mezcal alcoholic beverage Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/mezcal Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/mezcal Also known as: mescal Written by Roland Martin Roland Martin is a freelance writer living in San Francisco. Roland Martin Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Sep 17, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Also spelled: mescal (Show more) mezcal, distilled alcoholic beverage derived from the fermented juice of the baked core of the agave plant and traditionally made in Mexico. The word mezcal comes from the Nahuatl word mexcalli, which roughly translates to “cooked agave.” Although mezcal has traditionally been used to refer to any spirit made entirely from agave, it has come to be associated—at least outside Mexico—with a clear- to gold-colored smoky-flavored liquor (tequila, which is made from the blue agave plant, is a form of mezcal). In recent years mezcal has become increasingly popular outside Mexico. Agave (also called maguey in Mexico) has been used ...(100 of 846 words)

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