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If you don't want to taste it and are the unlucky chose one to eat it, pour the mezcal worm into a shot glasses with the mezcal and shoot it. These atoms are very chemically unstable and will essentially steal electrons from cells in the body. Regardless of the vapors, Id think that tipping the bottles on their side once or twice a year should be enough to keep the cork moist enough to keep a good seal. "Mezcal just makes you happy," he said. These larvae are the same worms that you can find floating at the bottom of mezcal bottles. But the brilliant marketer who spread the word that mezcal with the worm is different was actually telling a shred of truth, according to science. She points out the Mezcal brand Gusano Rojo (Red worm) who initiated the adding of worms to Mezcal, when in 1950 a employee got the idea to drop a worm into each bottle as a distinctive touch. All the . In the original bottles, we left about 2-3oz of mezcal to interact with the air left in the bottle. While the scientists didn't examine the eugenol in mezcal specifically, it's likely that eugenol from any source would have this effect. The acute inflammation that immediately follows an injury and results in redness, swelling, and pain is beneficial it's how your body protects the affected area and begins the healing process. The best one seemed to turn hot/alcoholic and the worst that started out this way seemed to open up more. Yes!!!! My theory is that the mezcal with gusano has its origin shortly after the Mexican Revolution, he says. Mezcal must be produced under the country's Denomination of Origin (DO). A 2006 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that all Mexican spirits distilled from agave, including mezcal, had high concentrations of oxalates. 14 had slight differences from the different aging. Our personal recommendations are El Cortijo reposado con gusano and Wahaka reposado con gusano. In the article, Fausto Zapata, a co-founder of El Silencio mezcal, explains that adding a worm was just a marketing tactic to get more people to try, or be dared to try, mezcal. Salud! So far, there's no evidence it has the same effect on humans. Hey Nick. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. I dont know if this has any correlation to the aging part, but something I am keeping in mind. Here are ten of the best mezcals for sipping. And then theres xumilin. In the 1940s, a distiller named Jacobo Lozano Pez found that leaving the worms in his mezcal changed the flavor. If you do feel something after eating a mezcal worm it is a placebo effect. The gusano, or worm, at the bottom of a bottle of cheap mezcal is actually moth larva. Why is this a false narrative? Oxidative stress has been linked to the aging process and a number of chronic diseases and conditions. I think that it is linked to the religious parties in the towns in honor of each towns patron saint.. Tequila and mezcal are both in the range of about 38% to 55% ABV (Alcohol by Volume), which is 76-110 proof. ADVERTISEMENT Yet for the export market producers have found that wormless mezcal has no appeal. Some wild . Agave can yield both distilled and fermented drinks. It began in 1950, the art school student who became a mezcal maker included moth larvae in bottles to distinguish his mezcal brand from others. As far as the aged-in-glass goes, we find that the longer the mezcal sits (unopened), the more balanced and integrated it becomes. I mean, the proof is in the pudding/nosing and then tasting ? Yes, you can buy mezcal with a worm in the United States. Tequila has strict guidelines of bottling and production. For me, the search continues. Neither study focused on mezcal specifically, but it looks like your favorite Mexican spirit may be a double-edged sword when it comes to inflammation. Whiskey connoisseur? Learn more. I like making a rotation with what im drinking (and small amounts at a time) so ill have several bottles over the next several years that fall will into the category of your experiment. Antonio De Len Rodrguez, a molecular biologist at the IPICYT (Instituto Potosino de Investigacin Cientfica y Tecnolgica) in San Luis Potos, Mexico,has published a number of scientific papers about the chemical makeup of mezcal. People love to eat the worm live or roasted. In a 2009 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Dr. Dirk W. Lachenmeier and colleagues analyzed the ethyl carbamate levels of mezcal, tequila, and other agave-based alcoholic beverages. This young white mezcal is also a product of agave Espadin. Sour on the back end. More mellow but less exciting. Jonny. While the flavor of the mezcal does indeed change as it ages, the aging in glass tends to enhance what is already present, making the mezcal more balanced, integrated, and settled. After comparing mezcal and tequilain one studyand determining the best temperature for mezcal's fermentationin another, he and his