Mescal and tequila – the Mexican distillation alcoholic beverages on the basis of agave juice. At them there is a lot of general that sometimes they are taken for two names of the same kind of alcohol. However mescal and tequila have also a number of essential distinctions.
Mescal and tequila are obliged to the origin to drink to a pulque – the rewandering juice of a blue agave which since the most ancient times was known in Mexico. Aztecs took this drink during meals instead of wine. The history of emergence of tequila and мескаля is connected with conquistadors – the Spanish conquerors of Mexico. In the 16th century they brought skill of distillation here that gave the chance to receive strong alcohol on a basis to a pulque. This drink also called mescal. It names can be translated from language of Aztecs as "a boiled agave". Tequila began to be made later near the city Tequila in honor of which it also was called. The production technology of tequila and мескаля is very similar. As the main raw materials the agave - a plant externally very similar to a cactus, but actually belonging to family of a lily family is used. For production of alcohol use only a core of a fleshy stalk. For мескаля cores of an agave soar in conic stone furnaces of 2-3 days. Cores spread on coals, cover with several layers of palm fibers and powder with the earth. Such processing gives мескалю smoky smack. For core tequila usually steam in autoclaves. Agave juice from the steamed cores is fermented by 3 days without addition of sugar. Since the 1960s, mescal is produced, using double distillation, and then dilute with water to necessary fortress. Fortress мескаля, as well as tequilas, is 40 degrees. This drink has stronger taste and aroma, than tequila. Quality mescal is appreciated on an equal basis with tequila, but concedes to it by quantity of grades. Tequila and mescal are used almost equally. They don't need to be cooled as, for example, vodka. Mescal is often drunk with salt, and tequila – with salt and a lime. Tequila much more often мескаля is used for production of cocktails. The world popularity was gained by such cocktails with this drink: tequila санрайз, tequila boom, Margarita and sangrit.