Native to certain states of Mexico, mezcal is making its way North onto cocktail menus all over the country. In fact, Business Wire predicts the market demand for the agave-based alcohol will grow by more than $980 million in the next four years. But what is mezcal, anyway? If you re like me and not a mixologist or well-versed in types of alcohol, you might wonder what the difference is between mezcal and tequila. They are both agave-based spirits, after all. While this is true, their succulent plant roots are the only relation shared. There are more than 200 varieties of agave. Tequila is solely made from blue Weber agave. Mezcal is made from one (or a combination) of about 30 types of agave that are roasted and fermented. Tequila is a type of mezcal (aka all tequila is mezcal), but all mezcal isn t tequila. Still confused? Totally fine. Read on to learn more about mezcal as well as some delicious ways to drink it if you decide to give it a try.