mescal

IPA/ˈmeskæl/
IPA/ˈmeskæl/

mescal — noun

1. a type of strong alcoholic drink made in Mexico from the cooked and crushed cent

1.nounC1
Definition

a type of strong alcoholic drink made in Mexico from the cooked and crushed centre of the agave plant, which is then fermented and distilled

Example

Christopher ordered a bottle of mescal to share with his friends after dinner in Oaxaca.

countable: a bottle of mescal

Talia had never tried mescal before and was surprised by its smoky, earthy taste.

uncountable: tried mescal

Common collocations
  • distil mescal
  • drink mescal
  • bottle of mescal
  • locally produced mescal
  • smoky mescal
Synonyms
  • mezcal

    the Spanish-influenced spelling, increasingly the standard form on bottles and in restaurants

  • tequila

    a well-known type of mescal, but only made from blue agave in specific Mexican regions

Grammar Patterns

a bottle of mescal

two mescals (two servings)

Usage Note

Also spelled 'mezcal'. The spelling 'mezcal' is now common on product labels and in tourism writing, while 'mescal' is the traditional English spelling found in older texts.

Common Mistakes

Tequila and mescal are completely different drinks.
Tequila is a specific type of mescal made only from blue agave.
Tequila is a regional variety of mescal, not a separate category of drink.

2. a desert plant native to Mexico and the southwestern United States, belonging to

2.nounC2
Definition

a desert plant native to Mexico and the southwestern United States, belonging to the agave or cactus family, whose fleshy centre is used to make the drink mescal or which contains substances that affect the mind

Example

The mescal plant grows wild on the dry hillsides of northern Mexico.

collocation: mescal plant

Beatrix photographed a tall flowering mescal agave during her walk through the desert.

Common collocations
  • mescal plant
  • wild mescal
  • flowering mescal
  • mescal agave
  • mescal cactus
Synonyms
  • agave

    the plant family most commonly called mescal in the context of drink production

  • maguey

    a Spanish term for the agave, used in Mexico and occasionally in English botanical writing

  • peyote

    refers specifically to the small psychoactive cactus (Lophophora williamsii) that is also called mescal

Grammar Patterns

the mescal plant

Usage Note

In botanical contexts, 'mescal' can refer to several species of agave (especially Agave americana) or to the small peyote cactus (Lophophora williamsii). Context usually makes the meaning clear — when discussing the drink, the agave is meant; when discussing traditional rituals, the cactus is likely.

Common Mistakes

The mescal is a small cactus that makes you hallucinate.
Mescal can refer to several types of agave plants used for making the drink, or to the peyote cactus.
The drink-producing agave is the more common reference; the psychoactive cactus is a separate species.

Word family

  • mezcal
    nounC1
  • mescaline
    nounC2
  • mescal button
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Mescal, tequila, and pulque are all Mexican drinks made from agave plants, but they differ in production and status. Tequila is the most widely known — it is a legally protected type of mescal made exclusively from blue agave (Agave tequilana) in the Jalisco region. Mescal (or mezcal) is the broader category: it can be made from over thirty types of agave and often has a smoky flavour because the agave hearts are roasted in underground pits before distilling. Pulque is a different, older drink: it is a fermented (not distilled) sap from the agave plant, with a milky texture and lower alcohol content. In everyday use, 'tequila' is the default word for the drink outside Mexico; 'mescal' or 'mezcal' signals a more traditional, artisanal product. For example, a tourist might say 'I tried mescal in Oaxaca and it tasted smoky,' while ordering a margarita made with tequila at a bar.

mescal ↗tequila ↗mezcal ↗pulque

Common collocations

Nouns

  • mescal production
  • mescal plant
  • mescal bottle

Phrases

  • bottle of mescal
  • shot of mescal
  • type of mescal

Prepositions

  • of mescal
  • from mescal

Etymology

NahuatlSpanishEnglish

Mescal comes from Mexican Spanish 'mezcal', which was borrowed from the Nahuatl word 'mexcalli' — a combination of 'metl' (agave) and 'ixcalli' (baked or cooked). The name originally referred to the baked agave plant, and later to the drink made from it. The English spelling 'mescal' became common in the 19th century, though 'mezcal' has largely taken over in modern usage.