colleagues turned to the worm, the gusano. Cynics may chalk it up to marketing. The answer to that question is a matter of quality, not safety, assuming proper storage conditions - when properly stored, a bottle of mezcal has an indefinite shelf life, even after it has been opened. This condiment is made from the larvae that live in agave plants, which are what mezcal and tequila are made from. We sipped cocktails and thought about what it should be. It cemented the idea in the male western mind that Mezcal with a worm was in fact, the real Mezcal. Please note, comments must be approved before they are published, Liquid error (sections/article-related-products line 1): Could not find asset snippets/spurit_po2_section_snippet.liquid Unlike tequila, which can be made with 51 percent blue agave and 49 percent added sugar from other sources [that could contain gluten], mezcal is made from 100 percent agave.". Many people believe it tastes like chicken, but we tried it and found it had a flavor similar to almonds. Overall, the El Jolgorio Barril showed slight differences between the two different aged mezcals. The "gusano" in a mezcal bottle has a varied history. Is it safe to drink? While people who drink mezcal every night may like to highlight the spirit's purity, mezcal, like all alcoholic beverages, contains the chemical ethyl carbamate, which has been linked to various types of lung, liver, and blood cancer. Fattened on sweet agave nectar, they might be sauted and folded into warm tortillas or toasted and ground up with rock salt and . This belief seems to be held by many in the industry, and weve spoken to several users of this website who prefer to re-bottle their mezcal to a smaller glass bottle (like a dram or something similar) once the original bottle gets below that 25% threshold. His answer was similar to Mezcal PhD in that he believed that mezcal improved after the bottle was opened. Its never been opened. Appreciate the update PhD! When everyone who has a barn is firing up their still and making mezcal or tequila, how do you get people to buy yours? Honestly, nothing is certain regarding the inclusion of the worm, which is actually a moth's larva, but it does make the drinker seem like a toughie drinking it. But if this response keeps going long after the initial injury is gone, it can cause the immune system to get confused and start attacking healthy tissue. Much softer and more delicate than the first. Jonny. Mezcal is a vast category of spirits . As all 4 went down in volume over several months the pecking order changed, so the favorite from the beginning fell away to the lesser favorite coming out over time. The shelf life of mezcal is indefinite, but if mezcal develops an off odor, flavor or appearance, it should be discarded for quality purposes. Depending on how long it's aged, flavors can range from stingingly bitter (joven) to smoother and smoky (aejo). Is that necessarily better or simply a choice at the moment between the blue groomer, the black diamond moguls or hiking to the back bowls for the puntas? 3: Grow Together, Harvested Together. Its a good selling point that it doesnt turn bad like wine. Mezcal Reviews on Facebook Chris, Strong notes of green pepper, coffee, jalapeno, lavender, and mint. Mezcal Fun Facts Mezcal is a distilled liquor made from the agave plant. According to a National Toxicology Program technical report, ethyl carbamate, also known as urethane, is a natural byproduct of fermentation. So, back to the drowned worm. That sounds plausible. But the worm doesn't just affect the marketing;it actuallychanges the drink's chemistry, De Len said. Mezcal is a transparent liquor made from distilled agave, a spiky-looking desert plant. Any alcoholic beverage after a long, hard day can help you unwind and lift your spirits, but mezcal contains a terpene called geraniol that may have additional benefits for your mental health. Mezcal is a transparent liquor made from distilled agave, a spiky-looking desert plant. Yes, both tequila and mezcal are similar, so its easy to see how the mistake can be madebut there is no worm in tequila. You could probably add a couple of cocktail ingredients to your list of foods you didn't know contain gluten. It's the caterpillar form of a species of moth that lives in agave plants. But reallythe red one and the white one. It's called a maguey worm, but it's actually a caterpillar, with red and (less desirable) white varieties added to mezcal. But I have seen mezcal with a scorpion in the bottle, up in Durango, and that appears to be a reflection of the Oaxacan gusano practice. I've never heard of a worm adding anything to a mezcal, neither texture nor taste, but presumably the implication is that the colour comes from the . This is why all tequila comes from Jalisco. While the study only examined the terpene in isolation and focused on rats rather than humans and did not examine mezcal specifically, the findings suggest that mezcal, which