Traditional Mezcal / Gusto Hisórico / Cornelio pérez
Chances are you have probably never tried a Traditional Mezcal, that is, one that is being consumed in, and is serving a social function at an event in the community where it was made; one that adheres to a “Gusto Historico”. This term “Gusto Histórico” or “Historic Taste” (taste as in one's liking of certain flavors, not the flavor itself) was first used in reference to mezcal by Cornelio Pérez, or Tio Corne as he is sometimes referred to around 2005. Pérez, who is somewhat of a legend in certain circles, founded the Logia de los Mezcólatras, a group dedicated to tasting and learning about traditional mezcales. Pérez and a group of people including Marco Ochoa, Graciela Ángeles, Gustavo Contreras and others laid down 14 criteria for a mezcal to be considered Traditional.
These sorts of terms have a tendency to become degraded over time and Traditional Mezcal is now a marketing term for some, and is probably being used more liberally than Tio Corne originally intended. When I personally refer to Traditional Mezcal, I mean a mezcal that was made respecting the methods, magueyes and volumes historically seen in its respective region. Tio Corne had a stricter notion of this term; one of his 14 criteria is that a traditional mezcal “Has a social function in its community of origin, and as is such, a substantial part of its production is consumed in said community or region”.
The vast majority of mezcal being produced these days is untraditional by most standards; unripe agave is used, often species that were not employed before, sometimes being cooked or milled by machine, possibly proofed in a new way to a new ABV, made out of season, or in volumes much higher than before. Even if we were to take the small percentage of mezcal being made that still respects historical methods, magueyes and volumes; it would be false to claim that a substantial part of it is being consumed in the community where it is made. Ourselves as consumers are to blame for this, for when capitalism and tradition collide, the former necessarily changes the latter.
A friend from Santiago Matatlan recently confided in me, in a somewhat embarrassed tone, that now - in the Capital Mundial del Mezcal - much more beer is consumed during fiestas than mezcal as a result of simple economics. The traditional gift of a medida (5 liters) of mezcal, now costs at least 1000 pesos, or about 4 times as much as a 24 pack of beer. In Santa Catarina Minas, a town whose mezcal is famous due to its distillation in clay pots and proximity to Oaxaca, you would be hard pressed to find a liter for less than 500 pesos, and while some producers claim they have a special price for locals, you cannot expect them to lower it too much when the price of agave is now around 16 pesos per KG (for reference, the sweetest - most alcohol producing agave - espadin - takes about 8 KG to make one liter of mezcal. This is between 25-50 KG for a varietal like Tepextate). While our desire for mezcal has undoubtedly driven up prices for locals, the surge in price for agave has completely changed the landscape in some communities where Tequila, or Industrial Mezcal brands have bought up every agave in sight, mature or not.
Traditional Mezcal is in danger of disappearing and it needs to be protected as it is a tangible, sensory representation of the culture and gastronomy of certain communities within Mexico. How it should be protected is fodder for heated discussion. On episode 5 of the Maestros del Mezcal Podcast I spoke with Sivlia Philion of Mezcaloteca regarding her decision to remove the name of the producer from her labels. While this decision also parts from one of Tio Corne’s 14 criteria “Behind each mezcal is a Master Mezcalliero, with a first and last name…” I believe the intention behind it deserves further discussion. Silvia’s claim that she was trying to protect traditional mezcal was easily written off as “patronizing” by some. While I don’t personally agree with her decision, I do think that she was doing it from a place of honest concern for the “Gusto Historico”, and for the well being of her business. Also as she mentioned, when brands choose to work with producers who other brands already work with, they are limiting the diversity that the end consumer gets to experience. Some American owned brands have used their privileged access to capital, distribution networks and US consumers to sell mezcal made by producers who were popularized by Mexican brands and projects. While I believe this is in fact a good thing, unfortunately credit has not been given where credit is due. This leads me to understand why brands might be more secretive of which producers they work with; there will always be someone who can pay more, (or who can pay less, but for a lot more volume) and would prefer to build off what it already popular, rather than starting from scratch. Not all brands will go as far as hiding the producers they work with, and even when discussing the importance of the “Gusto Historico” with producers, these brands won’t tell them how much they can produce, or how much money they can make (this is evident as per the lack of contracts / exclusivity agreements). Logically this lust for certain producers and certain agaves will inevitably threaten the “Gusto Historico”.
