Post: #1

I know there's a spirits thread, but I felt like this warranted its own thread seeing as how I made a pretty significant discovery. I think mezcal could easily be "official RVF spirit".

That's right, no hangovers. I know that sounds outlandish.

I'd heard from visitors down to Oaxaca that they would get tanked on mezcal and not get a hangover the next day. I thought it was utter bullshit, because it challenged what I thought I knew about hangovers. Which is, the brain develops a short term addiction to alcohol and the next day you get a headache from withdrawal symptoms.

Well I can say from first hand experience that it's not bullshit. I just took a trip to Oaxaca and did a mezcal tour. Keep in mind, there are different grades of mezcal. There is definitely mass produced shit and I cannot vouch for the effects you feel the next day. What I'm talking about here is artisanal mezcal.

As I understand it, tequila is an evolution of mezcal, which has been in production for hundreds if not thousands of years. The best mezcal is still produced in a very rustic manner. Agave is farmed or collected from the wild (called silvestre), trimmed of its leaves down to its core (called the "pina", or pineapple), and the pinas are buried in the ground and roasted. Depending on how they're roasted, they can take on a very smoky character. Some producers claim that too much smokiness ruins the mezcals flavor. I do prefer a less smoky mezcal.

After the roast, the agave is ground to a mush using a stone wheel being pulled by a donkey, or it's smashed by hand. I went to a palenque (mezcal ranch) that did it by hand and did it for a bit myself. It's backbreaking work. Again, this is how it's done at the old school distilleries, not the mass produced garbage where everything is mechanized. When the agave comes out of the ground after being roasted, it can be eaten as is. It's very sweet and has the flavor of a very sweet, smoky roasted sweet potato, it's pretty fucking delicious. At this point the roasted and mashed agave goes into barrels and is naturally fermented for a few days, no added yeast, no added anything, and then water is poured over the top and it continues to ferment. The amount of time of fermentation varies by producer.

After that it's distilled in either copper, or more traditionally, clay stills. The clay stills break every few years but the purists insist on doing it this way. Depending on the distillation, a 2nd or 3rd distillation may be done to increase the alcohol content, which often gets up to 50%

Mezcal made in this way can take on many different flavors, because there are over 100 varieties of agave. Some of them are wild and endangered, but they're so highly sought after that they'll probably go extinct soon. I have a couple mezcals like that right now. It's common to drink mezcals that have notes of green chili pepper, grass, tropical fruit, smokiness, and as crazy as this sounds, cocaine. You know when you do a line and you get that nasal drip, and how it tastes? Some mezcal tastes like that (and one mezcal I've had was infused with fresh coca leaves. Party time!)

Good mezcal in Mexico will cost between $20-$50 per bottle, so it's not cheap by locals standards. The cheaper shit can be had for a few bucks per bottle. If you're driving through the Oaxacan countryside, on those fucked up windy roads, you can buy bottles from local producers up there for a few dollars. Again, the good stuff is made through very traditional, very labor-intensive techniques. These same mezcals will cost $40-$120 if bought in the U.S. because of export fees and taxes.

There are simply too many mezcals on the market for me to get into each one, and I've only had about 15 different brands. Each brand will produce 6-8 bottles using different agaves from different regions, each being very distinct and different.

Good mezcal is like any other high quality spirit. It should not be used for mixing or cocktails, but unfortunately I get the feeling that's how most people drink it in the U.S. Mezcal should always be sipped, never drank as a shot. In Oaxaca it's usually served with slices of orange that you dip in any combination of salt, chili powder, or sal de gusano (a mixture of ground salt with ground up toasted worms that grow on the agave)

Note: any mezcal with a worm in the bottle or infused with anything is 99% likely to be crap quality. Just for the record, eating the worm does absolutely nothing to you.

