Smooth as Fire: New Mexico-based artist and mezcal lover Ron Cooper offers tastes of one of his Del Maguey Oaxacan mezcal masterpieces to brave and curious drinkers.

Mezcal. It''s one of those loaded words that seems to produce a response in everyone. Laced with adventurous machismo, the name conjures up late-night drinking contests and monumental hangovers. Best described as a warm-blooded version of tequila, mezcal, when done right, is as righteous a sipping liqueur as many of the finest single malt whiskies.

But try telling that to the uninitiated, and you''ll be greeted with howls, jeers and more than a few asides like "rot gut" and "moonshine." Let''s demystify those stereotypes one by one, shall we?

Mezcal is one of the important drinks of rustic, rural Mexico--the traditional toast of choice at countless rites of passage and ceremonial occasions. While part of the very fabric of native Zapotec and Mixtec culture, mezcal''s north-of-the-border mystique puts it high on travelers'' tipple lists.

Like tequila, mezcal is made from the heart of the agave plant. Mezcal is distinguished from tequila by being distilled only once--with a notable exception we''ll discuss later--hence the tendency to brandish more bite and burn than tequila. Distillation, incidentally, was one of the few positive contributions made by the Spanish conquistadors to native Mexican culture. Stumbling upon, or perhaps as a result of, pulque--a milky, low-alcohol homebrew made from fermented agave juice--the Spanish overlords decided to step up the firepower via distillation. Mezcal--80 to 100 proof strong--was the result, and for 400 years it''s fueled the religious calendar as well as village festivities in remote regions of Mexico.

Mezcal is usually produced in warmer climates farther south than tequilas, which are produced exclusively within a specific region that straddles central Mexico. Tequila is produced by steaming or baking the agave, rather than roasting it. Tequila is essentially mezcal that''s allowed to be called "tequila"--considered a commercial advantage--due to state licensing.

Mezcal is made from the heart of the agave or maguey plant. The heart is roasted and then ground into a mash. The mash is fermented, then distilled.

Oh yes, about the worm. There really is a point to that seemingly flamboyant fillip--the worm itself is a native resident of the mezcal-producing succulent. It doesn''t frequent the agave commonly used to produce tequilas. So its presence in the bottle is an identifying signature, proof that you''re about to knock back a shot of mezcal, rather than tequila.

Within the small group of mezcals available in the USA, the colorful labels of Del Maguey stand out--and not just for visual reasons. In the quartet of exceptional mezcals imported by the Taos, New Mexico company, the handmade, the ancient and the organic converge with breathtaking and sinus-clearing results. Rated by many as the best in the world, Del Maguey took top honors at both the 1999 World Spirits Championship and the 2000 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Estate-Bottled Liquid Magic

Del Maguey mezcals sip the way they do because they are made according to 400 years of tradition. Four remote villages in the state of Oaxaca yield what amount to rustic versions of estate-bottled mezcals, each created by a village artisan--a palenquero--who hand-crafts no more than 3,200 bottles each year of this high-proof, liquid magic.

The company was born after Taos artist Ron Cooper became smitten with mezcals from isolated villages on a lengthy visit to Oaxaca 10 years ago. Over the next few years of visits, Cooper built an alliance with four villages, whose men produce the liquor and whose women weave the colorful straw wrappers that encase each bottle.

Del Maguey''s village producers use 100 percent agave espidin, which is grown for eight years before coming to harvest size. The heart of the enormous maguey--called the pi˜a because it resembles a pinecone--is slowly roasted in earthen pits for three days. This step produces the smoky fragrance that distinguishes mezcals, much as peat fires lend their haunting luster to highland whiskies.

After being ground into a mash by horse-drawn stone wheels, the roasted pulp is packed into wooden barrels for natural fermentation. Local spring water is added in minute quantities--the one and only thing added to these limited-edition mezcals. Fermentation occurs through the agave''s own yeasts. Then, not one, but two distillations take place, rendering the final product as smooth as a Veracruz moon.

Each village harvests only its locally grown agave--as with single malts, there is no blending of batches. Hence the regional terroir--in sipping one can detect the micro-climatic variations, the fruity spice of a warm valley, the elegance induced by lush, fog-cooled mountains. The effect of this labor-intensive hand production is complex, haunting and utterly enchanting.

At close to 100 proof, these mezcals are capable of mind-altering enchantment and are best approached with the same respect one reserves for grappa or aged rums.

"People''s use of mezcal down here," Cooper says, "and my interest in it, stems way back to pulque, which existed before distillation. The ritual use of pulque was enormous. The Aztecs'' 400 gods of pulque were representative of the infinite forms that intoxication takes. The native culture was sensitized to the immense release of being in an altered state--it''s considered liberating."

