Excuse me… there is a worm in this bottle!

Many people might be shocked to find worms at the bottom of bottles when they shop their local liquor storein search of the necessary components for Margaritas. They might be even more shocked to find out that the bottles that contain those worms DO NOT contain any Tequila. If you happen upon a bottle with a worm at the bottom you have found mescal! These two spirits are derived from the plant, agave, which is also used to make pulque, a fermented (but not distilled) drink that has a long history with the indigenous Mexicans.

Pulque dates back to the time of the Aztecs before the invasion of the Spanish Conquistadors. It was the European technology of the pot still that the Spanish brought with them that turned this sacred drink into what some call “cactus whiskey.” So what is the difference between tequila and mescal? And more importantly, what is going on with the worm?

Tequila and mescal are oftentimes so indistinguishable that many people do not know the differences between the two. Perhaps this is because many books refer to these two distilled spirits interchangeably. Perhaps this confusion comes from the fact that what these two drinks share is what type of plant they are made from, the agave, which is technically not a cactus. Many Americans know this plant by another name “the Century Plant”—a name that highlights the fact that this slow growing plant only flowers on very rare occasions.

Tequila is to mescal what Champagne is to sparkling wines or what Cognac is to brandy. Tequila is perceived to be the best of the best. As a matter of fact, tequila is mescal…but not all mescal is tequila. Tequila comes from a specific region in Mexico with the right altitude and volcanic soil to grow the Blue Agave (Agave azul tequilana weber).

Growing the Blue Agave is not easy because it takes about eight to ten years to mature. During this time the grower must tend to the plant, pruning leaves, fertilizing and feeding the plant. Finally when the plant is ready to harvest the leaves are cut back to expose the center of the plant called the piña. This is what is used to make tequila by baking in an oven which coverts the starch into readily fermentable sugars. Finally, tequila is always distilled twice and is never bottled with a worm.

People perceive mescal to be the common man’s drink. Mescal does not come from a specific region in Mexico but rather it can come from almost anywhere in Mexico. Also, instead of one strain of the agave plant Mescal can be made from one of many strains all of which mature along the same timeline. The care of all of these plants is very similar to that of the Blue Agave. Once the piñas are harvested they are slow roasted during which time they absorb smoke. This gives mescal a rich, earthy, smoky, flavor. Finally, mescal only has to be distilled once although the better mescals are distilled twice. Sometimes (not always) Mescal has a worm in the bottle.

So what about that worm? Some makers of Mescal place a gusano (worm) in the bottle. Why? Depends on which story you like best. According to one legend, the gusano worm lives in the agave plant before the worm becomes a mature moth. Because the worm lived in the agave plant it captured some of the plant’s power so the person who eats the worm gains the power and spirit of the agave plant. Another explanation is that the worm is proof that the agave plant was used for the fermentation and distillation of the beverage or that the worm was used to prove the alcohol level as the beverage drips off the still. High alcohol levels are toxic to the worm. A worm is thrown in to test the alcohol level. Or the worm adds flavor to the Mescal. The final story is, the worm allows the person who consumes it to hallucinate…as for this last one, good story.

I put this theory to the test the last time I was on vacation in Mexico. I consumed a bottle of mescal then ate the worm and waited. Seeing and feeling nothing out of the ordinary I consumed another bottle of mescal then ate the worm and waited. Again…nothing! After consuming two bottles of mescal most people would have a hard time functioning but I made sure that the bottles I consumed were the kind served on airlines…little ones (50 ml or about two shots). The hallucinations were supposed to be all about the worms, right? My conclusion is: The worm does not cause the hallucinations; it is the mescal that accompanies the worm that causes the altered state of being.

Because Tequila and Mescal can be used interchangeably in mixed drinks at the bar there are many drinks that can be made from them. The most famous of which is the margarita, which is a combination of tequila, triple sec and lime juice. Today there are varied flavors of Margaritas that include many fruits such as peach or strawberry. According to Mr. Boston’s Official Bartender and Party Guide, there are many other fruit flavored tequila drinks such as the Alamo Splash, Big Red Hooter, Chapala, Hairy Sunrise, La Bomba, Tequila Canyon, or the classic Tequila Sunrise. Of course as you get to the end of the bottle there is only one question left…who is going to eat the worm? Salud!