While consumerism has put mezcal at odds with tradition, a new form of regulation may be the only way to save it. Cornelio Perez states “The denomination of origins of mezcal and tequila and their corresponding NOMs are true wicked instruments that facilitate and look for the destruction of traditional mezcal for the benefit of those interested in expropriating the beverage from its legitimate owners…” he also concludes that to preserve traditional mezcal we need, “ to develop serious and democratic denominations of origin that benefit the legitimate owners and creators of the mezcal tradition, the maestros mezcaleros…”. As more brands and consumers see through the thinly veiled purpose of the CRM, and begin to commercially circumnavigate their linguistic and economic expropriation of the word “mezcal”, the market has been left with a regulatory void. In a hope to fill this void, Maestros del Mezcal A.C. has spearheaded the proposed law “Ley de Desarollo Sustentable de Maguey-Mezcal”, pushing for a Denomination of Origin system based on micro-regions and “Gusto Historico” that would be enforced by democratically elected Regional Committees made up of people who actually make mezcal.
There may be very little mezcal left that is truly considered Traditional by Tio Corne’s standards, and the average consumer probably doesn’t have access to the stuff that is. That being said, there is still mezcal being produced in near-traditional fashion - most importantly following traditional methods (ripe agave, traditional volumes, traditional proofing, a proof over 45%ABV, etc.) Regulation is complicated, and while arguably it has been the consumer who has put traditional mezcal at risk, it may be only the consumer who has the power to save it. Thank you for supporting Traditional Mezcal!
Cornelio Pérez’ 14 Criteria for Traditional Mezcal
It is made exclusively from agave, be it wild or cultivated.
Made with exclusively ripe agave.
The processes in its production are strictly natural, that is, without the use of any chemical that accelerates its natural process, especially during the fermentation, as this alters flavors and aromas.
Its production strictly adheres to the cultural process, technology and Historic Taste that each region, community and population has developed over the years.
It is consumed at an ABV of 45% or higher as dictated by the Historic Taste of each region and population, it is them who decide which ABV is considered acceptable to consume their mezcal, but never less than 45%.
There exists a social control of its production, as it is the same communities and Maestros Mezcaleros who evaluate and control the quality of their mezcales in accordance with historically shaped tastes and socially constructed tests of quality accepted by all. If a mezcal does not pass these tests, it cannot be sold in their region.
One way to evaluate the quality is the Perla, Concha or Burbuja that is formed by pouring the distillate into a receptacle that can be a Jicara, Carrizo or Cuerno among others of great tradition; this tests indicates the alcoholic content and emits aromas and flavors that a Maestro Mezcalero knows how to “read” to assess a certain mezcal. Another test is to rub a few drops of mezcal in the hands until it dries to perceive the aroma, texture, alcoholic content, and process of production.
Behind each mezcal there is a Maestro Mezcalliero, with a first and last name, as each production is unique, limited and unrepeatable, and represents the exquisite sensibilities of the distinct cultures and populations of Mexico.
Has a social function in its community of origin, for it is an essential part of family, religious, and civic events and funerals and gastronomy, and as is such, a substantial part of its production is necessarily consumed in said community or regions of cultural influence.
Behind Traditional Mezcal, there exists a complex and highly varying biodiversity (that includes agaves, trees, microorganisms, bacteria, insects, bats, etc.) that has been preserved, recreated and modified by the mezcal producing populations.
For its production, in Traditional Mezcal there exists numerous and rich technologies and procedures, locally developed and passed down generation to generation, which are essential to the characteristics and personalities of each one of the mezcales of the regions of Mexico.
It smells and tastes intensely of Maguey; also, it possesses great character, and a subtle, profound and elegant delicacy in its complex and varied flavors and aromas that are determined by three aspects: a) the type and origin of the maguey employed and the ecological environment where it grew; b) the technological and cultural practices employed in the production of the mezcal; c) the Historic Taste of the region where it was made and of the Maestro Mezcalliero who made it.
It is extraordinary proof of the refinement experienced by the human condition through its gastronomical inclination, one that can be offered, in its true authenticity to Mexicans and Foreigners alike, as long as it conserves its originality and tradition.
These criteria are valid for all traditional mezcal without exception, be it tequila, raicilla, mezcal, tuxca, comiteco, bacanora, etc.
Here is a link to Cornelio Pérez’ paper:
Mezcales Tradicionales de los Pueblos de Mexico, Herencia Cultural y Biodiversidad 2007
Here is a link to Cornelio Pérez’ website - a great wealth of information on mezcal :