When drinking mezcal, the first drink gets your palate primed up. It will taste hot, and you won't pick up the nuances. Each drink poured gets better, which is counterintuitive. Normally you'd think the initial drinks would numb the tongue and palate. By the 3rd or 4th mezcal, its true flavor notes come out and you can appreciate the quality of the mezcal.

Getting drunk on mezcal is a different drunk than other spirits. Several people I talked to in Oaxaca call it "getting high". When I got drunk on mezcal I didn't feel uncoordinated, and sure enough, the colors of the city seemed just a bit more vibrant. It's very peaceful. I would call it a very, very mild mushroom trip. Certainly no hallucinations or anything of that nature, but a feeling of peace and appreciation. It's a great buzz I have to say.

And the best part: No matter how drunk I ever got on mezcal (and I got pretty goddamn drunk), the next day I felt absolutely 100%, not a single trace of a hangover. I don't know the science behind it, it doesn't make any sense to me, but I can tell you from firsthand experience it's absolutely not bullshit.

For mezcals available in the U.S., I highly recommend the Del Maguey brand. I went to some of their production sites in Oaxaca and it really is some of the finest Mezcal available in Oaxaca, and certainly the U.S. You can order online here:
http://www.drinkupny.com/mezcal-online-s/185.htm

Note that the mezcals I'm referring to in this post are single village mezcals, meaning the mezcal is made from a single variety of agave and made from one ranch. No mixing of any kind going on. These single village mezcals start at $63. Pick one up for a special occasion. You'll be glad you did.

Those fuckers should send me a few free bottles for my endorsement.

Enjoy!

Post: #2

This is very interesting. Like many people, I love booze and hate hangovers. Is there any specific liquor you would compare it to taste-wise? Is it light or dark?

Do you think the average liquor store would carry the Del Maguey brand, specifically in the Upper Midwest? If not, I'm definitely gonna buy a bottle online from the link you posted.

Post: #3

I was always under the impression that the main cause of hangovers was the body trying to expel various chemical toxins such as Acetaldehyde. When someone drinks a lot, the body takes longer to remove the unwanted chemicals and the liver is taxed. The longer these toxins remain in your blood stream (at a high concentration), the more likely you are to experience nausea, vomiting, etc. do.

So it would seem the only way Mezcal would fail to cause a hangover is that the liver is either able to process Mezcal much more rapidly than other spirits, or that Mescal somehow lacks the toxin-load that other liquors have.

Any doctors or scientists here that would like to weigh in? I'm fascinated by (and enjoy reading/learning about) substances that are able to be used recreationally but that do not damage the body the way that drugs like Cocaine, endocrine-disrupting opiates, MDMA etc.

If Mezcal truly is non-hangover inducing (or even just a spirit that is less conducive to hangovers), than it will likely pique the interest of many guys here who are trying to have fun and drink while still looking after their health.

Post: #4

(08-16-2015 10:19 PM)wi30 Wrote:  This is very interesting. Like many people, I love booze and hate hangovers. Is there any specific liquor you would compare it to taste-wise? Is it light or dark?

Do you think the average liquor store would carry the Del Maguey brand, specifically in the Upper Midwest? If not, I'm definitely gonna buy a bottle online from the link you posted.

Mezcal comes in different styles of aging, like blanco, reposado, anejo. Just like tequila.

For my taste, I go with blanco. Blanco is unaged, it's the fresh distillation of the fermentation of the agave. It's clear.

I would compare mezcal to tequila in that it's the distillation of fermented agave. I've had high end $200 bottles of tequila, and even then I prefer mezcal. I don't know the exact method for producing tequila, but there is way more flavor in mezcal.

An average store definitely wouldn't have Del Maguey, and I wouldn't trust them to have a good mezcal on hand.

BevMo occasionally carries Del Maguey and they might have other mezcals. All I can say is do your homework before buying a bottle, look at Wine Advocate or other spirits publications for reviews on individual brands. They're usually pretty trustworthy.

Post: #5

I'll be trying this today will report back.

