Mezcal is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from any type of agave. The word mezcal comes from Nahuatl mexcalli metl and ixcalli which means "oven-cooked agave".

Agaves or magueys are found mainly in many parts of Mexico and all the way down to the equator, though most mezcal is made in Oaxaca.

Mezcal is generally consumed straight and has a strong smoky flavor.[