Tequila vs. Mezcal !

These are some of the questions that may have crossed your mind as you order a tequila or Mezcal shot.
What’s the difference between Mezcal and Tequila? Are they both made from agave? Do you use them differently, and do they taste different from one another?

Prepare to have your mind blown because we are about to broaden your horizons by introducing you to the lesser-known and incredibly delicious Mexican spirit, Mezcal.

All tequilas are mezcal. But all Mezcals are not Tequila. Tequila is traditionally from the town of Tequila and is made with 100% blue agave. There are now five Mexican states where Tequila can be produced, I am sure this really fills the people of Tequila with all kinds of joy that so many other people are benefiting from their ancestors hard work. The agave used in Tequila is always steamed, the best producers of Mezcal roast the agave. This gives it a much different flavor than the steamed Agave in Tequila. Please beware that Mezcal is a catch-all word for any liquor made from the agave, and can be quite ghastly, if you visited Mexico- I am sure you remmber the cheap Mezcal that has the worm in the bottles!
Both Tequila and Mezcal are distilled from agave plants, but tequila only uses blue agave. Mezcal involves underground roasting, something that gives it a distinctive, smoky flavor. Like craft spirits? Mezcal is traditionally made by small-scale producers and there are over 9,000 producers and more than 150 brands.

Now you’re probably wondering why you haven’t heard of it before, if it’s so delicious and wonderful… The unique smoky flavor (one of the characteristics that we love about it) isn’t for everybody. And the fact that it is so hyper local, with tons of small brands, and not one brand monopolizing the market, makes it tough to advertise and get the word out.

About 200 bottles of tequila are produced in Mexico for every bottle of Mezcal, but Mezcal is slowly gaining popularity. We’re not sure it’s ever going to beat out tequila, but we recommend it to people who like to try new things.

Mezcal’s audience is small, but we still hold a large selection of them here at our store because of this niche spirit. Some of the bars in LA are now serving Mezcal virgin, it’s better to order a shot so that you get an idea of the flavor. It can be a little tricky to concoct a mixed drink that works with the distinctive smoky taste.

Here is a link to some of our Mezcal selection:

http://www.melandrose.com/istar.asp?a=29&search=mezcal*

What do you think of Mezcal, and how do you drink it?

DO YOU KNOW YOUR SPIRITS?

absinthe

An anise-flavored spirit formerly banned in the United States. It’s flavored with such botanicals as wormwood, green anise and fennel seeds.

Agave nectar

A rich, sweet syrup made from the sap of the cactus-like agave plant.

Allspice dram

Also known as pimento dram; a rum-based liqueur infused with Jamaican allspice berries. St. Elizabeth and The Bitter Truthare good brands.

Amaro

A bittersweet Italian herbal liqueur often served as an after-dinner drink.

Angostura bitters

A brand of concentrated aromatic bitters created in Angostura, Venezuela, in 1824 from a secret combination of herbs and spices.

Aperol

A low-proof Italian aperitif flavored with bitter orange, rhubarb and gentian.

Apfelkorn

A low-proof apple schnapps made by blending a wheat-based spirit with sugar and fresh apples.

Apple brandy

A distilled fermented apple cider that is aged in oak barrels. Most of the brandy is bottled at 80 proof, but bonded apple brandy, which is preferable in cocktails because of its concentrated green-apple flavor, is 100 proof.

Applejack

An American apple brandy that’s blended with neutral spirits.

Apricot brandy

A sweet brandy-based amber liqueur flavored with apricots.

Aquavit

A clear, grain- or potato-based Scandinavian spirit flavored with caraway seeds and other botanicals, such as fennel, anise and citrus peel.

Averna

A bitter Italian liqueur flavored with herbs and citrus peel.

Barolo Chinato

An Italian digestif made from Nebbiolo-based wine (produced in Piedmont’s Barolo zone) and various herbs and spices, including cardamom, rhubarb and quinine (china).

Bärenjäger

An intensely honey-flavored proprietary German liqueur.

Batavia Arrack

A clear spirit from Java that is made from fermented sugarcane and red rice.

Becherovka

A bittersweet liqueur produced in the Czech Republic from the recipe that pharmacist Josef Becher used to formulate his apothecary bitters in 1807.

Belle de Brillet

A French liqueur made by infusing Cognac with macerated ripe Alsatian pears.

Bénédictine

A brandy-based herbal liqueur derived from a recipe developed by a French monk in 1510.

Bianco vermouth

An aromatic, sweet Italian white vermouth traditionally served on the rocks as an aperitif.

