regional alcoholic drink that one obtains for the distillation and rectification of the musts (juices) prepared direct and originally with the extracted sugars of the mature heads of the agaves previously hidrolizadas or cooked, and subjected to alcoholic fermentation with cultivated yeasts or not. He/she should take place in the Region of the Mezcal inside national territory. In the state of Oaxaca the Region producer of the Mezcal is integrated by the municipalities of Alone of Vega, Miahuatlán, Yautepec, Santiago Matatlán Tlacolula, Ocotlán, Ejutla, and Zimatlán. The mezcal is a colorless or lightly yellow liquid if it is rested, I process that has place during its storage in casks of white oak or encino.

VARIEDADES

Type I Mezcal 100 agave%: Elaborated with the musts that only contain sugars coming from the agaves.

Type II Mezcal with other sugars: Elaborated with 80% of the musts of the agaves, to those that are added 20% of other sugars.

Both mezcal types are suceptibles of being classified according to the following categories:

NOMBRE	DESCRIPCIÓN
YOUNG	Direct obtained Mezcal and originally with the extracted sugars of the agaves, suceptible of being enriched, for the case of the mezcal type II until with 20% of other sugars.
RESTED	Mezcal that is stored at least 2 months in wooden recipients of white oak or encino for their stabilization, suceptible of being met *.
OLD	Mezcal subject to a maturation process at least of one year in wooden recipients of white oak or encino, suceptible to be met *.

*Abocado: Procedure to soften the flavor of the mezcal, by means of the addition of one or more natural products, saborizantes or colorings allowed in the corresponding legal dispositions

PROCESS OF ELABORATION

The siembra of the agave is linked to the customs and the peasant's traditions. The cultivation is developed in natural form, since fertilizers neither pesticidas are not used during its vegetative cycle.

After a long wait, 8 to 9 later years to the siembra of the maguey, the plant arrives to its maturity, they are the peasants those that know the appropriate age of the agave to cut it and to use it in the prosecution. To prepare the maguey, they cut themselves the pencas until leaving clean the " pineapple ", called this way the shaft by the aspect that he/she acquires after the cut. It is selected according to their size, to facilitate their handling and cooking inside an oven conical fact in the earth. This is heated previously with the help of firewood, besides adding river stones to concentrate the heat. The " pineapples " make comfortable in the oven and they cover with trash and blankets during a period of 3 days.

When the cooking of the " pineapples " arrives to the ideal point, these are removed and placed inside a stone hoop, of approximately 5 diameter meters to begin the mill, in the center are a vertical post that connects an axis to an enormous stone wheel. This wheel is dragged around the hoop by a donkey or horse to mash the maguey. The mashed maguey is placed inside oak casks, with capacity of 300 gallons, and a percentage of water is added (5 to 10%). The tepache, result of the mixture, overdraft is left for natural fermentation, only with its own yeast. This process lasts from 4 to 30 days. The tepache, with the solids and liquid, it is transferred to a ceramic still or of copper. A copper hat is placed up of the still and the mixture warms, he/she evaporates and it condenses slowly through a serpentine that drop to drop deposits the mezcal in a gathering recipient. The fiber is retired of the still and the pure alcohol of the first distillation is placed again in the still and the distillation process repeats. The resulting liquid is the exquisite " Mezcal " oaxaqueño.

MEMORIES

Se dice que el mezcal produce en el organismo un efecto similar al de un tónico, pues además de su inmediato efecto afrodisiaco, aseguran que el hábito de consumirlo, con moderación, prolonga la vida sexual del individuo y, por ende, la vida misma.

It is said that the mezcal takes place in the organism a similar effect to that of a tonic one, because besides its immediate aphrodisiac effect, they assure that the habit of consuming it, with moderation, prolongs the individual's sexual life and, for ende, the same life.

"The Brandy of Mexico" "Very good for their flavor".... one has knowledge that this opinion had of the mezcal the first travelers to the New Spain. Even in the XIX century, the aristocracy colonial degustaba the mezcal, being such their preference that this ended up being known as The Brandy of Mexico", for their unique flavor and for their exquisite softness. The Mezcal has a marked connotation magic-nun, its fame it has transcended our frontiers and it has been located among the best drinks in the world; he/she enjoys a wide recognition for their fine aroma, unmistakable flavor and quality. The State government of Oaxaca and the National Bank of External Trade, S.N.C., they link to the companies envasadoras with potential clients, apoyádose in the participation of fairs, commercial missions and financing for the production and sale in the exterior.

REGION

The fortunate combination of the climatic factors, and the favorable characteristics of their floors influenced in the natural conformation of The Region of the Mezcal in the following states and municipalities inside Oaxaca:

MEZCAL, A FORMA DE TEQUILA?

To the arrival of the Spaniards to Mexico in 1519, the pulque was the only alcoholic drink that was known. Once they introduced the distillation process obtained drinks of high alcoholic degree they arose from the agave to those that originally called agave wine or mezcal wine", of where the Tequila arose at the end of 1800. Technically speaking could be said that the Tequila is a form of Mezcal, but not that the Mezcal is a form of Tequila. Specific differences exist among both drinks, mainly in the production form and in the agave viariedad of which you/they are obtained: The Mezcal is a produced drink in a handmade way and 100 agave%, while the Tequila is carried out in an industrial way and it is not 100 agave%. The species of the Agave or Maguey of where these drinks are obtained it is different, that is to say, both they are obtained of the same plant: the Agave or Maguey, but of different variety: in the case of the Tequila we speak of the Agave Tequilana Weber Blue variety and in the case of the Mezcal we speak of the Potatorum zucc, Amailidáceas (Tobalá) and the Angustifolia haw (Sprat) mainly. Contrary to the Tequila, some marks of Mezcal take a worm inside the bottle, to the one which, from prehispanic times, they have been attributed characteristic aphrodisiac. This worm lives inside the agave plant and it can be of two types: white or red depending on the place of the plant of where it is obtained.