If the specimens have a soft body (such as worms), they wrote in Agricultura Tcnica en Mexico, Volume 1, they should be placed in a bottle with alcohol, tequila, mezcal, or 10% formalin. Free radicals are highly reactive atoms created when oxygen molecules inside the body split, as explained by Medical News Today. It adds nothing to the flavor of the liquor, most likely. "We're working on a few new studies to guarantee that these Mexican alcoholic beverages are of high quality the way others have done for beverages like vodka and whisky," he said. 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. When a bottle of mezcal contains a worm, the mezcal is described as being con gusano, or "with worm" in Spanish. A inicios de 2015, co-fund Agavache para promover los destilados mexicanos de Agave desde una perspectiva de identidad cultural y responsabilidad social. 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. That sap will ferment into delicious pulque. Stronger aromas on this one, but very short finish. Jonny, Cinnamon, cotton candy, lingering pepper jerky finish. Tyler, More mellow nose and aromas. It's easy to see why it was an apt gimmick for touristsit appears both exotic and traditional, and givesdudes a testing ground for their masculinity. These little mezcal fun facts are explained in detail. Today, to find a worm in a bottle of mezcal is more rare as hundred of new mezcal producers has came into existence in the last 20 years. Copyright 2023 InsideHook. Mezcal: The history, craft & cocktails of the worlds ultimate artisanal spirit, Divided Spirits: Tequila, Mezcal and The politics of production. These larvae are called gusano and bottles of mezcal that contain the creepy critters are referred to as con gusano. So on October 18, 2019 (seven months later), we performed a blind tasting, where we compared the original bottle with excess-air with the no-air re-bottled mezcal. 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. According to Anthony Dias Blue 's Complete Book of Spirits, that "worm" is. This translates roughly to "oven-cooked agave" and refers to the production process of mezcal. Despite the ick factor, the gusano de maguey at the bottom of a bottle of mezcal what we know as the worm is actually a very healthy snack. Mezcal owes much of its reputation as a "healthy" spirit to the agave plant from which it's distilled. Yes, both tequila and mezcal are similar, so it's easy to see how the mistake can be madebut there is no worm in tequila. Some releases will be aged in glass for upwards of two or three years before being bottled for sales and general consumption. We also asked co-founder of Mezcal Vago, Judah Kuper, the same question last year. When that larva isnt busy in the agave plant becoming a moth then it is sold as a tasty snack. Would this impact be good or bad? Softer palate. Tequila to be Tequila must contain 51% Blue Agave. teriyaki chicken donburi wagamama . For De Len and his team, the next step in studying mezcal will be to help fight for quality. Prized as a source of protein since Pre-Hispanic times, the larvae live in the agave plants used to make tequila and mezcal. In short, the worm that you see in a bottle of mezcal was a marketing gimmick. It's an aphrodisiac; it has hallucinogenic properties; it will make you drunker. Of those, slightly more than half (51 percent) reported also feeling depressed, and 61 percent reported feelings of anxiety. The mezcal worm began as a way to distinguish mezcal from tequila and was transformed into an added element of . And then theres xumilin. It is produced by extracting the heart of the agave plant, roasting it and mashing it to a pulp, then. 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. Mezcalero No. So tequila is a type of mezcal, but mezcal is not tequila, and only mezcal has worms. For the aejo variety, a second fermentation can raise the alcohol percentage up to about 55 percent. Now and then, when youre cutting [agave], you can find a xumilin or two in and around the plant, and usually there is mezcal available to those doing that work of harvesting the [agave], he says. It would be great if it did because stress is a problem many Americans grapple with every day. What you drank was most likely Mezcal with doubtful quality and it affects the reputation of authentic mezcal. Let's set things straight here. Over time, this damages the cells in a process called oxidative stress. Copyright 2023 StillTasty LLC. The term "free radicals" gets thrown around a lot these days, but what exactly are they, why are they bad, and how could your choice to drink mezcal every night protect you from them? Hey guys, I just read this not sure if I saw it the first time! Are your mezcals getting better as they age? The worm is added at the end of the production process, when the liquor is bottled. Im looking forward to being in OAX again next month. So, back to the drowned worm. How to tell if mezcal has gone bad? It's called a maguey worm, but it's actually a caterpillar, with red and (less desirable) white varieties added to mezcal. Instead of pairing mezcal with the . We sipped cocktails and thought about what it should be. Hints of white grape juice. Tyler, Aromas of peanut butter cups, woody, leather. Chris, Aromas of cinnamon, all spice, sandalwood, and vanilla. Interesting and funny that I did kinda the same thing with 4 Rey Campero Espadin bottles of different lots. This is the larva of the moth that lives in the heart of the agave plant. First things first: The "worm" at the bottom of some bottles of mezcal isn't actually a worm, as noted by Vice. The best way to enjoy it is to eat is separately or even cut it into halves and share it with your friends. According toTaste Atlas, these caterpillars are a great source of protein and have a taste similar to pork rinds. 