Meaning & use
mezcal
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable or uncountable
A strong alcoholic drink made in Mexico from agave plants, often smoky in taste.
Grammar: Can be countable when referring to a type or a glass: 'a mezcal'; uncountable when talking about the drink in general: 'I like mezcal.'
Patterns
- a bottle of mezcal
- mezcal from Oaxaca
They served mezcal in small glasses with orange slices.
Mezcal is made from roasted agave hearts, giving it a smoky flavor.
This mezcal comes from a small village in Oaxaca.
Word forms
| plural | mezcals |
|---|
Common combinations
- a shot of mezcal
- He ordered a shot of mezcal at the bar.
- mezcal cocktail
- The bartender made a mezcal cocktail with lime and chili.
- aged mezcal
- Aged mezcal is often smoother and more expensive.
- mezcal distillery
- We visited a mezcal distillery in Mexico.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tequila
- Also made from agave, but tequila is specifically from blue agave and is usually not smoky.
Commonly confused: mezcal or mescal?
mezcal vs mescal
An older spelling of the same drink, or a type of cactus; 'mezcal' is now the standard spelling for the spirit.
Practice
What is mezcal?
Choose one answer.
Mezcal is an alcoholic spirit made from agave. Option 0 is wrong because it is a drink, not a food; option 2 is a dance called flamenco; option 3 is a plant, not the drink.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mezcal”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.