Cooper points out that in indigenous mezcal circles "funerals last for days and days. The dead are laid out, and mezcal is served to everybody--people are encouraged to drink a lot to achieve a state closer to God."

Getting close to God is an unadulterated experience with Del Maguey mezcals because they contain no additives. "There are producers in some villages that add ammonium nitrate to speed up the fermentation process. Or urea," he warns. "Tequilas are made with that process."

Used as a ceremonial drink in southern Mexico, mezcal "is a crucial part of all fiestas, weddings, baptisms, funerals--it is not drunk as a cocktail or for everydaypurposes, but for special circumstances," notes Cooper, adding that elderly people often use mezcal for medicinal purposes.

Cooper says that last year Del Maguey began making a limited, 400-bottle edition of mezcal from wild mountain agave, tobala. "Tobala," Cooper explains, "means ''the plant that grows in high shady canyons.'' It''s about one-tenth the size of the giant plant--it''s wild tasting and about 5 percent sweeter. A wonderful high."

Even his competitors among giant mezcal producers, says the maestro of maguey, are pleased that Del Maguey is "raising the level of respect" for mezcal. Respect aside, this creation is about an incomparable experience. "The high," Cooper sighs, "starts around the back side of my head where warm, soft, humorous thoughts start running around."

Del Maguey Mezcals are currently available at Nielsen Brothers Market (7th and San Carlos in Carmel, 624-94630) and Pebble Beach Market (2184 Sunset in Pacific Grove, 649-2794). For more info, write to Del Maguey, Ltd. Co., PO Box 667, Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico 87557, call 505/758-1211, or click on the company''s Web site at www.mezcal.com

Smoke&Mirrors

Seven palates, four mezcals and 400 gods.The adage that "Many are called, few are chosen" definitely applies to an invitation to taste rare, limited edition mezcals. No one--including mezcal virgins--turned me down when asked to sample the quartet of handmade mezcals that constitute Del Maguey''s product line.

Naturally, these same volunteers tittered a lot when I laid out the gorgeous bottles of Oaxaqueño white lightning, each colorfully labeled and packaged within a woven palm fiber jacket.

Working in the order suggested by the experts, we began our tasting.

San Luis Del Rio96.6 proof. An earthy, very smoky sip with a warm finish, this has as close to a bite as you can get and still have good manners. Once they''d regained their breath, the samplers jumped in with comments. Some detected spice and a top note of citrus, others tasted aromatic elements of sagebrush, peppers and mesquite. All found this one quite smoky, even woodsy. Created in a village at 8,000 feet elevation two hours south of the city of Oaxaca, this gorgeous mezcal is made in a landscape of bromeliads, iguanas and vast mountaintop fields of corn.

San Chichicapa95.6 proof. Next we sampled this buttery, more floral number with a light nose and some detectable tones of mint and grapefruit. While more complex in the middle, this one lacked the fragrant nose of the first mezcal. The feeling of warmth was less aggressive. Opinions on the Chichicapa were mixed, with several of the seven tasters finding it unlikable. Made by Faustino Garcia Vasquez, this mezcal hails from a broad valley whose tropical climate also produces bananas, guava and mango.

Santo Domingo Albarradas98.4 proof. Located at a serious altitude of 8,500 feet, this offering is made in a tropical zone that actually resembles parts of Hawaii, with tropical plants, mountain streams and spectacularly pure water. Sampling the handiwork of palenqueros Espiridion Morales Luis and his son Juan, we all agreed that this was one complex mezcal. One taster commented on the immediate rush and the lingering flavor. Another called it herbal and plant-like. Still another missed the smoky quality and found it sweet and a bit glue-like in flavor. I loved the spiciness and pepper oil finish.

Minero98.2 proof. We all agreed that the final sample was the most interesting of all four. The depth was remarkable, with a huge floral bouquet and smooth, sweet fruitiness. Some of this noticeably complex flavor must be due to the fact that a clay still with bamboo tubing is used for making Minero rather than the traditional copper still. The village is also located at the lowest of the four altitudes, a mere (!) 6,000 feet elevation. One taster found hints of licorice, and another cinnamon. I detected a bouquet of pears. Still others insisted on a suggestion of oranges, gardenias, even butterscotch. We all agreed that it was the most complex, the most intriguing. If joy and mystery married and produced a flavor, Minero would be it.

Even with very, very small samples, this quartet produced a definite and voluptuously primal buzz. The 400 gods would approve. They also would leave the driving to others.