Mezcal for Beginners: Where to Start and What to Avoid

By Miguel Angel Zamora Olivo, Maestro Mezcalero at Casa Cabrón

"I tried mezcal once and it was like drinking a campfire." I hear this at every tasting. And my response is always the same: "You tried the wrong mezcal, or you drank it the wrong way. Or both."

Mezcal isn't inherently aggressive. It's just misunderstood. Here's how to start without scaring yourself off.

Start with Joven (Unaged)

Mezcal comes in three ages: joven (unaged), reposado (2-12 months in oak), and añejo (1+ years in oak). For beginners, always start with joven.

Joven mezcal is pure agave flavour. No oak influence, no caramel colouring, no vanilla masking the smoke. It's the truest expression of the mezcalero's craft. Our Espadín Joven (£66) is 42% ABV, bright with citrus and herbs, and the smoke is present but polite.

Añejo mezcal, while delicious, can confuse beginners. The oak adds vanilla and caramel that mask the agave character. Save añejo for when you know what unaged mezcal tastes like. Then the oak becomes an enhancement, not a disguise.

Choose Cultivated, Not Wild (For Now)

Wild agave mezcals, like our Mexicano and Tepeztate. Are more complex, more intense, and more expensive. They're also less predictable. A wild agave grown on a rocky cliff for 25 years produces flavours that can overwhelm an unpractised palate.

Start with cultivated espadín. It's consistent, approachable, and still more interesting than most entry-level tequilas. Once you can taste the difference between citrus and herbs in an Espadín, you're ready for wild agave.

Check the ABV

Mezcal is typically bottled at 42-48% ABV. For beginners, look for 42-44% — the lower end carries less alcohol burn and lets the flavour through more clearly. Our Espadín Joven is 42%. Perfect.

Avoid anything over 50% unless you know what you're doing. High-proof mezcal can be excellent, but the alcohol dominates for beginners. You won't taste the agave through the fire.

How to Drink Your First Mezcal

1. Use a proper glass. A copita or small wine glass. Not a shot glass. The narrow opening concentrates aroma.
2. Pour 30ml. Enough to swirl, sniff, and sip twice. Not enough to get drunk.
3. Smell first. Hold the glass below your nose. Inhale gently. Look for fruit and herbs, not just smoke.
4. Sip, don't shoot. Let it sit on your tongue for 10 seconds. Swallow. Breathe out through your nose.
5. Wait 30 seconds. The finish evolves. Good mezcal keeps giving after you've swallowed.

What to Avoid

• The worm. It's a gimmick. No quality mezcal has a worm in the bottle.
• "Smoky" as your only descriptor. If all you taste is smoke, you're either drinking a bad mezcal or drinking it too fast. Good mezcal has fruit, herbs, minerals, flowers. Smoke is just the frame.
• Mixing precious mezcal. Don't put a £138 Tepeztate in a Margarita. Use Espadín for cocktails. Sip the good stuff neat.
• Drinking too fast. Mezcal is not a party shot. It's a sipping spirit. One pour should last 10-15 minutes.

Your First Bottle

If you're new to mezcal, buy our Espadín Joven (£66). It's the training wheels that don't feel like training wheels. Approachable but complex enough that you'll keep discovering new flavours as your palate develops.

When you're ready to upgrade, move to Mexicano (£84). The wild agave complexity will make sense once you know what cultivated espadín tastes like.

And when someone asks what you're drinking, you can say: "Mezcal. It's like tequila's more interesting cousin. Salud Cabrón!"

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