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. It is not even legal to put a worm in tequila. It's the caterpillar form of a species of moth that lives in agave plants. Nah, that was just some bullshit gimmick, I mean real, artesanal Mezcal made by hand in Mexico. There is no "worm" at the bottom of a Tequila bottle. Most importantly, mezcal mustbe 100 percent agave, while tequila only needs to contain 51 percent agave. By Heather Clark / April 16, 2020 10:19 am EST. 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. Tequila and mezcal are both in the range of about 38% to 55% ABV (Alcohol by Volume), which is 76-110 proof. The mezcal worm is also used as a rite of passage when drinking mezcal with friends. Like the Elote, the Excess-air mezcal was our favorite for the Rey Campero Tepextate. The gusano, or worm, at the bottom of a bottle of cheap mezcal is actually moth larva. This particular agave plant grows in Jalisco, Mexico. How Tequila Differs From Mezcal Tequila and mezcal both originate from Mexico and are made from agave, a form of succulent that grows in the Mexican desert. Mezcal Worm . Richards pointed out that, although the distillation process should, in theory, destroy the gluten in alcohols produced from grains like wheat and rye, "cross contamination and tiny gluten proteins surviving the process may lead to a reaction in some." Most likely the gusano wormed its way into these bottles to remind us that Mexicos culinary history is diverse and conflictive, informed by religion, local and global markets, regional taste, and sheer improvisation. According to Medical News Today, they're a large group of aromatic compounds that give plants their distinctive smell. Its free. In 2020 he married all of his loves and created a business bringing amazing pieces from all over Mexico to the United States. 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. 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. The fat and juices from the chicken add a savory undertone to the mezcal, while collagen from the meat gives it a more "robust mouthfeel.". Youll often see special prized batches of mezcal aging in glass at palenques around Oaxaca. Appreciate the update PhD! 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. A bit of nail polish on the palate as well. Jonny, Strong notes and aromas. Follow @mezcalreviews Thanks for the insight. If theyre sealed, they should be fine, and theyll likely get better as they age. To humans it usually smells like fresh-cut grass; for other species, it's a real-life aphrodisiac. 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. Green apple, pear, and lime-lemon predominate its primary aromas. The shelf life of mezcal is indefinite, but if mezcal develops an off odor, flavor or appearance, it should be discarded for quality purposes. The younger one looked at his drink and said, you know what we should do? 1.It's the best way to drink mezcal as the Mexicans do Just like following a shot of tequila with a slurp of lemon wedge and a lick of salt, reddish spice sal de Gusano (worm salt) is often. This young white mezcal is also a product of agave Espadin. Simply by using that phrase, though traditional mezcal suggests, in that context, that mezcal con gusano isnt traditional. Tequila Semantics: Does Tequila Have A Worm In It Is The Worm In Tequila Alive Mezcal with a jar of worms First of all, does tequila have a worm in it? As pulque researcher Gonzalo Alvarez says, Ive seen and tasted pulque that is prepared with worms, chiles and salt that have been ground together with a mortar and pestle. The growing popularity of mezcal that is aged-in-glass clearly emphasizes the importance of time on how distilled agave can settle and build structure long after it has left the still. If your bottle has a worm, it will be mezcal, and probably very ordinary mezcal. 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. All rights reserved. We know that Mezcal with a worm is an intriging topic and well give you some advise because, Yes, of course! More mellow but less exciting. Jonny. After,other producers started to us the tactic as a way todifferentiate themselves from tequila back when mezcal started to gain popularity from Oaxacan tourism.Today, it widely regarded that the producers who use the worm in their mezcal is of lower quality. I dont know if this has any correlation to the aging part, but something I am keeping in mind. In parts of Guerrero, they'll occasionally throw one into a mezcal . Worm salt is a mix of sea salt, ground agave larvae, and chile spices. At any rate, love your passion and commitment!! "It's a local product," he told me in explanation as to why he pursued this research; he oncepublished an article in the local newspaper Pulso titled, "Mezcal from Potosi: a very Mexican drink.". So I guess you could call that pulque de gusano.. Casamigos produces three styles of tequila: blanco, reposado, and aejo. We pulled a few lower ABV mezcals off the shelf earlier this year. was the brains behind the mezcal worm marketing ploy. Tequila is actually a kind of mezcal, in the same way that Cognac is a type of brandy. Mezcal is any ol' type of agave liquor. 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. Like so much of the beautiful cultural heritage of rural Mexico, theres little to no documentation to support any of the theories. 