contains agave and thus citronellol, might be able to lower blood pressure in humans. The spirits are distilled differently and produced in different regions of Mexico. Huckberrys Entire Sale Section Is an Extra 15% Off. However, under Mexican law the only distilled liquor of the agave plant that can be called tequila is the liquor distilled from the blue agave plant. Joyas Oaxaqueas Blanco con Gusano. Let's set things straight here. This is the larva of the moth that lives in the heart of the agave plant. Mezcal can be considered cleaner and more pure than tequila, especially if the later is mixed with artificial sugar and way to many margarita mixers. Traditionally the word "mezcal" has been used generally in Mexico for all agave spirits and it continues to be used for many . Weve seen several threads on Facebook, Reddit, and elsewhere over the years that have asked this question. Generally speaking, the Excess-air mezcals were all much more mellow and balanced than those that had been resting in a bottle with little/no air. How can read about examples of modern day brands using the mezcal worm here. Tequila is also. teriyaki chicken donburi wagamama . Have you noticed differences in bottles that have been open for extended periods of time? Bingo!!! A Culinary Tour of France, With Dominique Crenn as Your Host, NFL Player Survey Reveals Leagues Worst Team and Its Not a Surprise. But does mezcal deserve all the hype? In the end, we found that our hypothesis was correct. And although mezcal con gusano is less than 8% of whats on the market today, its still fairly common for people to think of mezcal as that stuff with the worm. Which begs the question. Stop. Heres another theory: The Mexican government asked farmers to send them samples of bugs that plagued their crops. His theory is based on what he's seen in his native Guerrero with another pest: the xumilin, or chumilin, a sort of south-of-the-border stinkbug. Worm salt is most commonly used during mezcal tastingsbut it can also be used for rimming mezcal cocktails and Mexican cooking as well. We @Agavache have a commitment to educate about the sensorial qualities of mezcal and the history and traditions around it. Tequila is actually a kind of mezcal, in the same way that Cognac is a type of brandy. Thats a question for a future tasting. According to the University of WisconsinMadison, approximately 13 percent of men and 7 percent of women will experience at least one kidney stone in their lives, and having one kidney stone makes you 80 percent more likely to have another within the next ten years. It also had marginally lower ABV than the others. At best, you may get a little more of a buzz because the mezcal has been absorbed into the worm. What perfect timing for this blog. Is mezcal healthier than tequila? It's mezcal's purity that has earned it a reputation as a "healthy" alcohol. That oak profile makes those Mezcales specifically suited for the worm. Its usually a red one, though sometimes youll see the white ones in mezcal. When a bottle of mezcal contains a worm, the mezcal is described as being con gusano, or "with worm" in Spanish. The shelf life of mezcal is indefinite, but if mezcal develops an off odor, flavor or appearance, it should be discarded for quality purposes. I had a plate of pan-fried and seasoned gusanos at the four-star Casareyna in Puebla Centro years ago and that dish brings me back there every trip. In a 2006 paper published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Dr. Antonio De Len-Rodrguez and colleagues took a close look at the chemical makeup of mezcal. How would drinking mezcal every night affect your body and mind? No one wants to wake up feeling awful after a fun night out, and mezcal may be less likely than other spirits to produce a hangover. Unfortunately, the jury's still out when it comes to mezcal and inflammation. Individuals are exposed to ethyl carbamate largely through drinking alcoholic beverages. In this post, we will try to unearth some more interesting facts behind the best mezcal with worms. 14, which is an incredible mezcal, was the only bottle that we preferred with little/no air. For the aejo variety, a second fermentation can raise the alcohol percentage up to about 55 percent. While they're found in all alcoholic beverages, dark liquors have higher concentrations of congeners than clear spirits. Are you still interested in learning more? Our theory was that the air in the original bottle would have some impact on the aromas, flavor, and complexity of the mezcal over time. At any rate, love your passion and commitment!! "Tequila and mezcals have most of the same components, like ethanol, ethyl acetate, heavy alcohols, etc., but they can have variations in how much they contain," he said. Mexcal Union El Viejo Didnt know exactly what it was and was put in my wine fridge after a big party last summer, just reorganizing my fridge and saw it in there amongst the white. Hey guys, I