Post: #6

Mezcal is the shit. I like the smoky ones, reminds me of a nice Islay scotch. Goes well in mixed cocktails. I picked up a bunch of bottles whenever I'm in Mexico, and had a Oaxacan girl bring me some homemade bottles recently. Lots of different varieties depending on the different plant varietals used and the burning and distilling techniques. Really great stuff as long as you don't drink the factory produced crap. It's crazy expensive and hard to find outside of Mexico, but fairly reasonable south of the border.

I've never had a night where I only drank mezcal, so I can't speak to the hangover aspect. I'll test it out and get back to this thread.

Para todo mal mezcal y para todo bien también.

Post: #7

So it's wine not tequila?

Post: #8

Interesting.
I would like to hear what The Lizard Of Oz would have to say about this.

Post: #9

I always thought hangovers were from your brain being dehydrated?

Post: #10

(08-17-2015 11:57 AM)el mechanico Wrote:  So it's wine not tequila?

No not wine. It's made from agave, not grapes. Usually registers in the 90-100 proof range.

Post: #11

Biggest Mezcal song in Mexico

Post: #12

I think that it probably has something to do with the "purity" of the drink. The purer the drink, the less likely a hangover. I'm not a big drinker, and more than a couple of beers always results in a hangover. But I can drink good Vodka, which is my drink of choice anyway, in much larger quantities with very little chance of a hangover. I have friends who say if you drink very good quality beers, that are fermented naturally without added chemicals it also reduces the likelihood, but I don't know about that.

PS: OP, have you ever had good Absinthe? If so how would you compare Mezcal and Absinthe?

Post: #13

Not to derail the thread, but has anybody tried the Hangover cure Blowfish? The packs contain two tablets that work like Alka-Selzer; you drop them in water and it fizzes into a solution. I have used this stuff plenty of times and it works like a charm. A few weeks ago I had the worst hangover ever from a bachelor party, took the tablets with water, and was at 100% in a matter of minutes. It's available at your local CVS or Walgreens, the website is below:

http://forhangovers.com/

As a note, I have also had Mezcal when I was in Puerto Vallarta Mexico (they were giving out free shots in the shops) and didn't feel drunk at all the next day. My buddy drank a whole bottle throughout the day.

Post: #14

I lived in Guanajuato for a few months and would ride my motorcycle up the mountain to a town called Santa Rosa where this farmer made Mezcal for sale locally only. He explained that "legally" Tequila can only be made in Jalisco and a few small places in Guanajuato but it required the right "license" in order to bottle it for sale. Instead these Agave growers distilled the plant into Mezcal. No Tequila, and it was explained that the process is like making wine not liquor. Some guys also made Pulque to sell to swimmers at the local swimming hole, which is also delicious and made from the same plant.

I would pack up a crate with 6 empty 1 liter bottles and he would fill them for me about 50 pesos. Its a great buzz, tastes nice and yes I too noticed the absence of hangovers if I stuck to just the Mezcal.

I miss Mexico.

Post: #15

Can I mix it with red bull zero and still have the same effect?

Well I'm off to the liquor store..

Post: #16

"Para todo mal, mezcal y para todo bien también y si no hay remedio, litro y medio"

Living in Mexico, I am a big mezcal drinker, along with wine and single malt scotch. But it still gives me hangovers, I like mezcal de pechuga, Bruxo and Amores.

I have some bottles at home, if anyone comes down to Mexico City I'll invite the mezcal.

Post: #17

I'm back..

   

This was 80 dollars and looked like the best one I could find.

The higher end liquor store near me tends to hire hipsterish dudes which one started in on me with his nonsense.

Me: I was reading some of the higher end Mezcals are easy on the hangover-front.

Him: Um yeah maybe you should try drinking less.

Me: I measure my Vodka
drinks so i know what the cut off is. I'll know if it's true

Him: Vodka? No bueno!

Me: I'll let you know how it turns out.

I was too excited to be mean to him.

