The 5 key elements to identify a "honest" mezcal.

On a previous article we wrote about the information that you should look for on the label of a "commercial" mezcal or tequila. However, we need to go deeper into the key elements that should appear on the labels of artisanal and ancestral category mezcales and that would mark them as unique.

In @Agavache we believe that only by providing the consumer with complete and accurate information will they be able to recognise and better appreciate the value and diversity of the agave plants and their places of origin, as well as the intensive labour and skill that goes into making this spirits by their maestros mezcaleros. This in turn allows the consumer to make better decisions about what products and from which producers, co-ops, or brands, to support as well as their social or environmentally friendly programs to represent.

In 2016 the Mexican Law NOM 070 was modified and the content that must appear on the labels was revised. This was supposedly with the aim to provide the consumer with truthful and comparable information and to avoid descriptions that could lead to deceit.

In the following image you can find the information required by the NOM, and we've compared it to the voluntary information that you should look for in the labels. Just a few elements that truly distinguish and differentiate mezcales with a "production history":

• Name of the producer
• Date of Production and Batch number.
• Age of the harvested agave.
• Exact location of production (name of the community, DO NOT be satisfied with name of the State).
• Characteristics of the production process, detailing the tools used, and the type of water at least.

Jorge Larson, Ana Valenzuela y Catarina Illsley in their article: “Del whisky escocés al mezcal: diferenciación y etiquetado, desarrollo y conservación” ("From scotch whisky to mezcal: differentiation and labelling, development and conservation"), call for a differentiation of mezcales through an informative labelling practise which would contribute to differentiating the brands who have responsible mezcal production and maguey harvesting practices, as well as environmental friendly practices. They propose the term of "single or unique" mezcal, a common glossary of terms, and more Geographic Indicators which better describe the biological, ecological, geographic and cultural elements for the differentiation of mezcales in the common market.

With the update to the NOM some of the elements regarding labelling have been formalized and a common "coding" for commercialization of mezcal was devised. However, the elements that really mark differentiation and better practices remain optional and it is up to the producers to place them on the label and encourage their use. Regardless of what the authorities claim is the minimum, a Mezcalero committed to their product will put as much information as possible because, in the words of Emma Janzen, "good brands are transparent about this matters, which is usually related to a honest and delicious mezcal" (“Mezcal: The history, craft & cocktails of the world's ultimate artisanal spirit”).

References:

JANZEN, Emma (2017), Mezcal: The history, craft & cocktails of the world's ultimate artisanal spirit, Quarto Publishing Group, Minneapolis, USA, 2017.

LARSON, Jorge, Ana Valenzuela y Catarina Illsley (2004), Del whisky escocés al mezcal: diferenciación y etiquetado, desarrollo y conservación, En lo Ancestral hay futuro, CONABIO, Mexico, 2004.

NORMA Oficial Mexicana NOM-070-SCFI-2016, Bebidas alcohólicas-Mezcal-Especificaciones: http://www.crm.org.mx/PDF/NOM070/NOM-070-SCFI-2016.pdf

Aprobación de Criterio general en materia de certificación: http://www.crm.org.mx/PDF/NOM070/DE-41%20DGN.312.01.2017.3089%20APROBACION%20DE%20CRITERIO%20GENERAL%20EN%20MATERIA%20DE%20CERTIFICACION.pdf

Mabi Cuishe

instagram: @mabi_cuishe

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With an industrial design background and mezcal, wine & spirits certifications (WSET level 2), I decided to found Agavache with my partner Alejandro, to promote mezcal from a cultural identity and socially responsible perspective. It’s not just about selling it, it’s about making each sip transcend into a consciousness educated by the magic, traditions and work that goes into making the elixir.