If you have ever stood at a bar wondering whether to order mezcal or tequila, you are asking the right question. Both are distilled spirits made from agave, both come from Mexico, and both share centuries of intertwined history. Tequila is technically a type of mezcal, made under stricter rules with a single agave species in just 5 Mexican states. Mezcal is the broader family, made from over 30 agave species across 9 protected regions, often in clay-and-stone pit ovens that give it its signature smoky character.
This 2026 guide walks you through the 9 key differences between mezcal and tequila: agave species, Denominación de Origen regions, production process, taste, ABV, calories, aging, drinking ritual, and what makes artisanal Single Village mezcal stand apart from industrial agave spirits. Updated with the most recent NOM 070 and NOM 006 standards.
What is mezcal? The Mexican agave spirit that gave birth to tequila
Mezcal is a Mexican distilled spirit made from the cooked heart (piña) of agave, fermented with wild yeasts and distilled in copper or clay pot stills.
The word mezcal comes from the Nahuatl mexcalli, meaning “oven-cooked agave”. The drink dates back to the 16th century, when indigenous communities adapted Spanish distillation to the pre-Hispanic pulque tradition.
Under NOM 070, mezcal can be made from over 30 species of agave and produced in 9 Mexican states with Denominación de Origen Mezcal: Oaxaca (over 70% of all mezcal worldwide), Durango, Guerrero, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas, Tamaulipas, Guanajuato, Michoacán and Puebla.
Artisanal mezcal preserves ancestral techniques like tahona milling and palenque pit-oven cooking, which give it the signature smoky, earthy character.
Single Village mezcal takes the regional concept further. Each bottle traces back to one specific village, one maestro mezcalero, and one palenque in Oaxaca. Vida Single Village mezcal by Del Maguey is the classic example: 100% agave Espadín (Agave angustifolia Haw.) grown and distilled in San Luis del Río, Oaxaca.
What is tequila? The standardized mezcal from Jalisco
Tequila is technically a type of mezcal: a regional variant made exclusively from agave azul Weber under stricter rules than the rest of the mezcal family.
The word tequila comes from the town of Tequila, Jalisco, where the spirit started to be commercialized industrially in the 17th century. In 1974, Mexico granted it the first Denominación de Origen for any spirit.
Under NOM 006, tequila can only be produced in 5 Mexican states: Jalisco (the entire state, including Tequila and Los Altos), Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas.
The tequila plant, agave azul Weber (Agave Tequilana Weber Var. Azul), takes 6 to 8 years to mature before harvest, called la jima. It grows mostly in the volcanic soils of Jalisco’s Lowlands and the higher-elevation Los Altos.
Unlike artisanal mezcal, tequila has been industrialized. Most production cooks piñas in steam ovens or autoclaves, mills them with mechanical rollers, ferments with cultivated yeast, and distills in stainless steel column stills. That difference in process drives many of the taste differences detailed below.
Mezcal vs tequila at a glance: comparison table
The fastest way to grasp the difference between mezcal and tequila is a side-by-side comparison.
| Difference | Tequila | Mezcal |
| Agave species | Only agave azul Weber (1 species) | 30+ agave species (espadín, tobalá, cupreata, tepextate, jabalí, madrecuixe) |
| Denominación de Origen | 5 states (Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, Tamaulipas) | 9 states (Oaxaca, Durango, Guerrero, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas, Tamaulipas, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Puebla) |
| Standard | NOM 006 | NOM 070 |
| Cooking | Industrial autoclaves or steam ovens | Earthen pit ovens (palenque) lined with stone, smoke and wood |
| Milling | Mechanical roller mills | Tahona (volcanic stone wheel) |
| Distillation | Stainless steel column or pot stills, double-distilled | Copper or clay pot stills, double-distilled |
| ABV | 35 to 55% | 38 to 55% (artisanal 45-48%) |
| Taste profile | Vegetal, peppery, citrusy, clean | Smoky, earthy, complex, mineral, savory |
| Aging categories | Blanco, Joven, Reposado, Añejo, Extra Añejo | Joven, Reposado, Añejo, Pechuga, Ancestral |
Bottom line: all tequila is technically mezcal, but only mezcal made from agave azul Weber in 5 specific Mexican states qualifies as tequila.
History of mezcal and tequila: shared roots, separate paths
Both spirits share a pre-Hispanic heritage rooted in the agave plant, fermented into pulque for over 2,000 years.
Mezcal is the older of the two. Indigenous communities adapted pulque-making knowledge to produce a distilled agave spirit using local agave species and clay-and-stone pit ovens, giving rise to the regional artisanal traditions of Oaxaca and the other 8 DO states.
Tequila, the standardized offshoot: emerged in the 17th century in the town of Tequila, Jalisco, using agave azul Weber. In 1974 Mexico granted it the first Denominación de Origen for a spirit. All tequila is technically mezcal, but most mezcal is not tequila.
Where is mezcal made vs where is tequila made? Denominación de Origen regions
The Denominación de Origen is a geographical certification that legally restricts where each spirit can be produced. The two are governed by separate Mexican standards.