Bitters

A concentrated tincture of bitter and aromatic herbs, roots and spices that adds complexity to drinks. Varieties include orange, grapefruit, rhubarb and aromatic bitters, the best known of which isAngostura, created in Angostura, Venezuela, in 1824. Germany’s Bitter Truth makes bitters in traditional flavors as well as unusual ones like celery and chocolate. Fee Brothers bitters, which come in 12 flavors, have been made in Rochester, New York, for more than 60 years. Peychaud’s bitters have bright anise and cranberry flavors; the recipe dates to 19th-century New Orleans.

Bonal Gentiane-Quina

A slightly bitter French aperitif wine infused with gentian root and cinchona bark, which contains quinine.

Bonded Whiskey

A whiskey that’s been produced by a single distillery, distilled during a single season, aged a minimum of four years, bottled at 100 proof and stored in a “bonded” warehouse under U.S. government supervision.

Cachaça

A potent Brazilian spirit distilled from sugarcane juice.

Calvados

A cask-aged brandy made in the Normandy region of France from apples and sometimes pears.

Campari

A potent, bright red Italian aperitif made from fruit, herbs and spices.

Cane Syrup

A very sweet, thick syrup made by evaporating the water from sugarcane juice.

Carpano Antica Formula

A rich and complex crimson-colored sweet Italian vermouth.

Chartreuse

A spicy French herbal liqueur made from more than 100 botanicals; green Chartreuse is more potent than the honey-sweetened yellow one.

Cherry Heering

A Danish brandy-based cherry liqueur.

Cherry Kijafa

A sweet Danish cherry wine that’s fortified with brandy.

Cocchi Aperitivo Americano

A low-alcohol, wine-based aperitif infused with citrus, herbs such as gentian and quinine-rich cinchona bark.

Cognac

An oak-aged brandy made from grapes grown in France’s Charente region. VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale) Cognac must be aged a minimum of four years in French oak barrels.

Cointreau

A French triple sec that is made by macerating and distilling sun-dried sweet and bitter orange peels.

Crème de cassis

A sweet, black currant-flavored liqueur.

Crème de violette

A sweet, violet-flavored and -colored liqueur.

Créole Shrubb

A potent liqueur made by infusing a blend of Martinican rums with bitter orange peel and pulp and Caribbean spices.

Curaçao

A rum-based orange liqueur flavored with Creole spices and bitter orange peels.

Cynar

A pleasantly bitter Italian liqueur made from 13 herbs and plants, including artichokes.

Dimmi

A fruity and floral liqueur infused with licorice, vanilla, bitter orange and peach.

Drambuie

A whisky-based Scottish liqueur flavored with honey, herbs and spices.

Dubonnet

A wine-based, quinine-enhanced aperitif that comes in two varieties. The rouge is full-bodied. The drier blanc is a good substitute for dry vermouth.

Eau-de-vie

A clear, unaged fruit brandy. Classic varieties include framboise (raspberry), poire (pear), abricot(apricot), kirsch (cherry) and mirabelle (plum).

Fernet-Branca

A potent, bitter Italian digestif made from 27 herbs.

Fee Brothers bitters

A brand of bitters made in Rochester, New York, for more than 60 years. Classic flavors include orange and peach; grapefruit is a newer flavor.

Galliano

A yellow Italian liqueur made with up to 30 herbs, berries and flowers, including licorice, anise and vanilla.

Genever

Photo © Tina Rupp.

Genever

A clear, botanically rich, malted grain-based spirit from Holland.Oude refers to the maltier old-style; lighter, less malty versions are called jonge.

 

Grenadine

A sweet red syrup made from pomegranate juice and sugar (see theHomemade Grenadine recipe).

Gum Syrup

A simple syrup that’s been thickened with gum arabic, a natural gum made from the sap of acacia trees.

Herbsaint

An anise-flavored absinthe substitute produced in New Orleans.

Kirsch

Short for kirschwasser; an unaged brandy or eau-de-vie produced by pot-distilling crushed cherries and their pits.

Kümmel

A grain-based liqueur first distilled in Holland in the late 1500s. It’s flavored with cumin, caraway and fennel.

Licor 43

A citrus-and-vanilla-flavored Spanish liqueur made from a combination of 43 herbs and spices.

Lillet

A wine-based French aperitif flavored with orange peel and quinine. The lesser-known rouge variety is sweeter than the more widely available blanc.

Limoncello

An intensely flavored Italian liqueur made from lemon peels soaked in neutral spirits, then sweetened with sugar.

