Casamigos Joven Mezcal

Softer and less aggressively smoky than most mezcal, which is the point — it was made to be approachable. Expect gentle wood smoke rather than a bonfire, with roasted agave sweetness underneath, a little citrus, and a clean, faintly peppery finish.

It is made from 100% Espadín agave in Oaxaca, roasted in underground pits, which is where the smoke comes from. If you have tried mezcal before and found it overwhelming, this is the bottle most likely to change your mind.

All tequila is technically a mezcal, but not the reverse. Tequila must be made from blue Weber agave, and it is almost always steamed in ovens or autoclaves. Mezcal can be made from dozens of agave varieties and is traditionally roasted in underground pits lined with hot rocks and charcoal — which is where the smoke comes from. It is a cooking method, not an additive.

Region matters too: tequila comes mostly from Jalisco, mezcal mostly from Oaxaca. Browse both in our Mezcal and Tequila collections.

Joven means "young" — unaged, bottled straight after distillation without time in oak. It is the mezcal equivalent of a blanco tequila and it is the most common and most traditional style.

It is also the style that shows the agave and the roast most clearly, because there is no wood in the way. For mezcal, joven is not the entry-level option — it is what most serious drinkers actually want.

The Mezcal Negroni is the best argument for this bottle. Swap the gin for mezcal in equal parts with Campari Aperitivo Liqueur and sweet vermouth — smoke and bitterness are natural partners, and it is the version that converts people who think they dislike Negronis. Our Negroni guide covers it in full.

The other easy win is a mezcal margarita: use mezcal for half the tequila rather than all of it, and the smoke reads as depth instead of a stunt. A mezcal Paloma with grapefruit soda is the summer version.

Both work, and this bottle is unusual in being genuinely good at each. Traditionally mezcal is sipped neat at room temperature in a small clay copita, in small sips — never shot. The smoke and agave need air and warmth to open up.

Because it is on the gentler end of the mezcal spectrum, it is also forgiving in cocktails where a more aggressive bottle would take over. If you are buying one bottle to learn the category, this is a reasonable place to start.

They are different purchases. Casamigos Blanco Tequila is the crowd-pleaser — smooth, vanilla-forward, the bottle for a batch of margaritas for eight people.

The mezcal is the more interesting bottle and the one that will actually teach you something. It is also the pricier per-pour option, so the usual advice applies: buy the tequila if you are mixing for a crowd, buy the mezcal if you want to sit with it. Our sipping guide covers the neat-drinking approach for both.