Tequila & Mezcal
All tequila is mezcal — but not all mezcal is tequila. One blue agave, one region. Or any agave, anywhere in 9 Mexican states. The most complex botanical raw material in spirits production.
Codex Definition
Tequila and mezcal are both agave spirits — distilled from the cooked, fermented hearts (piñas) of agave plants (Agave spp.) native to Mexico. The relationship: mezcal is the broader category (distilled spirit from any agave species, from any of 9 designated Mexican states) and tequila is a specific subcategory of mezcal that must be produced exclusively from Agave tequilana Weber (Blue Weber agave, also called "Blue Agave") in a legally defined geographic DO (principally Jalisco, plus parts of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas). This is the same relationship as "all Champagne is sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wine is Champagne." Both Tequila (governed by NOM-006-SCFI-2012, administered by the CRT — Consejo Regulador del Tequila) and Mezcal (governed by NOM-070-SCFI-2016, administered by COMERCAM — Consejo Mexicano Regulador de la Calidad del Mezcal, now replaced by the Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Industrial IMPI) are protected Mexican Denominaciones de Origen (DO) under Mexican Industrial Property Law and the Lisbon Agreement.
Tequila
NOM-006-SCFI-2012. Blue Weber agave only, Jalisco region. Blanco, reposado, añejo, extra añejo. 100% agave vs mixto. The fructan chemistry of agave cooking. Jimador culture and the CRT.
Tequila Depth
The full regulation deep-dive: the CRT and NOM-006-SCFI, the Denominación de Origen and 5 states, 100% agave vs mixto, the Blanco/Reposado/Añejo/Extra Añejo/Cristalino ladder, cooking and milling, and the diffuser controversy. NOM distillery codes and key brands.
Mezcal
NOM-070-SCFI-2016. Any agave from 9 Mexican states. Earth pit roasting — the source of mezcal's smoky character. Espadín, Tobalá, Tepeztate. Traditional palenque production documented.