Unit 5 - Lesson 7 - Tequila and Mezcal

Question 1

What is the wash of agave?

Answer 1

4-5% ABV

Question 2

What is the mandatory distillation rule?

Answer 2

twice distilled

Question 3

What is Tequila Ordinario

Answer 3

1st Distillate 25-30% ABV - no cuts

Question 4

What are most commons stills?

Answer 4

Pot stills usually in sequence

Question 5

What are tequila still made from?

Answer 5

Generally all or mostly copper

Question 6

What is unique about the swan neck?

Answer 6

Usually wide and tall sometime as wide as the boiler

Question 7

What is the final ABV of 2nd distillate?

Answer 7

55 - 60%
Why? to avoid diluting with water
Also tend to cut tails late reducing ABV but more congeners

Question 8

What is Mezcal

Answer 8

An agave spirit - much older than tequila

Question 9

How is Mezcal produced?

Answer 9

Small batch farm product

Question 10

How do small Mezcal producers survive?

Answer 10

Coops

Question 11

According to the Consejo Regulador del Mezcal (CRM), three types of mezcal producer are legally recognised:

Answer 11

Ancestral
Artisanal
Industrial

Question 12

Who has the most freedom in mezal distilation?

Answer 12

Industrial producers - can use continuous columns

Question 13

What are Artisanal Mezcal producers restriction on

Answer 13

Distill in clay or copper pot stills

May use Agave fibers in ferment

Question 14

What are Ancestral Mezcal producers restriction on

Answer 14

Must use clay pot stills

Must use Agave fibers in ferment

Question 15

What are the pros/cons on clay pot stills?

Answer 15

Pros - cheap, add flavors

Cons - very small, time consuming, breaks easy

Question 16

Describe a clay mezcal pot still?

Answer 16

Small clay bulb
Boiler is above wood fire
A condenser tray "hat" (also clay) sits on the pot
Bamboo Pipes
Everything is sealed with a paste

Question 17

How does the clay operation work?

Answer 17

1. Boiler on wood fire heat clay and its contents
2. Vapor up the bulb while cold water is poured into a metal bowl on the top serving as a condenser
3. Water cools the bowl which cools the vapors rising in the bulb and a falls back into a concave tray connect to a bamboo shoot
4. Shoot carries out the spirits

Question 18

What is a mezcaleros

Answer 18

Mezcal Producer

Question 19

What are some regulations?

Answer 19

Regulators requires analysis for methanol content

Question 20

What is unique with mezcal?

Answer 20

Wood fires create smoke
Smoke imparts phenols
AND THEY DISTILL ANIMAL PARTS

Question 21

What is a Pechuga?

Answer 21

is a vapour-infused mezcal. The distiller hangs a basket of spices and herbs inside the hat or bulb of the still. However, on occasion they will add a raw chicken breast, or a goat leg. As the vapours from the distilling mezcal pass over the spices or meat, they pick up the various flavours