In the Mexican state of Jalisco, near a small town called Tequila, the spirit of the same name was created in the 19th century, using only blue agave for its production. The special aroma of this spirit quickly spread beyond the borders of Mexico and tequila became the best-known drink in its home country.
Mezcal describes the super-category of agave spirits, to which tequila also belongs. In traditional production, the agaves are cooked in earth ovens, giving them complex aromas of earth and smoke. Tequila, which only emerged later, was originally a special type of mezcal made exclusively from blue agave.