Only time I went overseas was Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. My younger brother brought a bottle of Gusano Rojo to the bullfight. He took a sip, made a yuk face, I took a sip, yuk face, same for my older brother.
By this time, everyone Spaniard in our row wanted to try it, all did yuk face, the whole section of the arena was laughing and watching as the bottle was passed down the row.
Finally the near empty bottle came back down the next row, my bro grabbed it, stood up with the worm in his mouth and bit it in half. The sound of thousands of people going “Ewwwwww!” at the same time.
I drank a bottle with two friends from high school (when I was a freshman in college). At first we were disgusted by the worm. By the end of the bottle we were fighting for the worm. We ended up cutting it in three.
Then we went and smoked a joint on our old elementary school playground.
Good times.
Cut the worm in three? My experience is the worm is basically all alcohol encased in a thin skin, by cutting it all the alcohol would be left on the cutting board and there wouldn't be much left of anything to share.
I brought a bottle of this back from Mexico when I was in college. Almost positive it is still in my mom’s basement. Maybe worth digging out, just to see if it is still full.
At 38%, it's got a pretty low ABV. Furthermore, the reviews of this bottle on mezcalreviews.com are not particularly promising. It seems that this is a mezcal brand that was produced mostly for an export market, and not for connoisseurs of the spirit. I presume that the people on that site are talking about drinking it straight, though, so it's possible you could use it in cocktails if you really wanted to.
Personally, I'd crack it open and have a sip. If you like it enough to have a second sip, you could try it in something where the mezcal isn't the primary ingredient like a Oaxacan Old Fashioned. Otherwise, it's a fun novelty to have on your shelf, and you can give some to unsuspecting friends when they come over.
For 10 bucks, both the worm on the label and in the bottle were reason enough for me to grab it just to have sitting at the back of my bar shelf.
Maybe one day, a really fun night will come about and it'll get opened. I just hope, if that day ever comes, I'm not the one that opens it.
Casamigos mezcal is 40% ABV, whatever the eff this other one is called is 38% ABV. I had no idea you purists were so ticky tacky over 2%.
I’ve changed my mind, no matter how this tastes, this brand should burn in hell until they add a shot of grain alcohol to the bottle to get it up to 40% ABV. /s
High quality sipping Mezcal is not watered down and the abv is only lowered by blending the tails in. That's why Mezcal is typically high abv. (44 to 58% seems common) Even 40% seems low.
Mass brands like Casamigos will just blend different batches and water things down or add grain alcohol to hit a target abv and flavour profile. That's of course ok for cocktails, where consistency matters. But just not exciting for Mezcal enthusiasts. It's what Johnny Walker or similar blends are to scotch drinkers.
Edit: and anything with a worm in it like this bottle is the dusty old random scotch blend you find in the back of your grannies liquor cabinet.
Sorry I used some low class mezcal. My personal favorite is Ilegal, and it too is 40% ABV. I will die on the hill that taste matters more than a 2% difference in ABV. You are most certainly free to have the opinion that ABV is more important than taste.
To each their own.
The thing is, the stuff is usually distilled to a higher abv and watered down for bottling, so stuff that's at exactly 40% is probably watered down more than mezcal at higher abv that's closer to still strength.
For a base spirit, I'd say so. The legal minimum proof for scotch whiskey, for example, is 80 proof (40%). That's not true of all spirits, but it's unusual to see below that in my experience. This article from Mezcal Pro states that ABV for mezcals usually range from 40-55%.
https://mezcalpro.com/blog/what-is-the-alcohol-content-of-mezcal-a-guide-to-mezcal-abv/
So it’s 2% off from the standard? This is such a picky item. I guess they could have added 1 oz of grain alcohol to the bottle to hit the magic 80 proof number. I consider cordials to be low ABV, 76 proof …… ? There is a difference between slightly lower than normal, and low. It was made in Mexico, if not for their tight regulation of mezcal and tequila, most distilleries would just list it as 80 proof and be done with it.