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. I have 250s, 750s and 1L bottles. His theory is based on what hes seen in his native Guerrero with another pest: the xumilin, or chumilin, a sort of south-of-the-border stinkbug. The best one seemed to turn hot/alcoholic and the worst that started out this way seemed to open up more. In the 1940s, a distiller named Jacobo Lozano Pez found that leaving the worms in his mezcal changed the flavor. In a study published in Physiology & Behavior in 2015, a team of researchers led by Dr. Xue-Yang Deng examined the effect geraniol had when administered to mice who were experiencing "chronic" and "unpredictable" stress, though "mild." However, some people do really enjoy eating the worm and others will be adamant in telling you that the little guy does give you special powers. Mezcal Reviews on Facebook And now, here are five mezcal con gusanos I recommend: For more tips and tricks from the worlds best bartenders, sign up for The Spill, a weekly guide to imbibing all good spirits. To consume a tequila worm, you must first take a shot of the alcoholic beverage with it. These atoms are very chemically unstable and will essentially steal electrons from cells in the body. For those unfamiliar with the Aged-in-Glass or Madurado style, this refers to the aging of mezcal in glass after it is distilled. Strong tastes of alcohol. Chris, Strong aromas of corn, a bit of nail polish, coffee, and maple pecan. Some purists believe the combination of citrus and salt is too intense on the palate if the goal is to savor the nuances of fine sipping mezcal, but this is still a very common botana . 1. While many of the compounds they found were also present in tequila and other alcoholic beverages, they noted that, among the beverages they examined, limonene was only found in mezcal. So maybe that was a policy established in the 1920s? In Mexico, the gusano can be considered a delicacy when prepared properly. That would be a big plus because, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 45 percent of American adults have hypertension, and high blood pressure was linked to over472,000 deaths in the United States alone in 2017. Mezcal is a type of Mexican liquor that is made from the agave plant. This is why all tequila comes from Jalisco. Does oxidation or evaporation make them worse or just different? I have a sealed bottle of Mezcal I gave to my dad 30 years ago. In fairness, it is entirely possible that there are bottles of mezcal with worms that are not too bad. Limonene, one of the terpenes found in mezcal, could have cancer-fighting properties. According to Town & Country,mezcal can be made from any type of agave, while tequila must be made from blue agave. Very similar, but more mellow and balanced. Jonny. 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. Sal de Gusanoor worm salt,is an accompaniment used as a way to spice up vegetables and fruits while you drink mezcal. There are many more 250ml bottles in Oaxaca these days. Crazy about gin? Notes of white pepper, salt, corn nuts. In a paper published in the journal RSC Advances, a team of researchers led by Dr. Anees Ahmed Khalil at the University of Agriculture in Faisalabad, Pakistan, documented eugenol's ability to prevent oxygen molecules from splitting and to "scavenge" (bind to) free radicals and prevent oxidative stress in the body. Notes of chocolate, rose pedals. If you do feel something after eating a mezcal worm it is a placebo effect. In this post, we will try to unearth some more interesting facts behind the best mezcal with worms. 14 intentionally left for seven months with very little remaining in the bottle. Mezcal is a transparent liquor made from distilled agave, a spiky-looking desert plant. 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. So it's best to stick with an alcohol that's naturally gluten-free, like mezcal. 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 . Jacobo Lozano Paez of Gusano Rojowas the brains behind the mezcal worm marketing ploy. "Many alcohols have a ton of sugar and other chemicals. Mezcalero No. We have drank it. In the end, we found that our hypothesis was correct. Yep, add a tasty, wiggly snack the Red Maguey Worm. The secondary aroma has wet earth, herbal notes, and dried fruits like almonds and chestnuts. 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. The legend of the worm is still debated. 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. 14 had slight differences from the different aging. Remember that it is not the authentic Mezcal: the worm adds flavor and usually it masks lousy flavors. And awesome. Indeed, mezcal con gusano, or with the worm, is just one of many varieties of the potent alcholic beverage that can be found in its home state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico. But if you're one of the many Americans abstaining from gluten, there's no need to give up mezcal. 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. But is this true for bottles that are less than 25% full? And many are really starting to take notice. 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. It is a tasty snack in parts of Mexico. A Culinary Tour of France, With Dominique Crenn as Your Host, NFL Player Survey Reveals Leagues Worst Team and Its Not a Surprise. One day, no one will be able to con you into buying a bottle of bad tequila for three times what it's worth. This seems to vary pretty widely, but many have a tradition or practice for dealing with low bottles. People began to believe that finding one of these "tequila worms" was a . He had it on his bar forever. This condiment is made from the larvae that live in agave plants, which are what mezcal and tequila are made from. Or sometimes two. If they see it in the mezcal bottle theyll buy it. While the scientists didn't examine the eugenol in mezcal specifically, it's likely that eugenol from any source would have this effect.