But if you're one of the many Americans abstaining from gluten, there's no need to give up mezcal. 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. Hints of white grape juice. Tyler, Aromas of peanut butter cups, woody, leather. Chris, Aromas of cinnamon, all spice, sandalwood, and vanilla. It is similar to tequila, but has a smoky flavor. Agave can yield both distilled and fermented drinks. Is it safe to drink? Before sending the copies to our offices, add inside the container enough cotton or Kleenex paper to absorb the liquid. Like the Vago Elote and the Rey Campero Tepextate, we all found that the Excess-air was our preferred option among the two. ", Agave and thus the mezcal produced from it hasa number of terpenes. It adds nothing to the flavor of the liquor, most likely. 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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. You'll pick up a gentle smokiness that makes the Mezquila great for adventurous . That being said, too much of any alcohol can give you a hangover, so it's important to drink responsibly when enjoying mezcal. And awesome. But the Mexican gourmands didnt stop at adding fruits to their pulque. As you stated from my book, I do believe the taste will generally improve over time, but I agree with Judah that this has its limits. So, technically, it is a mezcal worm, not a tequila worm, because it is only found lying there dead in the bottom of a bottle of mezcal. Im not rushing to open my stash of unobtaniums with silicone stoppers, but given whats happened to some of my Bordeaux with dried out corks, its time to open the Marca Negra Dobadan and possibly the older Del Maguey although they have the wax seals. Thats what most of the world thought mezcal was a couple of decades ago, because thats all that was available outside the rural Mexican communities where its made. The worm in mezcal is considered by most experts to be a gimmick intended to grab the attention of tourists. It's the caterpillar form of a species of moth that lives in agave plants. 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. Mezcal is a type of Mexican liquor that is made from the agave plant. Too much acetone/nail polish means too much of the head, and too much astringency (burn) means too much tail Which, by default seems to also suggest that the distillation was very hot. That sounds plausible. The thought behind the gesture is that a high proof, high-quality spirit would preserve the insect and prevent it from rotting. So, if you have already bought a bottle of Mezcal with a worm or you are in a party and someone insists you drink it, you may consider these 3 tips: There are always exceptions to the rule and few brands produce with quality, add worms with the singular reason of enhancing their Mezcales with an earthy and fungal vibe. 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. Its never been opened. Acetaldehyde is present in a distilled mezcal. "It has an aroma and a flavor that people like.". I really appreciate how a good bottle will hide the high alcohol content. Drink with caution: it is not dangerous, but it is a common practice to attract the attention of tourists and chances are the Mezcal itself is of poor quality. The worm, however, isn't actually a worm, but the larva of one of two different types of moths that live on the agave plant. We all agreed that the finish on the Excess-air mezcal was much longer and more pronounced. I think that it is linked to the religious parties in the towns in honor of each towns patron saint.. If you've had kidney stones in the past or are particularly concerned about your renal health, you may not want to drink mezcal every night. And that's bad news for your kidneys. It didn't start appearing in commercialbottles until the 1940s or 50s, right around the time American tourists started to get hooked on the stuff. But theres also a rich history of mezcaleros adding stuff to their mezcal, both during and after distillation. In an interview with the Associated Press, Jose Lopez, a mezcal distiller in Oaxaca, Mexico, explained that the gusano de maguey (agave worm) is there simply to add a special something to the mezcal. According to him, theres some sound science to the fact that mezcal would change over time, but we wanted some experiential evidence that it would indeed change for the better. These meaty mezcals are still relatively hard to find in the United States, but several brands, including Del Maguey, El Jolgorio, Wahaka, and Rey Campero, offer pechuga-style options. However there are certain examples of high quality brands using the mezcal worm as a way to pay homage to the tradition. Emily Dryden. To maximize the shelf life of mezcal for quality purposes, store in a cool dry area away from direct heat or sunlight; keep tightly closed when not in use. The worm has all sorts of mystical powers, people told me. Interesting and funny that I did kinda the same thing with 4 Rey Campero Espadin bottles of different lots. Robust. The best place to find and buy worm salt online is here . He says; If you open your bottles once a year or so and let new air in (assuming you did not drink it all), the mezcal will improve over time. But is this true for bottles that are less than 25% full? This is the larva of the moth that lives in the heart of the agave plant. Flavors of cinnamon, sand, and slate. Jonny, Notes of clay. The spirits are distilled differently and produced in different regions of Mexico. The former Breaking Bad co-leads are now liquor