Chris Simmons, National Agave Spirits Specialist for Mezcal Vago, joins us today to tell us how to pair Mezcal Vago with pretty much anything -- but especially a Charred Corn Avocado Salad with Pickled Onions! Snag our recipe here: https://littlespicejar.com/charred-corn-avocado-salad/

The Pairing: We're going complementary flavors here -- corn with corn! Vago Mezcal uses charred corn in the second distillation and those flavors will marry perfectly with several elements of our salad. Do not sleep on pairing foods with agave-based spirits! Chris claims Italian food and Mezcal work beautifully.

What Makes Mezcal Vago Special:

• American best friends Judah and Dylan traveled to Oaxaca and decided to open a beachside bar. One day, Judah had an ear infection, and ended up falling in love with his nurse, Valentina. Valentina's father Aquilino grew agave for Mezcal as a hobby. They decided to sell his wares to fellow surfers on the coast, and it became wildly popular. Mezcal Vago was born.
• Mezcal Vago has four bottlings from four different palenques (distilleries) in Southern & South-Central Oaxaca, with 4 different 'Terroirs' and village styles. Elote was the first they produced.
• Vago in Spanish means a "Lazy bum," but also a term of endearment. Think: your grandmother yelling you to come inside after dark. "Time to come in, Vago!"
• Corn adds a roundness and slight sweetness to this Mezcal Elote

Differences between Mezcal and Tequila:

• Types of Agave: Tequila and Mezcal are both agave spirits, but Tequila must all come from Blue Weber Agave, while Mezcal uses upwards of 3 dozen different agaves
• Production Method: Mezcal is a more ancient style of production, while Tequila uses more modern methods. All agave needs to be cooked or steamed to convert the starches to fermentable sugars. In Tequila we use steam in an autoclave, while Mezcal we often cook agave in underground pits heated by firewood
• Aging: Tequila is more likely to be aged versus Mezcal. Barrels were not traditionally found in most Mezcal-producing areas

Learn more here: https://mezcalvago.com/ Mezcal Vago on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mezcalvago/