Madeira

A fortified wine from the island of Madeira, usually named for one of four grape varieties: sercial (the driest), verdelho, bual or malmsey, which are progressively sweeter.

Maraschino liqueur

Photo © Tina Rupp.

Maraschino liqueur

A clear Italian liqueur, the best of which is distilled from sour marasca cherries and their pits, aged in ash barrels, then sweetened with sugar.

Marsala

A Sicilian fortified wine; styles include secco (dry), which is often served as an aperitif, and semisecco (semisweet) and dolce(sweet), which are commonly served as dessert wines.

Mead

A fermented honey-based beverage that is often flavored with herbs, spices or flowers.

Metaxa

A greek brandy sweetened with Muscat wine; aged up to 30 years.

Mezcal

An agave-based spirit with a smoky flavor that comes from roasting the agave hearts in pits before fermentation. The best mezcal is made in Mexico’s Oaxaca region.

Navan

A Cognac infused with black Madagascar vanilla.

Nocino

An Italian or Swiss liqueur traditionally made from brandy or grappa, unripe walnuts, sugar and spices.

Noilly Prat rouge

A bittersweet red vermouth from the south of France made from a secret mixture of herbs and spices, including saffron, quinine and cloves.

Orange Bitters

A concentrated infusion of neutral alcohol, orange peel, herbs and spices such as cardamom

Orgeat

A sweet, nonalcoholic syrup made from almonds or almond extract, sugar and rose or orange flower water.

Overproof Rum

Also known as 151-proof rum, a high-octane spirit that’s often used for flaming drinks.

Parfait Amour

A purple French liqueur flavored with orange, violets and vanilla.

Pastis

A licorice-flavored French spirit that turns cloudy when mixed with water. It’s similar to absinthe but sweeter and lower in alcohol.

Pernod

A French producer of a liqueur made from the essential oils of star anise and fennel combined with herbs, spices, sugar and a neutral spirit. Pernod recently rereleased their absinthe, which, like all absinthes, had been banned in the United States since 1912.

Peychaud’s bitters

Photo © Tina Rupp.

Peychaud’s bitters

A brand of bitters with bright anise and cranberry flavors; the recipe dates to 19th-century New Orleans.

Pimm’s No. 1

A gin-based English aperitif often served with ginger beer or lemonade.

Pineau des Charentes

A low-proof French spirit made by combining unfermented grape juice and young Cognac, then briefly aging in oak.

Pisco

A clear brandy distilled from grapes in the wine-producing regions of Peru and Chile

Poire Williams

A pear eau-de-vie, usually made in Switzerland or the Alsace region of France.

Pommeau de Normandie

A French aperitif spirit made by adding fresh-pressed apple juice to young Calvados, then aging it in oak.

Port

A fortified wine from the Douro region of Portugal. Styles include fruity, young ruby port; richer, nuttier tawny; thick-textured, oak-aged late bottled vintage (LBV); and decadent vintage port, made from the best grapes in the best vintages. Dry white port is often served chilled, as an aperitif.

Punt e Mes

A spicy, orange-accented sweet Italian vermouth fortified with bitters.

Rhum agricole

An aromatic rum made in the French West Indies from sugarcane juice. When aged from one to six months, it is bottled as white rhum agricole, or rhum blanc; aged for a minimum of three years, it can be sold as aged rhum agricole, or rhum vieux.

Root Liqueur

A sugarcane-distilled liqueur flavored with birch bark, smoked black tea, citrus peels, cloves and other spices. Art in the Age, in Philadelphia, is the main producer.

Rye whiskey

A primarily rye-based distilled spirit, often blended with corn mash and barley. American straight rye whiskey is produced from a mash of at least 51 percent rye, aged in new charred oak barrels for at least two years and diluted with nothing but water.

Sherry

A fortified wine from Spain’s Jerez region. Varieties include dry styles like fino and manzanilla; nuttier, richer amontillado and oloroso; and viscous sweet Pedro Ximénez (PX) and creamsherry. East India sherry falls between an oloroso and a PX in style.

Shochu

An unaged or lightly aged, clear East Asian spirit distilled most commonly from rice, barley, buckwheat and/or a variety of sweet potato.

Sloe gin

A bittersweet liqueur produced by infusing gin or a neutral spirit with sloe berries and sugar.

St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram

An Austrian rum-based liqueur infused with Jamaican allspice berries.

St-Germain elderflower liqueur

A French liqueur made by blending macerated elderflower blossoms with eau-de-vie. It has hints of pear, peach and grapefruit zest.