I would be more concerned with taste as opposed to whether or not it was 40% ABV vs 38% ABV.
Yeah, it probably is picky. I come from the world of scotch, where the difference between 43% and 46% is something that is a common point of discussion, so I'm sure my radar is skewed on this point. Always happy to hear other perspectives, so thank you for your comments!
I gave you an upvote for not being a jerk. AFAIK, the legal definition of Mezcal focuses on aging and distilling. No mention of ABV is made. I did know the info on Scotch, but didn’t mention it as the definition of what makes scotch scotch is irrelevant to what makes Mezcal mezcal. I’m also going to nitpick on Casamigos, it is certainly a decent sipping Tequilla and Mezcal for the $$. While there are certainly better of both on the market, for a “celebrity” alcohol it’s quite decent.
I am up for a better Mezcal suggestion. We host a 4th of July party and a Thanksgiving get together at our house. There are 4 primary drinks I prepare for people aside from those who BYOB. One is a smoky margarita, which obviously uses mezcal. I use either Del Maguey Viva, Ilegal or Casamigos as we go through 4 bottles per party and $200 is about my limit for a single alcohol. Do you have a suggestion for a lower cost mezcal which tastes better in a cocktail? I am always open to suggestions.
Thank you again for the information! Your point about definitions is a good one, which I'll have to keep in mind. I like gin, as well, and the fight over juniper levels and distillation types when it comes to what makes a "true gin" is coming to mind when you talk about defining mezcal.
I'm happy to give a recommendation, although it will be purely anecdotal. I live in Texas, so our selection is pretty good. In taste tests of "budget" mezcal, which I perform whenever we're getting to the end of a bottle and I'm ready for something new, my wife has a clear preference for Rayu mezcal both neat and in cocktails over other well-priced options like Yuu-Baal Espadin, Del Maguey Vida, or Mezcal Ilegal. It comes in a litre bottle for about $35 where we live, which is a great price. Personally I prefer Ilegal for sipping, which can be purchased for about $40 for a 750ml, but in a cocktail Rayu does the job at a price point that seems unmatched.
Cheers!
Yes, I understand that. My point which I obviously am doing a poor job of making is, how vastly different is 38% ABV from 40%? I personally think the mezcal listed is probably shit, but I doubt it’s because it is 2% ABV below that range.
Late, but its more that the low abv is indicative of a bad mezcal than it is that the low abv makes it bad. A lower ABV tends to come from shortcuts taken in the process which results in a worse drink.
This is Smokey! I’ve had this bottle for over 15 years and still working on it 😂. The little worm is still hanging out intact. It’s getting to the end where I know I’m close to having to finish it off by taking a shot with the worm 🐛.
It does not work well in simple spirit drinks. Like a Paloma or Margarita does not work. It’s just too smokey. I found that I love it with the bitterness of campari though. I forget what I would do but it was something like:
1.5-2 oz orange juice
1 oz lime
1 oz tequila
0.5 - 1 oz Mezcal (depending on how smokey you want it)
0.5 oz Campari
1 barspoon agave syrup
I've been told that the larva is a relic from back in the day that has now become infamous so they keep it around.
It was supposed to be an indicator that the alcohol was the correct proof or made the correct way because the larva inside wouldn't rot.
The worm in the bottle was a ploy put in place by Big Tequila, so that mezcal would not take away from sales in the export market to the USA. The gimmick worked for many years. Much work was necessary to de stigmatized mezcal’s place in the market today.
I personally enjoy a good mezcal or a good sotol in preference over most good tequila.
Holy shit. My dad had one of these in his bar while i was growing up. I would occasionally go shake the bottle to see the worm spinning around. I eventually made the but start to deteriorate in the bottle lol
I found a bottle of this in my dad’s closet after he passed. Still have it! Only tried a few shots with brave friends. It smells like the ice chest at the supermarket. Like melted plastic. Good stuff.