just read this not sure if I saw it the first time! Its free. Some releases will be aged in glass for upwards of two or three years before being bottled for sales and general consumption. Beyond Celiac noted that 18 million Americans have a non-celiac disease sensitivity to gluten. The gusano is there to tell us that agave spirits are and have always been in flux. Of those, slightly more than half (51 percent) reported also feeling depressed, and 61 percent reported feelings of anxiety. Mezcal and the agave plant it comes from are both high in fructans, a type of carbohydrate. Very sweet. And theres a lot of crossover between those two purposes, too. Maguey worms are an edible species of worm - technically, caterpillar from the moth family - that infest the Agave tequilana plants that tequila and mezcal are made from. More notes of dates and hickory. Tyler, Less pungent on the nose. Mezcal is a distilled liquor made from the agave plant. While mezcal can be made from any number of agave plants, tequila can only be made from blue agave, which means that tequila is technically a mezcal. Unfortunately, they didnt taste very good, but maybe they werent really all that enjoyable to begin with? Does oxidation or evaporation make them worse or just different? The very name of this mezcal, Abacado Con Gusano, means 'Enriched with Worm', and they add that it's for 'for those who prefer the silky texture the agave worm adds to the Mezcal.'. In fact, inflammation can be both a good and a bad thing, depending on how long it lasts, as noted by Harvard Medical School. Casamigos tequila takes things slow. Barrel aging typically removes the more vegetal notes of the agave and replaces them with notes of the wood, like caramel, brown sugar, or vanilla. Strong tastes of alcohol. Chris, Strong aromas of corn, a bit of nail polish, coffee, and maple pecan. The worm at the bottom of the bottle, which in popular culture is associated with tequila, is actually a mezcal tradition. Or sometimes two. Greg is a lover of agave spirits, handicrafts, and barware. No sour finish. Instead of pairing mezcal with the . It's fiery stuff, real rotgut, with a worm floating in the bottom of the bottle -- at least, that's what most people think. The worm gives it flavor, he shared. But the Mexican gourmands didnt stop at adding fruits to their pulque. But you dont have to go the four-star route to find gusanos on the menu in Mexico theyve been a staple for centuries. In Mexico, the gusano can be considered a delicacy when prepared properly. Contrary to popular belief, the worm in mezcal isn't a worm at all, it's actually a larva. This iconic salt is a finely ground powder of chili, sea salt, and dried agave worm and has an umami rich flavor that offers a bold counterpoint to any mezcal. His theory was that mezcal would continue to improve until the bottle would get down to about 25% full, at which time he suggested that you should just drink the remaining mezcal because it would start to drastically change (presumably for the worse). Like the Elote, the Excess-air mezcal was our favorite for the Rey Campero Tepextate. Sometimes thats for medicinal purposes, where the adjunct is most often plants; sometimes its for ceremonial or celebratory purposes, where its most often fruits and proteins, such as turkey or chicken. The secondary aroma has wet earth, herbal notes, and dried fruits like almonds and chestnuts. Are you still interested in learning more? Mezcaleroes are loosing me as a customer Im headed back over to the sweet cooked agave (additive free) Tequila camp. It is not even legal to put a worm in tequila. You guys write about this in your review for the bottle. Once tequila was granted protected status in 1977 (on October 13, if you'd care to celebrate), the worm system was rendered unnecessary. By letting fresh air in every year or so, you are re-energizing the process.. We poured the four bottles of mezcal into smaller air tight 250ml glass containers. These little mezcal fun facts are explained in detail. Your note about dried corks is an interesting one to consider. BULLOCK, Tom (2017), The Mezcal experience, Quarto Publishing Group, London, UK. Crema de Mezcal: A mezcal-based liqueur flavored with fruits, nuts and/or agave . According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, one percent of Americans have celiac disease and 0.4 percent have a diagnosed wheat allergy. The palate is like a basket full of fresh peppers. For now, it seems safe to say that your mezcal will not go bad from having too much air in the bottle. In addition to avoiding brands that include the gusano de maguey(what we know as the worm), you'll want to keep an eye out for and stay far away from pechuga mezcal. Damian Meneses of El Tigre speculates that the gusano was probably dropped into mezcal bottles long before it was commercialized. And that's bad news for your kidneys. In fairness, it is entirely possible that there are bottles of