Post: #18

From what I understand the main difference between tequila and mezcal are the production process and the type of agave used. Real tequila uses the blue agave plant which is streamed during the production process. Whereas mezcal is usually used from other types of wild agave, and it is smoked during it's preparation, which gives it a distinctive smokey flavor.

I'm not sure about mezcal not giving hangovers, I'm pretty sure that I was hungover off that stuff, just like tequila there are different grades of mezcal, the really low end stuff is pretty damn rough. Either way that stuff is "fire water" for sure, it will get you fucked up and I think it's a different kind of drunk then tequila and other types of liquor, some say that it has a slightly psychedelic effect.

Final note, tequila as someone stated earlier is supposed to come from the state of Jalisco, just like champagne is supposed to come from the Champagne region of France, that doesn't mean that you can't get good tequila from other states of Mexico. From what I understand mezcal comes from the state of Oaxaca and that is where it is primarily produced.

Post: #19

^^^^ I should have clarified that a bit. I used "" because the Tequila barons would not have anyone drink Tequila from outside Jalisco. Its exactly the same as in France.

Tequila is big business in Mexico and as such its treated as such where they can lobby for special rights. Also what they farm is going to be the best thing on all angles; profit, growth cycles, durability, etc.

Oaxaca is just out there economically. Its mostly an Indigenous state, with a lot of subsistence farming and such. Wonderful place, but economically the Mezcal producers are light years away from the Tequila guys.

I wonder how much of the profit of Oaxaca Mezcal makes it back there. Shit is $100 a bottle up here.

No beuno es mucho carro.

Post: #20

(08-17-2015 02:36 PM)Laner Wrote:  ^^^^ I should have clarified that a bit. I used "" because the Tequila barons would not have anyone drink Tequila from outside Jalisco. Its exactly the same as in France.

Tequila is big business in Mexico and as such its treated as such where they can lobby for special rights. Also what they farm is going to be the best thing on all angles; profit, growth cycles, durability, etc.

Oaxaca is just out there economically. Its mostly an Indigenous state, with a lot of subsistence farming and such. Wonderful place, but economically the Mezcal producers are light years away from the Tequila guys.

I wonder how much of the profit of Oaxaca Mezcal makes it back there. Shit is $100 a bottle up here.

No beuno es mucho carro.

$90 goes to the BC Liquor Board...

Post: #21

The stuff tastes pretty cool but it's not working with Red bull.

What do you mix it with?

Post: #22

(08-17-2015 03:42 PM)el mechanico Wrote:  The stuff tastes pretty cool but it's not working with Red bull.

What do you mix it with?

you don't mix it. Eat some orange slices and drink it straight up. It's a sipping drink. If you really have to, you can make a margarita with it with freshly squeezed lime juice, triple sec, and agave nectar. Or you can make a paloma with some grapefruit Jarritos or Squirt. But honestly man that's a waste of an $80 bottle imo.

Mescalero is a good brand, I went to their tasting room in Oaxaca, good quality stuff.

Post: #23

(08-17-2015 03:42 PM)el mechanico Wrote:  The stuff tastes pretty cool but it's not working with Red bull.

What do you mix it with?

Grapefruits & Acid

Post: #24

(08-17-2015 04:00 PM)Veloce Wrote:  

(08-17-2015 03:42 PM)el mechanico Wrote:  The stuff tastes pretty cool but it's not working with Red bull.

What do you mix it with?

you don't mix it. Eat some orange slices and drink it straight up. It's a sipping drink. If you really have to, you can make a margarita with it with freshly squeezed lime juice, triple sec, and agave nectar. Or you can make a paloma with some grapefruit Jarritos or Squirt. But honestly man that's a waste of an $80 bottle imo.

Mescalero is a good brand, I went to their tasting room in Oaxaca, good quality stuff.

Ok I had to back off it for today will regroup tomorrow. It tastes like whiskey a bit which I'm not a big fan of although it's way better.

Post: #25

Better than whiskey? No hangovers?