Mezcal vs. Tequila: The Actual Difference (It's Simpler Than You Think)

Here's the thing most people don't know: tequila is mezcal.

Not in a loose, informal sense — technically, legally, tequila is a type of mezcal. Mezcal is the broad category. Tequila is one specific kind within it. The relationship is something like bourbon to whiskey: all bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon.

Once you have that, the rest falls into place pretty quickly.

What Mezcal Actually Means

"Mezcal" comes from the Nahuatl mexcalli — roughly, "cooked agave." It refers to any distilled spirit made from the agave plant in Mexico. That's a wide category. Depending on the agave variety, the region, and the production method, mezcals can taste very different from each other.

Tequila is a specific designation within that category. To call something tequila, it has to meet a defined set of rules: the right agave species, the right production region, the right regulatory oversight. Step outside those rules, and it's just mezcal — or possibly not even that.

The Agave Is Where They Split

Tequila must be made from one specific plant: Blue Weber agave (Agave tequilana Weber azul). That's it. No substitutions.

Mezcal has no such restriction. It can be produced from over 40 recognized agave varieties — espadín is the most common and often the most affordable, but you'll also see tobalá, tepeztate, madrecuixe, arroqueño, and others. Each variety has its own flavor compounds, sugar content, and character. A mezcal made from wild tobalá tastes nothing like one made from espadín — and neither tastes much like tequila.

This is part of what gives the mezcal category its range. Tequila is narrower. That's not a criticism — it's a deliberate production constraint that produces a specific result.

How They're Made Differently

Both start the same way: harvest the agave, remove the leaves, extract the heart (called the piña). From there, the paths diverge.

Tequila production cooks the piñas in autoclaves (pressurized steam ovens) or, in traditional distilleries, brick hornos. Either way, the goal is to convert the plant's complex starches into fermentable sugars. The cooking process is typically clean and steam-based — it doesn't add flavor on its own.

Mezcal production traditionally cooks the piñas in underground pits lined with hot volcanic rocks, then sealed with earth and covered in agave fiber. The agave essentially smokes and roasts for several days. That's where the smoke comes from. It's not a flavoring added later — it's baked into the agave before distillation even starts.

After cooking, both spirits go through extraction, fermentation, and distillation. Mezcal is often distilled in clay or copper pot stills; tequila more commonly uses stainless steel or copper pot stills, sometimes column stills at industrial scale.

Where They Come From

Tequila can only be produced in five Mexican states: Jalisco (where the vast majority is made), plus Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. Jalisco is the heart of it — specifically the regions around Guadalajara and the town of Tequila to the northwest, and the Amatitán-Tequila valley, which was historically the original center of production.

Mezcal is primarily associated with Oaxaca, which produces the most and has the deepest artisanal tradition. But mezcal can legally be produced in Oaxaca, Guerrero, Durango, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas, Tamaulipas, Michoacán, Puebla, and Guanajuato.

These geographic differences aren't just administrative. The soil, elevation, and climate of each region shape what the agave produces. Jalisco's red volcanic soil and lowland heat create a different plant than Oaxaca's cooler highland terrain.

What They Taste Like

If you've had a clean, well-made tequila blanco, you know what's possible without smoke: agave-forward, with citrus and pepper on the nose, a vegetal backbone, sometimes mineral or herbal notes. It's bright. It has edges.

Mezcal adds another dimension — smoke — but also more funk, earthiness, and depth, especially with wild agaves or traditional fermentation. Some mezcals taste like a campfire. Others are floral or fruity, depending on the agave variety. The range is wider than most people expect.

Neither is objectively better. They're different drinks for different moments and different preferences. The common shorthand is that tequila works well in cocktails — its cleaner profile doesn't fight other flavors the way smoke can — while mezcal tends to shine on its own or in cocktails built around it.

The Question of Additives

One thing worth noting: the "mezcal is more natural" assumption doesn't always hold.

Both categories have regulatory bodies — the CRT governs tequila, COMERCAM governs mezcal — and both allow for some level of production latitude. Mezcal traditionally produced by small, artisanal distilleries tends to have fewer additives, simply because the producers aren't optimizing for consistency at scale. But "mezcal" doesn't guarantee additive-free any more than "tequila" does.

If you care what's actually in your bottle, the label matters less than knowing the producer's methods.

So Which Should You Drink?

It depends on what you want.

Want something clean and citrus-bright that disappears into a margarita or paloma without conflict? Tequila. Want smoke, earthiness, and a spirit that holds the room on its own? Mezcal.

Want to impress someone at a party? Tell them tequila is legally a type of mezcal. They'll either be interested or annoyed, and either way, you'll know something about them.

A Quick Reference

	Tequila	Mezcal
Agave used	Blue Weber only	40+ varieties
Primary region	Jalisco	Oaxaca (mainly)
Cooking method	Autoclave or brick oven	Underground pit-roasting
Smoke flavor	No	Yes (traditional)
Flavor profile	Clean, citrus, vegetal	Smoky, earthy, varies widely
Regulatory body	CRT	COMERCAM

Copal 22 is a tequila — not a mezcal — made in Amatitán, Jalisco, without additives. If you've been curious about the clean side of the category, start here.

Related reading: The 4 Legal Tequila Additives · How to Tell If Your Tequila Has Additives