Mezcal is a Mexican spirit distilled from agave. It has held a Denomination of Origin since 1994, and production is now recognized in nine states: Oaxaca, Guerrero, Durango, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Tamaulipas, Michoacán, and Puebla. Oaxaca accounts for the overwhelming share of output and is home to most traditional palenques.
The official standard (NOM-070) distinguishes three categories: Mezcal, where industrial methods are permitted; Mezcal Artesanal, requiring pit or masonry ovens and small-batch stills; and Mezcal Ancestral, which adds clay-pot distillation and other pre-industrial methods. Dozens of agave species can be used; espadín dominates because it matures relatively quickly and is widely cultivated, while wild species such as tobalá or tepeztate are harvested in much smaller quantities.