Tequila, 5 states under NOM 006:
- Jalisco (entire state, the heart of tequila country)
- Guanajuato
- Michoacán
- Nayarit
- Tamaulipas
Mezcal, 9 states under NOM 070:
- Oaxaca, over 70% of all mezcal worldwide
- Durango
- Guerrero
- San Luis Potosí
- Zacatecas
- Tamaulipas
- Guanajuato
- Michoacán
- Puebla
Within Oaxaca, Single Village mezcal takes the regional concept further: each bottle traces back to one specific village, one specific maestro mezcalero, and one specific palenque.
What is mezcal made from? Agave species for tequila vs mezcal
Tequila uses one species; mezcal celebrates the biodiversity of agave with 30+ permitted species. This is the cornerstone difference between the two spirits.
Tequila, only blue Weber:
Tequila is made exclusively from agave azul Weber. The plant takes 6 to 8 years to mature.
Mezcal, 30+ species and counting:
• Espadín (Agave angustifolia Haw.), workhorse, ~90% of production. Behind Vida Single Village mezcal.
• Tobalá (Agave potatorum), small, wild, takes 12-15 years.
• Cupreata (Agave cupreata), Guerrero/Michoacán, floral notes.
• Tepextate (Agave marmorata), wild, can take 25+ years.
• Jabalí (Agave convallis), wild, hard to distil.
• Madrecuixe and Barril (Agave karwinskii subspecies).
Explore the full catalogue of types of agave plants used across the country.
Mezcal vs tequila process: 5 production differences
Tequila has been industrialized; artisanal mezcal has not. The 5 stages where the production diverges are cooking, milling, fermentation, distillation and bottling.
1. How the agave is cooked
Tequila: industrial steam ovens or autoclaves over 24 to 48 hours.
Mezcal: conical earthen pit ovens (palenques), wood-fired, for 3 to 5 days. Source of the smoky character.
2. How the agave is milled
Tequila: mechanical roller mills.Mezcal: tahona, volcanic stone wheel pulled by horse or mule.
3. Fermentation
Tequila: stainless steel tanks, cultivated yeast, 2-4 days.
Mezcal: wooden vats open-air, wild airborne yeasts, 5-15 days.
4. Distillation
Tequila: stainless steel column stills, double-distilled.
Mezcal: copper or clay pot stills, double-distilled.
5. Bottling and ABV
Tequila: 35-55% ABV, often water-cut to 38-40%.
Mezcal: 38-55% ABV, artisanal Single Village 45-48%.
Types of mezcal vs types of tequila: aging categories
Aging classifications differ between the two spirits. NOM 006 sets the categories for tequila; NOM 070 for mezcal.
Tequila (NOM 006):
• Blanco or Plata, unaged, bottled within 60 days of distillation.
• Joven or Oro, blend of blanco with reposado or añejo (sometimes with caramel coloring).
• Reposado, minimum 2 months in oak barrels (up to 12).
• Añejo, minimum 12 months in oak barrels under 600 liters.
• Extra Añejo, minimum 36 months in small barrels.
Mezcal (NOM 070)
• Joven, unaged, the most common style of artisanal mezcal.
• Reposado, between 2 and 12 months in barrel.
• Añejo, over 12 months in barrels under 200 liters.
• Pechuga, mezcal infused with fruits, spices and a chicken or turkey breast in the third distillation. A traditional artisanal Mexican expression.
• Ancestral, category reserved for mezcal made entirely with pre-Hispanic techniques (palenque cooking + manual or tahona milling + clay pot stills).
What does mezcal taste like vs tequila? Smoky vs vegetal
Tequila tastes clean, vegetal, peppery, citrus notes.
Mezcal tastes smoky, earthy, complex, mineral. Smoke comes from the wood-fired pit oven. Single Village mezcal is essentially liquid terroir.
How to drink mezcal vs tequila: serving rituals
Tequila: sipped neat in a caballito, with sangrita on the side. Powers Margarita, Paloma, Tequila Sour, Ranch Water.
Mezcal: sipped from a jícara or veladora in slow small sips with sal de gusano or chapulín salt. Phrase: besos, no tragos. Anchors Mezcal Negroni, Oaxaca Old Fashioned, Naked and Famous.
Mezcal vs tequila calories: nutritional comparison
| Spirit | Serving (1.5 oz) | Calories | Carbs | Sugar |
| Blanco tequila (40% ABV) | 1.5 oz | ~96 kcal | 0 g | 0 g |
| Mezcal joven (45% ABV) | 1.5 oz | ~104 kcal | 0 g | 0 g |
| Reposado tequila | 1.5 oz | ~97 kcal | 0 g | 0 g |
| Añejo tequila | 1.5 oz | ~100 kcal | 0 g | 0 g |
100% agave spirits without flavoring contain zero carbs and zero sugar.
Is mezcal stronger than tequila? In ABV, often yes, artisanal Single Village mezcal sits at 45-48% ABV vs standard tequila 38-40%.
Mezcal or tequila: which one should you choose?
The answer is: not either, both, but mindfully.
Choose tequila for cocktails (Margarita, Paloma) and clean sipping. Choose mezcal for complexity, terroir and storytelling. Start with Vida Single Village mezcal. Scale up to wild agaves like tobalá, tepextate, jabalí.
The bigger choice is artisanal vs industrial. Del Maguey has produced Single Village mezcal since 1995. See best mezcal for beginners for an entry point.
