Tequila is made from the blue agave plant, while mezcal is made from a variety of agave plants. The most common agave used for mezcal is the espadín agave.
The agave plants are harvested and the piñas (the heart of the agave plant) are extracted and brought to the palenque (distillery). There, they are chopped into smaller pieces and cooked in a stone oven or above ground oven for around 24 hours.
After cooking, the agave piñas are mashed and put into a fermentation tank where they will sit for around a week. During this time, natural yeast will convert the agave’s sugars into alcohol.
Once fermentation is complete, the mezcal is distilled. It is typically distilled twice, but some mezcals are distilled three times. This is what gives mezcal its smoky flavor.
After distillation, the mezcal is ready to be bottled and enjoyed. Some mezcals are aged in barrels, which can give them a more complex flavor.