Monte Alban Mezcal, 70cl

Product Information

You may be surprised to realise that some beers, wine and ciders include animal products. That’s because many ingredients are hidden, such as isinglass which is used in the filtration process. Producers are under no obligation to list the animal products used in the production process, and so you often can’t identify vegan drinks by their label. Remember that it is not the authentic Mezcal: the worm adds flavor and usually it masks lousy flavors. There are always exceptions to the rule and few brands produce with quality, add worms with the singular reason of enhancing their Mezcales with an earthy and fungal vibe. Our personal recommendations are El Cortijo reposado con gusano and Wahaka reposado con gusano. They are aged in oak barrels and the worm intensifies their aromatic profile. That oak profile makes those Mezcales specifically suited for the worm. You should definitely give them an opportunity and if you have tasted other really good Mezcales with worms, let us know.

Contrary to popular belief, seeking out brands of tequila with a worm in the bottle isn’t going to help you find a more flavorful drink. The worm doesn’t add anything to the alcohol. Origins to why it’s there in the first place are pretty murky but there are two stories that make sense. The first of which is simply a marketing ploy. Which to be fair, works wonders. When staring unknowingly at a shelf of mezcal it can be difficult to choose one. When there's a drowned worm in the bottom of the bottle that stands out, promotes curiosity and hence makes you want to buy it. Answers as to why the worm is in the bottle in the first place is actually unknown, but there are stories. Some will say that the worm in the mezcal bottle is a marketing ploy. After all, think of all those myths we just had to bust to get to this point. Hallucinogen, flavor enhancer, boozy addition…the worm is none of that. But when the worm is in the bottle on a shelf, it somehow convinces people to buy that brand.Vegan alcohol includes spirits, beer, wine and cider which are free from animal products. Like the food we eat, vegans choose to avoid non-vegan alcohol and any products with animal-derived ingredients. The most common non-vegan ingredients in alcohol are isinglass, made from the dried swim bladders of fish, gelatine, made from boiled bones, flesh and ligaments, casein, a protein derived from cow’s milk, and albumin from egg whites. However, Tequila is more than just a party drink, its full of history, tradition and flavour. This association as a party drink is something that westerners very much have created themselves.

Some of which you may of heard of, enter mezcal which we just mentioned, some of which you may be unfamiliar with, especially if you’re from the UK or American, spirits like Bacanora and Raicilla. These are all spirits that have to be made in Mexico and are made with agave. Drink with caution: it is not dangerous, but it is a common practice to attract the attention of tourists and chances are the Mezcal itself is of poor quality.

Wine

Which can be difficult, especially in the UK where good mezcal is either non existent or vastly overpriced. But don’t worry, you can still buy good mezcal at a reasonable price here in the UK. I’m not quite sure where this myth that the tequila worm is hallucinogenic comes from but rest assured that it is not true. You can eat as many tequila worms as you like, you will ever hallucinate.

BARREL AGED - Rooster Rojo Reposado's gold colour comes from being aged for 2 months or more in French oak barrels before being bottled. This provides the spirits with a smoother taste while the wood adds hints of orange rind, enriching the flavour Mixto tequila uses 51% agave, technically an agave made spirit, and 49% cheaper sugars, usually corn sugar.When you think of Mezcal what probably appears in your mind is a bottle with a red worm inside and you think about a challenge of «drinking a strong liquor with an insect». What you drank was most likely Mezcal with doubtful quality and it affects the reputation of authentic mezcal. Also referred to as rested, reposado Tequila is aged from two months to just shy of a year. Which imparts a slight colour and softens the harshness of the tequila. Now i’m not saying its ‘healthy’ per say, nor am I claiming to know anything medical, but as far as drinking goes, it sure is one of the healthiest options.