Smoky—that’s the word synonymous with mezcal. But the libation is far more expansive and versatile than many give it credit for. Mezcal, like tequila, is derived from agave—a succulent from the lily family with a core, or heart, called the piña, which is harvested to make the spirit. In contrast to tequila, which is predominantly made from Blue Weber agave, mezcal can be made from over 40 different agave species across nine states in Mexico. Today, most of these varietals are cultivated rather than wild—though select, protected agaves can still be found in the wild, such as Espadín (Agave angustifolia), Tobalá (Agave potatorum), Tepeztate (Agave marmorata), and Madre Cuishe (Agave karwinskii). You’ve likely seen Espadín as the type of mezcal on bottles or menus— this agave accounts for roughly 80 percent of mezcal production, primarily because its flavor profile lends itself well to mixed drinks. And it matures faster than other agaves, which can sometimes take decades to grow. “They mature earlier, have a higher sugar content and they have a higher yield,” says Sarah Kabat-Marcy, coowner of Cultura Comida y Bebida in Carmel. “So the finished product makes sense for producing something with better profit margins.” The smoky distinction associated with mezcal is derived from the part of the cooking process where the piña is roasted in an earthen pit oven, a form of underground cooking typically lined with rock and then fired by wood and slow roasted. After that, the cooked piñas are crushed, then put into fermentation tanks before distillation. “If a guest is nervous about the smokiness, we’ll start them off with something that’s really light and elegant, like a Tobalá or a Madrecuishe,” Kabat-Marcy adds. Across Monterey County, several places carry mezcal in some capacity, but few specialize in it. Stokes Adobe in Monterey has six mezcals and specialty cocktails on rotation that 40 THE BEST OF MONTEREY BAY ® EAT + DRINK 2025-2026 WHERE THERE’S SMOKE As mezcal becomes mainstream, more bars are offering pours and cocktails of the spirit. By Katie Rodriguez Nicolás Cocina de Herencia DANIEL DREIFUSS
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==