Strega

An Italian liqueur infused with about 70 herbs and spices, including saffron, which gives it a golden yellow color.

Triple sec

An orange-flavored liqueur that is similar to curaçao but not as sweet. Cointreau, created in France in 1875, is the most famous.

Tuaca

A brandy-based Italian liqueur flavored with vanilla and citrus.

Velvet Falernum

A low-alcohol, sugarcane-based liqueur from Barbados flavored with clove, almond and lime.

Vermouth

An aromatic fortified wine. The dry variety is used in martinis. sweet vermouth, which is usually red, is often used for Manhattans. Bianco, or blanc, vermouth is an aromatic, sweet white vermouth traditionally served on the rocks.

Zwack

An intense Hungarian herbal liqueur produced since 1790 from a secret blend of more than 40 herbs and spices.

Do different drinks effect our spirits differently?

what mood are you in?

 

 

There must be a reason alcoholic beverages are called “spirits.” Do different drinks affect our spirits differently? DIA went digging. We found plenty of theories — most of them from armchair analysts who have “proof” that: “Champagne makes me happy.” “Wine makes me flirty.” “Beer makes me tired.” “Whiskey turns me into a jerk.”

“It’s the alcohol, stupid!” Yes, WE know. But is there more to it?

There is lots of scientific jibber jabber that says the whole thing is a fake, and its just based on the amount of alcohol you are consuming, and there should be no difference between various types.

What do we think? The amount of alcohol you are consuming obviously has to do with it – but some people have different drinking habits with different drinks. If someone loves red wine, and hates beer, they will probably end up drinking more red wine, and at a faster pace. In this case, they will get the impression that they are more flirty when they drink red wine, compared to when they drink beer, if only because they are getting more alcohol into their body.

Or maybe its the mood that comes first: we choose a beverage based on our moods. When we’re sad, we drink whiskey. When we’re happy, it’s champagne. When we want to party, its tequila. That could give us the impression that the drink actually makes us feel the way we are already feeling.

What do you think? Do you have moods associated to certain drinks?

Learn the basic terms to order a “Classic Cocktail” like an expert!

 

Learn the basic terms to order a  ”Classic Cocktail”  like an expert!

 

 A bad cocktail  experience often begin with a disappointment to communicate. When it comes to ordering — or building — an amazing cocktail, it’s best to be at least a little experienced in basic bar terms.

Especially if you’re in the habit of ordering unclear drinks, you’ll increase your chance of getting what you love by knowing how to describe what you want!

 

Do you prefer your Manhattan up, or your Rob Roy perfect?

Your martini shaken or stirred?

 Knowing the basic procedure of cocktail creation is your first step towards receiving a drink you’ll enjoy (and staying on good terms with your favorite bartender).

Cocktail

Perfect Manhattan

• 2 oz Blended Whiskey
• ½ oz Dry Vermouth  
• ½ oz Sweet Vermouth  
• 1 dash Bitters

Swirl with ice to chill, pour into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Chaser
A drink — either alcoholic or non — to be consumed directly after a shot. This can also be referred to as a back.

Float
To layer one type of liquor (or other ingredient) on top of another; the separation occurs due to the different densities of the liquids.

Garnish
A decorative piece of fruit or other solid ingredient not incorporated into the drink.

Neat
A liquor served solo in the glass, with no ice or other interfering ingredients.

On the Rocks
A single spirit or a cocktail served over ice.

Over
Similar to “on the rocks”: a liquor or mix of liquors served over ice cubes.

Perfect
A perfect Manhattan (or Rob Roy, for that matter) contains equal parts of sweet and dry vermouth (instead of selecting one or the other.)

Shaken
In a mixed drink, where the ingredients are combined in a cocktail shaker, typically over ice. Leads to a frothy, well-integrated final product.

Sour
Typically a fruit juice — lemon or lime — added to a spirit as a mixer.

Splash
A small amount of any mixer (soda, say) added to a completed drink.

Stirred
Integrating spirits and mixers without the extreme, ice-breaking agitation of the cocktail shaker.

Straight Up
A spirit with no ice. Used interchangeably with “neat.”

Twist
A slice — or curl — of lemon peel run along the edge of the glass, and often left as garnish.

Up
Shaken or otherwise prepared with ice, but strained (now cold) into an ice-less glass.

Virgin
Non-alcoholic. Also known as a “mocktail.”

Well
A “well” drink is a mixed drink made with generic, or simply unspecified, spirits.