brand co-founders, bringing a little bit of Oaxaca to your bar cart with Dos Hombres mezcal. The worm is the peanut butter to the Mezcal's jelly. Like so much of the beautiful cultural heritage of rural Mexico, theres little to no documentation to support any of the theories. It's fiery stuff, real rotgut, with a worm floating in the bottom of the bottle -- at least, that's what most people think. In the 14th edition of its Report on Carcinogens, the National Toxicology Program declared that urethane was "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen" based on evidence from animal-based lab studies. "Cis-3-Hexen-1-ol has been recognized as a pheromone involved in mechanisms and behaviors of attraction in diverse animals such as insects and mammals," De Len said. BULLOCK, Tom (2017), The Mezcal experience, Quarto Publishing Group, London, UK. In 2020 he married all of his loves and created a business bringing amazing pieces from all over Mexico to the United States. I started to wonder whether the rumors were true. Mezcal is a distilled liquor made from the agave plant. It cemented the idea in the male western mind that Mezcal with a worm was in fact, the real Mezcal. We have drank it. And many are really starting to take notice. According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, one percent of Americans have celiac disease and 0.4 percent have a diagnosed wheat allergy. 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. If you're among thefive percent of Americans who identify as vegetarian or three percent who follow a vegan lifestyle, you'll need to do your research before opening up a new bottle of mezcal. Cynics may chalk it up to marketing. Shutterstock. We should do a really special Mezcal. They can lead to kidney stones, which can be extremely painful and may require medical intervention to remove. In fact, despite all the mystique surrounding the mezcal worm, its inclusion may have simply been a marketing tacticthat began in the 1940s and 1950s to help spark American interest in mezcal and separate it from the better-known tequila. Its free. So it's best to stick with an alcohol that's naturally gluten-free, like mezcal. What you drank was most likely Mezcal with doubtful quality and it affects the reputation of authentic mezcal. His pride in the liquor is almost as bright and clear as the drink itself. The younger one looked at his drink and said, you know what we should do? was the brains behind the mezcal worm marketing ploy. Casamigos produces three styles of tequila: blanco, reposado, and aejo. 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. Oxalates are tiny molecules found in many nuts, seeds, and edible plants. Especialista en vinos y espirituosos con experiencia en educacin y consultora comercial. They're highly nutritious, easy and inexpensive to raise, and have much less of a negative environmental impact than other more familiar animal sources of protein, such as beef and pork. I find that its very similar to tequila. The Mexican spirit that does have a worm in the bottle is called Mezcal. Once tequila was granted protected status in 1977 (on October 13, if you'd care to celebrate), the worm system was rendered unnecessary. If you're following a plant-based diet and want to try one of these brands, be sure to check the label carefully to make sure no meat was used in the distillation process. Palate has beets and root vegetables with a bit of cigarette ash. Jonny, Very similar but more mellow with fewer of the burnt notes present. Tyler, Almost identical nose and palate but a bit more blended in flavor. Chris, Softer nose. Both are the same distillate but are produced differently. They are aged in oak barrels and the worm intensifies their aromatic profile. Legend has it thatan employee of the bottling plant, Jacobo Lozano Pez, came up with the idea. Softer palate. teriyaki chicken donburi wagamama . Mezcal Reviews on Twitter That oak profile makes those Mezcales specifically suited for the worm. But if you dont want to go to the trouble of cooking the plant, you can just carve a huge hole into its center and harvest fresh, sweet sap. Acetaldehyde is present in a distilled mezcal. The bottle would no longer be considered "tequila" under the denomination of origin. Sour on the back end. Eating the worm has neither hallucinogenic nor aphrodisiac effects: but, if you have finished the entire Mezcal bottle to get the worm out and eat it, you are most likely unable to behave appropriately by this point. Because the worms are safe to consume, there are no known side effects from eating them. What I seek is the heart of the distillation, and less blended heads and tails to achieve the same alcohol content, given no dilution. 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. Your shot amigo. Before the mezcal boom of the 1990's most bottles of commercially produced mezcal that was available in the United States had a worm in the bottle. Strong finish. Tyler, Nose has notes of maple syrup and pancakes. Its common to mix pulque with fruits to make what they call curados, a beverage that would dethrone smoothies as the fitness drink of choice if it werent so volatile. The mezcal worm began as a way to distinguish mezcal from tequila and was transformed into an added element of . But reallythe red one and the white one. Its a good selling point that it doesnt turn bad like wine. Gusano de Oro was trademarked in 1948, so that happened two years before Adamss claim of 1950. The legend of the worm is still debated. Worm salt is a mix of sea salt, ground agave larvae, and chile spices. If your bottle has a worm, it will be mezcal, and probably very ordinary mezcal. Nah, that was just some bullshit gimmick, I mean real, artesanal Mezcal made by hand in Mexico. We know that Mezcal with a worm is an intriging topic and well give you some advise because, Yes, of course! In parts of Guerrero, theyll occasionally throw one into a mezcal bottle in the same way the Oaxacans throw in the gusano. All the . At least one valid email address is required. As Im sure you can imagine, the toughest part of this experiment was intentionally leaving these delicious bottles on the shelf (even when theyre hidden in the back of the closet). