Tequila vs. Mescal

 Both are national spirits of Mexico. Both are made from the agave plant. Technically speaking, tequila is a kind of mescal. BUT:

Tequila

Only made from the blue agave plant.

Can only be called 'tequila' if it comes from Jalisco, or a few designated zones in other Mexican states.

Is cooked in an oven. Tends to taste smoother and less distinctive.

Mescal

Can be made from any kind of agave.
 
 Cooked in below-ground pits. This gives mescal it's smokey flavor.

Will occasionally have a 'worm' (actually a butterfly larva) in the bottle. This is mainly a marketing gimmick and does not improve the taste.


I prefer mescal myself. It has a richer taste and is more distinctive.

Viajes Mexicanos: Los Altos de Jalisco

Los Altos ('The Highlands') is a geographic region in the western part of Jalisco state.  Beyond it's obvious elevated status, it is known for three things:

1. Producing tequila, being one of the premier tequila-making places in the country (after Tequila itself, of course).

2. Beautiful women. Though of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This reputation probably stems from the very strong European influence on the region, generally resulting in people who are taller and fairer than the Mexican average.

3. Religiosity.  Los Altos was by some measures the epicenter of the Cristero rebellion, the revolt against the government's anti-clerical policies in the mid 1920s.  Remnants of this can be seen in the many churches dotting the landscape and the occasional monument to a martyr or saint from that time.

Generally speaking Los Altos offers mild weather, fine views, and a decent number of historical sites and haciendas, and so is a popular tourist spot for those going slightly off the beaten path. If they every get reliable internet service the place could really take off.

Why Join the Foreign Service? Part V

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”

– Helen Keller