After about a year and half of researching into gins – and trying out 42 bottles from 17 different countries and 100+ gin cocktails, I had started the journey on mezcal. This took me a year and half too. 16 bottles, about 50+ cocktails and one country (Mexico is the only country that makes this alcohol).

I need to figure out what I want to focus on next but here are my key learnings on mezcal…

1. I have never been to Oaxaca. And I cannot possibly close the chapter on mezcal before making one trip there. I will get it done.

2. Mezcal is not a cocktail drink. The best way to enjoy mezcal is how they do it in the villages of Mexico – slowly sip it from copitas (earthen cups), with naranja (oranges) and sal (salt). This is not meant for cocktails – regardless of what those new fad in American bars are these days.

3. Surprisingly, most parts of Mexico – at least the American tourist friendly places like Cancun and Cabo do not have much mezcal. You can get as much of tequila as you want. Mezcal is few and far between.

4. The following captures the essence of mezcal, if you truly focus on the drink…

“Para todo mal, mezcal.
Para todo bien, tambien.”

I will let you research the translation of this.