What Is Mezcal and How Is It Different From Tequila?

Mezcal is a Mexican spirit distilled from roasted, fermented agave, produced under Mexico's own mezcal standard, NOM-070-SCFI-2016, as set out by the Diario Oficial de la Federación. Tequila is a related but separate spirit, legally restricted to one agave variety and mostly made in one state. Bandida Mezcal is handcrafted in Oaxaca from 100% organic agave, with no sugar, additives, or preservatives added at any point.

Key Takeaways

• Mezcal can be made from multiple agave varieties, while tequila must use only Blue Weber agave, according to WSET Global.
• About 90% of mezcal production comes from Oaxaca, WSET Global reports, against roughly 98% of tequila coming from Jalisco.
• Mexico's tequila standard permits an alcohol range of 35% to 55% ABV and allows up to 49% non-agave sugar unless the bottle is labelled "100% agave," per the Secretaría de Economía.
• Mezcal sold in Mexico sits under its own regulation, NOM-070-SCFI-2016, separate from the tequila standard.
• Bandida Reposado won IWSC 2025 Gold with a score of 95%, made from 100% organic agave with zero additives.

What is mezcal made from?

Mezcal is about as pure as a spirit gets. It's made from just two ingredients: cooked agave and spring water. Nothing else goes in, no flavour additives, no sweeteners, no shortcuts.

Most mezcal, ours included, is made artesanal. Agave hearts are roasted in earthen pits, crushed by tahona (a huge stone wheel), and left to ferment naturally in open-air vats. There's no machinery running the show and no electricity involved in a traditional palenque. Mezcal is normally made by families, with the knowledge passed down from one generation to the next. Our own mezcal is made by a fourth-generation Maestro Mezcalero, someone who grew up around the pits and the tahona the way his father and grandfather did.

Agave itself isn't a cactus, even though people assume it is. It's a succulent in the asparagus family, which makes it more closely related to asparagus than to any cactus you'd find in the desert. That detail matters because agave's growing conditions, altitude, soil, and species all shape what ends up in the bottle. You can read more about where that variation comes from on our mezcal producing regions page.

How is mezcal different from tequila?

Mezcal and tequila are cousins, not the same spirit. Tequila must be made from a single agave species, Blue Weber, mostly grown in one state, while mezcal can come from multiple agave varieties across nine recognised regions of Mexico, with different rules on sugar, ageing, and production method.

Here's how the two compare on the specifics that actually matter:

That sugar rule is worth sitting with for a second. A bottle simply labelled "Tequila" can legally include sugars from sources other than agave, up to 49% of the total, unless it's specifically marked "100% de Agave," per the Secretaría de Economía. Mezcal doesn't get that option. Only agave sugars are permitted, full stop. It's part of why mezcal is often described as the purer of the two spirits, and why we make a point of saying our own mezcal has no sugar and no additives at any stage.

Tequila's legal ABV band runs from 35% to 55%, per Mexico's tequila standard, so a 43% ABV bottle sits comfortably within it. Mezcal doesn't share that exact framework since it answers to NOM-070-SCFI-2016 instead. Our own expressions range from 35% ABV up to 43%, which puts them well inside what most drinkers expect from an agave spirit either way.

Is mezcal always smoky, and does that mean it's flavoured?

Mezcal's smoke comes from the roasting, not from anything added afterwards. Agave hearts cook for days in underground pits lined with volcanic rock and wood, and that slow roast is what gives mezcal its characteristic smoky note, not a flavouring or an additive poured in later.

It's a common mix-up, and an understandable one if you've only ever had tequila, which is typically steamed or oven-cooked rather than pit-roasted. Bandida is 100% organic agave and additive free, so whatever character you're tasting in a glass of Bandida Blanco or Bandida Black came from the roasting and fermentation, not from a lab.

On the worm question, since it comes up a lot: no, mezcal doesn't have a worm in it by default. The gusano de maguey you might have seen in old bottles is a marketing tradition from decades back, not a production requirement, and it's mostly gone from bottles produced today.

The Bandida Ultra Premium Mezcal Collection

Bandida uses 100% organic agaves and is additive free, across every expression we make. The full range sits on our products page, and each bottle is handcrafted rather than run through an industrial process.

• Bandida Blanco (700 ML), our signature mezcal, bottled at 43% ABV.
• Bandida Black (700 ML), bottled at 35% ABV.
• Bandida Reposado (700 ML), bottled at 40% ABV, aged 6 months, tahona-crushed, wild-fermented, volcanic-rock cooked, made from 10-year matured, 11-year-old agaves grown in a single village. It won IWSC 2025 Gold with a score of 95%.
• Bandida Cristal (700 ML), bottled at 40% ABV, available through Amazon UK.

Reposado and Cristal both come in a triple-fired ceramic porcelain bottle shaped like an agave piña, with real gold detailing of Mayahuel, the Aztec goddess of agave, on the base, a glass interior lining, and a heavy metal-alloy lid with a custom cork closure. Fifty special edition Cristal bottles carry a colour Mayahuel instead of the gold version. You can read more about that Amazon launch on our announcement page.

If you're mixing rather than sipping, our signature cocktails are built specifically around these bottles: the Oaxaca Old Fashioned, the Mezcal Mule, the Cafe Mezcal Negroni, and the Naked and Famous. Each one is designed to let the agave character come through rather than bury it.

Bandida's a story we want more people to experience, responsibly and authentically. You can read how that story started on Our Story.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use mezcal in a margarita instead of tequila?

Mezcal works in a margarita, but it changes the drink. The smoke from pit-roasting comes through much more than tequila's cleaner profile, so it suits people who want that character in the glass rather than a straight substitute for a classic recipe.

Why does Bandida call itself "artesanal ultra premium"?

Artesanal describes the production method: hand-roasted agave, tahona crushing, wild fermentation, no machines or electricity. Ultra premium describes the quality standard we hold every batch to, 100% organic agave, no sugar, no additives, no preservatives, across Bandida Blanco, Black, Reposado, and Cristal.

Where can I buy Bandida outside the UK?

Bandida is served across the UK, Spain, France, Monaco, Italy, and Greece. For sourcing outside the UK, our France distributor contact is reachable at contact@finebeverages.fr, and general enquiries go to agave@bandida.com.

Does a higher ABV mean a better mezcal?

Not necessarily. ABV reflects strength, not quality. Bandida Black sits at 35% ABV while Bandida Blanco sits at 43%, and both are made to the same standard: 100% organic agave, handcrafted, no additives. Which one suits you comes down to how you plan to drink it, neat or mixed.

If you're weighing up which Bandida expression fits your bar, your event, or a gift you're planning, send the details through the enquiry form below this article and we'll point you toward the right bottle.