According to mythic lore… long ago in ancient Mexico, a lightning bolt struck the heart (or gem) of the agave plant, roasting + fermenting its sugars + releasing the plant’s sacred, mystical sap known today as mezcal.

But what’s the real difference between mezcal + tequila? Everything you need to know + more to distinguish between the two agave-distilled spirits below:

Tequila

• Agave: Must be made with blue Weber agave, which is noted for its higher sugar concentration compared to other agave varietals. To be classified as tequila, the spirit must contain 50% agave. Unless otherwise stated, the other 50% of tequila is often made up of added sugars & fillers.
• Production: The production of tequila often utilizes machinery, classifying it as industrial, versus artisanal.
• Region: Must be produced in the state of Jaslisco, Mexico.

Mezcal

• Agave: Utilizes dozens of agave varietals, which are most often connected to the region in which it’s made. For this reason, mezcal support biodiversity. Like tequila, mezcal must contain 100% agave to be considered mezcal. GEM&BOLT is made with 100% Espadin agave.
• Production: Mezcal production is considered artisanal (or, “artesanal” in Spanish). Agave hearts (or “gems”) are roasted in wood fire ground ovens with little or no machinery use.
• Region: Can be produced in 7 states within Mexico (Oaxaca, Guerrero, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas, Durango, Tamaulipas, and Michoacán), but most typically, in Oaxaca – home to GEM&BOLT.

GEM&BOLT Mezcal Artesanal

• Agave: A clean spirit made with 100% hand-harvested Espadin agave. Fertilized by bats in the night, grown to 8-10 year maturity + harvested using traditional methods by fourth generation Maestro Mezcalero in the highlands of Oaxaca.
• Production: GEM&BOLT is slowly wood-roasted in earth-pit ovens and mashed by traditional Tahona stone. Roasted mash is fermented naturally in wooden vats + distilled with precision in small copper stills.
• Region: Produced in San Dionisio Ocotepec in the Tlacolula Valley.
• Damiana: A flowering bush native to Mexico long- revered by the Maya + Aztec for its mood-elevating properties + endowing mythic powers in the bedroom. This beloved + uplifting herb naturally translates into a sophisticated botanical pairing – we call our clean spirit a heart-opener.