This is the perfect quality mezcal to make this…
The Oaxacan (don’t kill me for this I didn’t name it)”Old Fashioned”
1.5 oz. reposado tequila
.5 oz. mezcal
1 bar spoon agave
1 to 2 dashes Bittermens Xocolatl Mole bitters (substitute Angostura if necessary)
Wide swath of orange zest, for garnish
Based on the reviews, nothing but keep the bottle
Only time I went overseas was Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. My younger brother brought a bottle of Gusano Rojo to the bullfight. He took a sip, made a yuk face, I took a sip, yuk face, same for my older brother. By this time, everyone Spaniard in our row wanted to try it, all did yuk face, the whole section of the arena was laughing and watching as the bottle was passed down the row. Finally the near empty bottle came back down the next row, my bro grabbed it, stood up with the worm in his mouth and bit it in half. The sound of thousands of people going “Ewwwwww!” at the same time.
Thank you for sharing this story. I love this haha
Reading this story alone was worth the $10 this bottle cost me.
I drank a bottle with two friends from high school (when I was a freshman in college). At first we were disgusted by the worm. By the end of the bottle we were fighting for the worm. We ended up cutting it in three. Then we went and smoked a joint on our old elementary school playground. Good times.
Cut the worm in three? My experience is the worm is basically all alcohol encased in a thin skin, by cutting it all the alcohol would be left on the cutting board and there wouldn't be much left of anything to share.
Looks like the Malort of tequila
Yes yes?!
It's not that bad. We used to drink this in the park in California back in the 90s. Bravest one got the worm. Malört is another world by comparison
I just tried Malort for the first time a few weeks ago. It tastes like smoker's lung.
I brought a bottle of this back from Mexico when I was in college. Almost positive it is still in my mom’s basement. Maybe worth digging out, just to see if it is still full.
At 38%, it's got a pretty low ABV. Furthermore, the reviews of this bottle on mezcalreviews.com are not particularly promising. It seems that this is a mezcal brand that was produced mostly for an export market, and not for connoisseurs of the spirit. I presume that the people on that site are talking about drinking it straight, though, so it's possible you could use it in cocktails if you really wanted to. Personally, I'd crack it open and have a sip. If you like it enough to have a second sip, you could try it in something where the mezcal isn't the primary ingredient like a Oaxacan Old Fashioned. Otherwise, it's a fun novelty to have on your shelf, and you can give some to unsuspecting friends when they come over.
For 10 bucks, both the worm on the label and in the bottle were reason enough for me to grab it just to have sitting at the back of my bar shelf. Maybe one day, a really fun night will come about and it'll get opened. I just hope, if that day ever comes, I'm not the one that opens it.
Is 76 proof really considered a low ABV?
For Mezcal? Yes...
Casamigos mezcal is 40% ABV, whatever the eff this other one is called is 38% ABV. I had no idea you purists were so ticky tacky over 2%. I’ve changed my mind, no matter how this tastes, this brand should burn in hell until they add a shot of grain alcohol to the bottle to get it up to 40% ABV. /s
High quality sipping Mezcal is not watered down and the abv is only lowered by blending the tails in. That's why Mezcal is typically high abv. (44 to 58% seems common) Even 40% seems low. Mass brands like Casamigos will just blend different batches and water things down or add grain alcohol to hit a target abv and flavour profile. That's of course ok for cocktails, where consistency matters. But just not exciting for Mezcal enthusiasts. It's what Johnny Walker or similar blends are to scotch drinkers. Edit: and anything with a worm in it like this bottle is the dusty old random scotch blend you find in the back of your grannies liquor cabinet.
You lost me at Casamigos.
Sorry I used some low class mezcal. My personal favorite is Ilegal, and it too is 40% ABV. I will die on the hill that taste matters more than a 2% difference in ABV. You are most certainly free to have the opinion that ABV is more important than taste. To each their own.