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); With a database of over 1,500 bottles, Mezcal Reviews is the best place to find and review mezcal, destilados, sotol, raicilla, and more. For De Len and his team, the next step in studying mezcal will be to help fight for quality. 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. 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.'. Mezcal owes much of its reputation as a "healthy" spirit to the agave plant from which it's distilled. Bottom line. Get InsideHook in your inbox. Although their experiment was performed on mice, it's possible that agave fructans could have the same impact on humans. Sources: For details about data sources used for food storage information, please click here. It's mezcal's purity that has earned it a reputation as a "healthy" alcohol. Moreover, Fermentation with fibers and then over heating (or heating too long) seem to really stack up the (almost extremely unhealthy for us humans) conengers. Overall, the Rey Campero Tepextate was our favorite from the evening. Chris, Strong notes of green pepper, coffee, jalapeno, lavender, and mint. This comes from the blending of a premium, 100% blue weber agave tequila with a 100% Espadn agave mezcal. Unfortunately, the jury's still out when it comes to mezcal and inflammation. 14 intentionally left for seven months with very little remaining in the bottle. Our personal recommendations are El Cortijo reposado con gusano and Wahaka reposado con gusano. Chemically, mezcal and tequila are both similar and different, according toDe Len. Others have referred to results of scotch or whiskeys changing drastically if not consumed within a reasonable amount of time after opening. 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. Now you know the real story of the red maguey worm and mezcal. And while mezcal is generally less popular than tequila, at least in the U.S., it does seem to be on the rise thanks to bartenders and mixologists experimenting with it in a whole range of mixed drinks, as well as its competence as a little sipper served neat. Does mezcal with worm go bad? According to WebMD, limonene is also used in alternative medicine to treat obesity and bronchitis, but its effectiveness in treating these conditions has not been scientifically proven. While the scientists didn't examine the eugenol in mezcal specifically, it's likely that eugenol from any source would have this effect. That sounds like an awesome experiment, very similar to ours. As long as nothing was able to enter the bottle, it should be ok. Mongo only pawn in game of life, but this is a great topic. I've learned that people who repeat these things are usually just trying to get someone to eat the worm, and they're lying. Likely, youve wondered whats up with the worm? By letting fresh air in every year or so, you are re-energizing the process.. The red worm is typically considered tastier. Follow @mezcalreviews So sometimes the workers will drop a xumilin in the mezcal. So maybe its kind of like ad hoc spice done on the fly (pun intended) for your mezcal? I just hope we dont come to learn one day that most of our beloved Mezcals had some slight additives injected to help make them: dare I say, smoother? Stop. ; THE WORM DOESN'T JUST AFFECT THE MARKETING; IT ACTUALLY CHANGES THE DRINK'S CHEMISTRY. Weve seen several threads on Facebook, Reddit, and elsewhere over the years that have asked this question. The heat inside the still cooks the chicken breast, eliminating any risk that the final product will contain harmful bacteria. I spent a weekend in Mexico City and drank too much mezcal. Have you ever thought about keeping a bottle sealed/unopened until some special day way in the future? Why, yes! Is mezcal healthier than tequila? If you do feel something after eating a mezcal worm it is a placebo effect. In the same way, Tom Bullok explains in his book The Mezcal experience that Monte Alban Mezcal followedGusano Rojo with its worm practice and maintained a prolonged advertising campaign in Playboy issues during the 1970s. How can read about examples of modern day brands using the mezcal worm here. Seriously. 14, which is an incredible mezcal, was the only bottle that we preferred with little/no air. Mezcal is a distilled spirit made from any type of agave plant. Strong tastes of alcohol. Chris, Strong aromas of corn, a bit of nail polish, coffee, and maple pecan. Fattened on sweet agave nectar, they might be sauted and folded into warm tortillas or toasted and ground up with rock salt and . QuiQuiRiQui mezcal is handcrafted in Santiago de Matatln, Oaxaca state. Worm salt, or sal de gusano in Spanish, is exactly what it sounds like. 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 . Each is made using 100 percent Blue Weber agave, which is between seven and nine .