Mezcal

Mezcal is a distillate from the agave plant and made in specific regions in Mexico. Mezcal is made by taking a mature agave plant, and removing its leaves, leaving only what’s called a “piña” or heart. The heart is then generally slowly roasted in either earthen pit ovens or above ground brick ovens. Once cooked, the hearts are crushed and later undergo fermentation and distillation. The roasting of the agave is what gives Mezcal its traditionally smoky flavor.

Mezcal can be made with different types of agave, so depending on which one is used and the region it is grown in, it will have a different flavor. Not all mezcal is intensely smoky. Think of mezcal as you do wine – there are several categories of wine (usually based on what type of grape was used) and they all have their own flavors and characteristics.

You might be more familiar with a very specific type of Mezcal: Tequila. Tequila is mezcal that has been specifically made with only one type of agave: Blue agave. It also must be made in a handful of regions in Mexico, one of them being the state of Jalisco.

• Blanco / Silver / White: Unaged tequila.
• Joven: Blend of aged and unaged tequila.
• Reposado: Tequila aged in wooden barrels between two months and a year.
• Añejo: Tequila aged in wooden barrels between one to three years.
• Extra Añejo: Tequila aged in wooden barrels for at least three years.

When buying Tequila, be wary of “Gold” designations, as these generally mean Tequilas made with only the minimum required amount of blue agave (51%), with added flavoring and coloring. Try to go for options with “100% blue agave” in their label.

Tequila Blanco is smooth and sweet, often with bright and fruity notes. As you go up the age categories, woody and sometimes spicy notes will begin to appear and increase in intensity. Agave used in Tequila is more generally steamed (as opposed to roasted) which is why it doesn’t tend to have the smokiness associated with mezcal.

If your only experience with tequila is through shots, you’ve probably only had cheap tequila. Do yourself a favor and purchase a proper bottle, and try one of the recipes in this app, and we promise your perception of this delicious spirit will undoubtedly change for the better.

Whisk(e)y

Whisk(e)y is a spirit distilled from grains (such as barley, corn, rye, etc) and aged in wooden barrels. Whisk(e)y can be made of a single grain or a combination of several types. The vast majority of whisk(e)ys you see in the market come from Scotland, Ireland, and the US. However, there are other countries, such as Canada and Japan, that also export large quantities of the spirit every year. Each country has its own set of rules to determine what constitutes whisk(e)y, what it must be made of, or how long it must be aged, among other things.

Ireland and the US spell the spirit as whiskey. Whereas the rest of the world usually spells it without the “e” – whisky. This is likely due to a difference in the languages used in Ireland and Scotland, which are the two countries with the longest traditions of distilling the spirit. According to the Whiskey Museum in Dublin, the extra ‘e’ might have also been added to further distinguish the two products. The US used either spelling early on, however, it is likely that the great influx of Irish immigrants that fled to America might have had an influence on them sticking to adding the ‘e’.

Scotch Whisky

Scotch whisky must be made in Scotland and aged for a minimum of three years. It must be made with water and malted barley (although other whole grains can also be added). Other rules also apply, such as the fact that the age statement on the bottle must refer to the youngest whisky used (remember they can be blended).

Scotch varies in terms of flavor and aroma depending on each distillery and the region it is made in. However, they’re generally known for their malty flavor, which is accompanied by other characteristics imparted by the casks they’ve been aged in. Smokiness is also associated with Scotch whisky, although not every style contains this characteristic. Scotch made in the region of Islay is particularly related to smoky whisky because of their use of peat to dry malted barley.

Irish Whiskey

Irish whiskey must be made in the island of Ireland and is also aged for a minimum of three years. It can be made from a mash of malted cereals with or without whole grains of other cereals.

Irish whiskey is generally light and very smooth. It is often associated with more fruity or floral flavors and aroma. It tends to be a lot more approachable than any other type of whisk(e)y so consider it if you’re just starting to dip your toe into this spirit. Cocktails with Irish whiskey usually contain other ingredients that aren’t too strong as to overpower it.

Bourbon

Bourbon is a style of whiskey made in the US and with a grain mixture where at least 51% of it is corn. It must be aged in new, charred oak containers, but it has no minimum age requirement. Bourbon is extremely popular in the US, and in recent years has seen a lot wider appeal outside of it.

Bourbon is generally associated with sweet, caramel and vanilla flavors. It is featured in a great variety of both classic and modern cocktail recipes.

Rye

Rye whiskey made in the US (Canada is also well known for its rye whiskies) must use a grain mixture where at least 51% of it is rye. It must also be aged in new, charred oak containers, and does not have a minimum age requirement.

Rye whiskey features flavors related to baking spices and tends to have a peppery bite to it. Its flavor is very different to that of bourbon.

Gin

Gin is a liquor most widely made from neutral grain spirits and infused with botanicals, where the predominant flavor and aroma comes from juniper berries. When people say gin they usually refer to the London Dry variety, but there are several other styles.

Genever, which hails from the Netherlands, is made from fermented malt wine and is infused with juniper and other botanicals. It is the distillate from which modern gin comes from. The use of Genever (not necessarily as a libation, but for medicinal purposes) dates back all the way to the 16th Century. There are three types of Genever: Oude (old), Junge (young) and Korenwijn (corn wine). Each refers to a specific style of genever, and has no correlation to age. Oude has maltier flavors, whereas Junge is more akin to vodka.

Old Tom Gin makes its appearance later, around the 19th Century, when Genever was already very popular in Europe. There is no delimitation as to what Old Tom Gin must be made of, and it ranges from those that sit closer to Genever in their use of malt, and those that rely on more neutral grain spirits. Modern interpretations of Old Tom Gin are just that: interpretations, as we don’t really know what Old Tom Gin used in the 1800s would’ve tasted like.

Even though we don’t know exactly how Old Tom Gin used to be made, it is very likely the bridge that takes us to the more modern, and widely available style of gin: London Dry Gin. This type of gin does not need to be made in London, it merely refers to the style that arose in this region much in parallel with the invention of the column still. The column still allowed the process of distillation to be pushed further, creating solutions that had much higher percentages of alcohol.

Gin has a very floral aroma and taste, but it varies across brands because they all have their own specific blend of herbs and spices they use to infuse the base spirit. Still, the main character in gins tends to be the juniper berry.

There’s another style of gin, usually referred to as flavored gin, where other ingredients play a much more dominant role in the flavor and aroma of the spirit. Popular ingredients include different types of berries, oranges, or even cucumbers.