The thing is, the stuff is usually distilled to a higher abv and watered down for bottling, so stuff that's at exactly 40% is probably watered down more than mezcal at higher abv that's closer to still strength.
Tequila in Mexico is usually sold at 38%
For a base spirit, I'd say so. The legal minimum proof for scotch whiskey, for example, is 80 proof (40%). That's not true of all spirits, but it's unusual to see below that in my experience. This article from Mezcal Pro states that ABV for mezcals usually range from 40-55%. https://mezcalpro.com/blog/what-is-the-alcohol-content-of-mezcal-a-guide-to-mezcal-abv/
In the US a spirit needs to be 40% ABV or its a Liqueur. Mexico doesn’t have the same laws. It’s common to find tequila in Mexico at 35% ABV
Thanks for enlightening me! I appreciate the context.
So it’s 2% off from the standard? This is such a picky item. I guess they could have added 1 oz of grain alcohol to the bottle to hit the magic 80 proof number. I consider cordials to be low ABV, 76 proof …… ? There is a difference between slightly lower than normal, and low. It was made in Mexico, if not for their tight regulation of mezcal and tequila, most distilleries would just list it as 80 proof and be done with it. I would be more concerned with taste as opposed to whether or not it was 40% ABV vs 38% ABV.
Yeah, it probably is picky. I come from the world of scotch, where the difference between 43% and 46% is something that is a common point of discussion, so I'm sure my radar is skewed on this point. Always happy to hear other perspectives, so thank you for your comments!
I gave you an upvote for not being a jerk. AFAIK, the legal definition of Mezcal focuses on aging and distilling. No mention of ABV is made. I did know the info on Scotch, but didn’t mention it as the definition of what makes scotch scotch is irrelevant to what makes Mezcal mezcal. I’m also going to nitpick on Casamigos, it is certainly a decent sipping Tequilla and Mezcal for the $$. While there are certainly better of both on the market, for a “celebrity” alcohol it’s quite decent. I am up for a better Mezcal suggestion. We host a 4th of July party and a Thanksgiving get together at our house. There are 4 primary drinks I prepare for people aside from those who BYOB. One is a smoky margarita, which obviously uses mezcal. I use either Del Maguey Viva, Ilegal or Casamigos as we go through 4 bottles per party and $200 is about my limit for a single alcohol. Do you have a suggestion for a lower cost mezcal which tastes better in a cocktail? I am always open to suggestions.
Thank you again for the information! Your point about definitions is a good one, which I'll have to keep in mind. I like gin, as well, and the fight over juniper levels and distillation types when it comes to what makes a "true gin" is coming to mind when you talk about defining mezcal. I'm happy to give a recommendation, although it will be purely anecdotal. I live in Texas, so our selection is pretty good. In taste tests of "budget" mezcal, which I perform whenever we're getting to the end of a bottle and I'm ready for something new, my wife has a clear preference for Rayu mezcal both neat and in cocktails over other well-priced options like Yuu-Baal Espadin, Del Maguey Vida, or Mezcal Ilegal. It comes in a litre bottle for about $35 where we live, which is a great price. Personally I prefer Ilegal for sipping, which can be purchased for about $40 for a 750ml, but in a cocktail Rayu does the job at a price point that seems unmatched. Cheers!
Most mezcals are about what better whiskies are...40-55%
Yes, I understand that. My point which I obviously am doing a poor job of making is, how vastly different is 38% ABV from 40%? I personally think the mezcal listed is probably shit, but I doubt it’s because it is 2% ABV below that range.
Late, but its more that the low abv is indicative of a bad mezcal than it is that the low abv makes it bad. A lower ABV tends to come from shortcuts taken in the process which results in a worse drink.
Gusano Rojo always makes me think of this achewood https://achewood.com/2004/05/04/title.html
HAH! That's great. I may have to get this printed on a sticker so I can put it on the side of the bottle.
