Tequila

The most famous of the agave spirits, tequila’s commercial history dates back to the mid-1800s. Tequila is made from Tequilana Weber or Blue Weber agave and is produced mostly in Jalisco, Mexico. The key factor that separates tequila from other agave spirits is how the hearts of the agave plant are steamed instead of cooked in underground earthen ovens, which keeps the flavours crisp, clean and herbaceous.

Mezcal

A spirit that can be made from more than 50 species of agave and produced in one of nine Mexican states. Mezcal must be made from 100% agave, and the specific production methods used determine which category the distillate will fall under from that point: Ancestral, Artisanal, and Mezcal.

Raicilla

Many agave spirits experts tend to say raicilla has a strong funky note thanks to extended fermentation times, making it a prime option for spirits aficionados who enjoy spirits like shochu and rhum agricole.

Bacanora

Within the 35 municipalities in which the spirit is made, different production techniques distinguish the spirit from one producer to the next. Bacanora must be 100% agave, bottled between 38-55% ABV. Ageing and additives are allowed. One of the reasons why there are so few commercial brands of bacanora currently available in the U.S. is that the spirit was banned from 1915 to 1992, so the industry is still young compared to other agave spirits in Mexico.