Mezcal (Oaxaca) 1995: They are those whose elaboration meets certain requirements such as grinding with a mallet or taona and distilled in clay pots. The term mezcal (from the Nahuatl mexcalli, ‘cooked maguey’, from metl ‘maguey’ and ixcalli ‘cooked’).

Since 1995, mezcal has had a Denomination of Origin, which protects the production of this drink in the states of Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Michoacán, San Luis Potosí, Oaxaca, Puebla, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas. In 2018, the incorporation of the state of Aguascalientes, Morelos and the State of Mexico was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation. The states mentioned are the only regions in the world that have the appellation of origin called Mezcal.

When the plant reaches maturity (six to eight years), it is harvested and the leaves are cut, leaving only the heart or pineapple. NOM 070 stipulates that the following must be used exclusively: Agave angustifolia (maguey espadín), Agave esperrima (maguey de cerro or raw maguey or maguey cenizo), Agave weberi (maguey de mezcal), Agave potatorum (maguey de mezcal) and Agave salmiana. NOM 070 recognizes more than 20 varieties of agave to produce mezcal. Each variety generates a mezcal with a different flavor.