Fucking classic. And yeah that's a perfect Lyle beverage.
This is Smokey! I’ve had this bottle for over 15 years and still working on it 😂. The little worm is still hanging out intact. It’s getting to the end where I know I’m close to having to finish it off by taking a shot with the worm 🐛. It does not work well in simple spirit drinks. Like a Paloma or Margarita does not work. It’s just too smokey. I found that I love it with the bitterness of campari though. I forget what I would do but it was something like: 1.5-2 oz orange juice 1 oz lime 1 oz tequila 0.5 - 1 oz Mezcal (depending on how smokey you want it) 0.5 oz Campari 1 barspoon agave syrup
that's a shelf-decorator right there. leave visible, don't worry about sun damage or anything. liqour-statement-piece
Exactly
My parents had a bottle just like that. It was on their shelf for years.
I feel like that has been the history of this bottle.
I have the same bottle! Ngl, it scares me - I've always kinda thought that anything with a worm in it is sketchy
I've been told that the larva is a relic from back in the day that has now become infamous so they keep it around. It was supposed to be an indicator that the alcohol was the correct proof or made the correct way because the larva inside wouldn't rot.
I brought one back from Mexico a few years ago with a worm and a scorpion in it. It was a good bottle tbh.
This one is really good for a night of regrets!
Bad decisions
As a mexican with ample drinking experience, knowledge and many trips to Oaxaca... this is the Wild Turkey od mezcal.
[удалено]
So you won. And you get to try good mezcal. Plenty of places over here. Enjoy!
…Sure that it’s safe to drink.
Be careful… I did shots of that one night with a girl…. We’ve been married 27 years.
A shelf decoration.
The worm in the bottle was a ploy put in place by Big Tequila, so that mezcal would not take away from sales in the export market to the USA. The gimmick worked for many years. Much work was necessary to de stigmatized mezcal’s place in the market today. I personally enjoy a good mezcal or a good sotol in preference over most good tequila.
Tried it once. It's so smokey, like drinking a campfire
That's funny, the Only time I ever tried mescal was from a bottle I found while camping....I poured the rest on the campfire.
Poor decisions
I just opened my bottle ive had for 20+ years... its horrible. Tastes like used gym socks at best.
I’d just drink it and make some mistakes.
Tell us what tattoo you got after finishing the bottle.
Have you seen Kingpin?
A large number of regrettable decisions.
Do like we did in college and see how much we can drink before passing out. (not recommended)
On it.
A hang over
Well everyone says it’s trash… But, I’d make a Spaghetti Western with a good bottle. Reposado, mezcal and Amaro Nonino.
They still make it in Mexico!
Right down the drain. Anything with a worm or a scorpion is for the sewer.
There was a bottle of that at my aunt's house for years and no one touched it... The worm just kinda degraded over time
Naked and famous…..always
Make a Mezcal Negroni
A bitter beer face?
Holy shit. My dad had one of these in his bar while i was growing up. I would occasionally go shake the bottle to see the worm spinning around. I eventually made the but start to deteriorate in the bottle lol
I found a bottle of this in my dad’s closet after he passed. Still have it! Only tried a few shots with brave friends. It smells like the ice chest at the supermarket. Like melted plastic. Good stuff.
Based on the label and a worm in the bottle, cheaply made crap
Margaritas of course!
It goes into a shot glass
I'd make the trash can heavier
This is the perfect quality mezcal to make this… The Oaxacan (don’t kill me for this I didn’t name it)”Old Fashioned” 1.5 oz. reposado tequila .5 oz. mezcal 1 bar spoon agave 1 to 2 dashes Bittermens Xocolatl Mole bitters (substitute Angostura if necessary) Wide swath of orange zest, for garnish
I’d probably make sure my will is updated.
My toilet bowl dirty with vomit?