Mezcal is a class of agave-based spirits handmade in Mexico. As Max Falkowitz wrote for Serious Eats: "All drinks come from somewhere, and reflect the values of those that make them. But nothing captures a place and a people like mezcal, a spirit that Mexicans have been making the same way for hundreds of years. That is, with Herculean labor guided by intuition and hard-won experience." Quick spoiler that may slightly blow your mind: Tequila is actually a type of mezcal, and not the other way around. Learn lots more about mezcal in his terrific article here.