mezcal with worms that are not too bad. Given how often Ive been told that gusanos are an aphrodisiac, it doesnt take a great leap to imagine that someone, somewhere, would have thrown some gusanos into their finished mezcal to make a medicinal extract for erectile dysfunction vino de Viagra, if you will. Jacobo Lozano Paez of Gusano Rojowas the brains behind the mezcal worm marketing ploy. Short finish. Tyler, Lavender flavors, a bit of alcohol present. People began to believe that finding one of these "tequila worms" was a . As well, the competing brand Legitimo Mezcal de Oaxaca con su Propio Gusano (yeah, thats a mouthful) was trademarked in 1944. But if you're one of the many Americans abstaining from gluten, there's no need to give up mezcal. Or more specifically, does mezcal in an opened bottle eventually go bad? The worm floating at the bottom of Mexican liquor bottles has confused many drinkers. Thanks for the insight. Others have referred to results of scotch or whiskeys changing drastically if not consumed within a reasonable amount of time after opening. And awesome. And some agavero kept putting off sending in his gusano sampleand then finally drank it? The mezcal worm began as a way to distinguish mezcal from tequila and was transformed into an added element of . Some have posited that oxygen or oxidization would have a negative impact on the spirits over time. But since the study wasn't performed on humans and didn't use geraniol specifically from mezcal, it's hard to say if the spirit would have the same mood-boosting effects. Search on the internet and one answer comes up pretty frequently: that Jacobo Lozano Paez invented the idea in 1950 as a marketing angle for his brand, Mezcal Gusano de Oro. Learn all about the latest and greatest spirits. [1] So, if your friends dare you to eat the gusano de maguey after a night of drinking and you're feeling particularly bold (or maybe just drunk), don't be afraid to give it a try. While it's true that both liquors are made from agave, there are a few key differences that set mezcal apart. Hints of white grape juice. Tyler, Aromas of peanut butter cups, woody, leather. Chris, Aromas of cinnamon, all spice, sandalwood, and vanilla. It adds nothing to the flavor of the liquor, most likely. The practice of adding worms to mezcal was started by Andres Paniagua and Jacobo Lozano. Shutterstock. But it is pronounced mescal. I have 250s, 750s and 1L bottles. Approximately 50 percent of women and 25 percent of men will break at least one bone in their lifetime as a result of osteoporosis. Worm salt, or sal de gusano in Spanish, is exactly what it sounds like. Which is how it ended up drowned in a bottle of mezcal. . (While Jimenez is referring specifically to her brand, Yola Mezcal, by Mexican law, all mezcal must contain 100 percent agave.). Camille Austin, the global portfolio ambassador for Casa Lumbre Spirits, sang the praises of the agave plant in a 2019 interview with Maxim: "It is a plant that is made up of many organic compounds, or terpenes, commonly known as essential oils, that lend to the herbal, citrus and fruity flavors, as well as the 'magical' feeling we get when we drink mezcal. Most are produced from the espadn variety of agave and are 'joven mezcals' (young/unaged); unlike with tequila, joven mezcal is ready to be sipped. While questions about the aging of mezcal in opened bottles is an active debate, the community seems decided on the aging of mezcal in closed (never-opened) bottles and/or in larger glass demijans. It may also have been made before that, but it became far more generalized after the revolution. While this is encouraging news for people (like us) who have dozens of bottles open at any given time, its intriguing that the Mezcalero No. Answer (1 of 2): It's an acquired taste. In 2014, a studyin the Journal of Medicinal Foodsuggested that agave fructans prevented bone loss and encouraged formation of new bone by raising calcium concentrations in both bone and circulating blood. Yes, some bottles of mezcal include a creepy crawly surprise at the bottom, but no, it won't make you hallucinate if you drink mezcal and eat it. "That's a crock. Of the four mezcals included in this tasting, we preferred the Excess-air mezcal for three of them. Interesting and funny that I did kinda the same thing with 4 Rey Campero Espadin bottles of different lots. While worms do live in agave leaves, adding one to a bottle of mezcal is not standard practice, according to a 2015 article from Maxim. Although their experiment was performed on mice, it's possible that agave fructans could have the same impact on humans. A bit of nail polish on the palate as well. Jonny, Strong notes and aromas. "Many alcohols have a ton of sugar and other chemicals. Or thrown some of the gusanos that live off their agave into the still to make a pechuga that forces the grubs to earn their keep. Oxalates are tiny molecules found in many nuts, seeds, and edible plants.