Spirits

Cinco de Mayo history, recipes & more

All About Cinco de Mayo: history, tequila vs mezcal, bar stocking tips and cocktail recipes

With St. Patrick’s Day behind us we're looking forward to the next holiday where raising a drink is tradition, Cinco de Mayo. Many people celebrate this holiday with an after work margarita, but what are we really celebrating?

Well, you've come to the right place to learn about the history of Cinco de Mayo, the difference between tequila and mezcal, the best tequilas and top mezcals to stock at your bar or restaurant, plus recipes for tequila cocktails and mezcal cocktails to serve at your fiesta.

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF CINCO DE MAYO?

The fifth of May — commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867).

A relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations. Celebrations began in California, where they have been observed annually since 1863.

Cinco de Mayo tequila and mezcal recommendationsCinco de Mayo traditions include parades, mariachi music performances and street festivals in cities and towns across Mexico and the United States.

All about Cinco de Mayo Many people outside Mexico mistakenly believe that Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexican independence, which was declared more than 50 years before the Battle of Puebla. That event is commemorated on September 16, the anniversary of the revolutionary priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla’s famous “Grito de Dolores” (“Cry of Dolores”), a call to arms that amounted to a declaration of war against Spanish colonial government in 1810.

Thanks to Texas distributors of Corona in the 1980s, Cinco de Mayo has evolved to become one of the country’s largest drinking holidays in the US, on par with the Super Bowl. They launched a campaign to encourage Mexican Americans to embrace the connection between Mexican and American culture by drinking Mexican beer on this day. Over the next decade, the day gained nationwide popularity and evolved to include tequila, mezcal, and Mexican cuisine while celebrating the warm weather of early May. A preulde to Memorial Day Weekend if you will.

Now that you’ve learned a little bit about the history of this holiday and exactly what we are celebrating, discover the what makes tequila and mezcal unique.

tequila vs mezcal

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TEQUILA AND MEZCAL?

Tequila and mezcal are both distilled spirits that originate in Mexico and are made from agave — a succulent plant native to the Mexican desert. What makes them distinct liquors is what type of agave they are made from and where.

Mezcal may be made from any variety of agave (40-50 of the 200 agave varities are most commonly used) and in eight Mexican states with the majority produced in Oaxaca, while Tequila is subject to more rigid standards than mezcal.

Tequila may be made only from blue weber agave in five Mexican states, with the majority produced in Jalisco. Plus, to be considered tequila, Mexican standards require the liquor to be at least 51 percent derived from agave sap sugar, with the remaining 49 percent generally being corn or cane sugar.

MEZCAL VS. TEQUILA TASTING NOTES

how to taste tequila and mezcalWhen you think of mezcal vs. tequila, remember that tequila is a type of mezcal, similar to how bourbon and scotch are types of whiskey. Not all mezcals are tequilas, but all tequilas are mezcals.

The flavor differences in mezcal vs. tequila come down to the agave type and the location and climate of where it came, the cooking and distillation process used, and whether the spirit was aged.

Overall, tequila is sweeter, smoother, fruitier, and more complex and toasty from its oak aging. Mezcal gives more savory, smoky, and earthy flavors with vegetal, tropical, or floral notes.

For most drinking purposes, you can easily substitute a mezcal for a tequila without really changing the taste of a cocktail. Here are a few tequila cocktail recipes to really get you in the spirit!