MAIN REFERENCES

To create this website, we have compiled information from various sources. We have made an effort to the best of our knowledge; any mistakes are ours. Aside from data gathered through mezcaleros and magueyeros from the different agaves regions, most of the information comes from the following institutions:

Using new information, GIS techniques & building on the groundbreaking ‘Mezcales y Diversidad’ publication by CONABIO in 2006 as a foundation, a renowned group of biologists from the UNAM just updated and amplified the information, producing innovative maps and amazing information of 30 agaves species from Mexico, which are used in mezcal production. One of their goals is to do further studies of Mezcal, but also include other distillates done with agave, such as Tequila & Raicilla, as well as Pulque, the iconic fermented Mexican drink. Moreover, Agaves de America, as their name implies, will do studies of species from other regions of America, the continent cradle to the Agave genre.

In our infographics, we have used their openly available information to define how the agaves are ranked in terms of their geographic distribution in Mexico (area covered in square kilometers by each agave species in 2020, both measured in the field & potential distribution)  

More information available on their webpage:

It is the administrative body that oversees the denomination of origin of Mezcal. It is a private organism, appointed by the Mexican government, which is integrated by agave producers, mezcal producers, bottlers and sellers of mezcal. All of which follow the rules laid down in the NOM 070, which is the law drafted by the Mexican government, recently updated in 2016, which clearly defines, among other things, what a mezcal is, where it can be produced and depending on how it is produced, which type or class of mezcal it can be sold as legally.

We have used their publicly available information to define in our infographics, how each agave is ranked by its contribution in mezcal production (number of liters of mezcal produced by each one in 2019)  

More information available on their webpage:

crm.org.mx

Glossary:

UNAM  (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México; English.: National Autonomous University of Mexico)

CONABIO (Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad; English: National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity

CRM (‘Consejo Mexicano Regulador del Mezcal’; English: Mexican Regulatory Council of Mezcal)

NOM 070 (‘Normal Oficial Mexicana 070’; English: Official Mexican Norm 070)