{"id":1800,"date":"2021-07-27T14:34:40","date_gmt":"2021-07-27T20:34:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lalunamezcal.com\/usa\/\/\/\/\/?page_id=1800"},"modified":"2022-09-22T15:48:10","modified_gmt":"2022-09-22T21:48:10","slug":"glossary","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.lalunamezcal.com\/usa\/glossary\/","title":{"rendered":"Glossary"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

LA LUNA GLOSSARY<\/h1>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

LA LUNA GLOSSARY<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\u201cPara todo mal, mezcal, y para todo bien, tambien.\u201d<\/em>
(\u201cFor everything bad, mezcal, and for everything good, as well\u2019)<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Agave<\/i><\/b>:\u00a0 Scientific name for a genus in the <\/span>Asparagaceae <\/span><\/i>plant family with almost 200 species, about 30 of them used to make <\/span>pulque<\/span><\/i> and mezcal<\/span>.<\/b> Also known in Mexico as <\/span>maguey<\/span><\/i>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>

Aguamiel <\/i><\/b>(\u201choney water\u201d):\u00a0 Sweet sap that flows from the <\/span>pi\u00f1a <\/span><\/i>up the stalk, or <\/span>quiote, <\/span><\/i>of the mature agave to its flowers. The stalk is cut just before flowering and the nectar is fermented to make <\/span>pulque.<\/span><\/i><\/p>

Alambique <\/i><\/b>(\u201calembic\u201d):\u00a0 A still; a distilling apparatus consisting of a pot to heat a liquid and a cap (or head) to cool and condense vapors which then flow through a downward-sloping tube into a receiver.<\/span><\/p>

A. sp. <\/i><\/b>(\u201cunspecified agave\u201d): An agave whose species and\/or sub-species or variety has not been officially determined.<\/span><\/p>

Azul <\/i><\/b>(\u201cblue\u201d):\u00a0 Spanish name for <\/span>A. tequilana. <\/span><\/i>Also called <\/span>Maguey Azul <\/span><\/i>(\u201cblue agave\u201d) and in English, blue Weber agave.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Bagazo <\/i><\/b>(\u201cpulp\u201d):\u00a0 Fiber, or shred, remaining after agave juice is extracted from the <\/span>pi\u00f1a.<\/span><\/i><\/p>

Brix <\/i><\/b>(for Adolf Brix, mathematician and engineer):\u00a0 The unit for specific gravity of a liquid, degree (\u00b0) Brix, as a measure of dissolved sugar concentration.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Bruto<\/i><\/b>\u00a0(\u201cbrute\u201d)<\/span>:\u00a0 Local Cojita name for a very large, wild agave, <\/span>A. inaequidens, <\/span><\/i>also known as <\/span>Alto <\/span><\/i>(\u201chigh\u201d) in Morelia.<\/span><\/p>

Cabeza <\/i><\/b>(\u201chead\u201d):\u00a0 First part or cut of the distillate. Also called the <\/span>punta.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>

Cao. <\/i><\/b>Long-handled tool with a round blade used to cut leaves and roots from agave plants, yielding the <\/span>pi\u00f1a<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Capon. <\/i><\/b>Cutting of the mature agave stalk, or <\/span>quiote<\/span><\/i>, early on to prevent the flow of sap, keeping it stored in the <\/span>pi\u00f1a <\/span><\/i>until harvest for mezcal production.<\/span><\/p>

Catador. <\/i><\/b>One who samples or tastes mezcal to evaluate quality.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Cazo <\/i><\/b>(\u201csaucepan\u201d):\u00a0 A 200-liter copper distillation vessel, used with a pinewood still.\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>

Cazuela <\/i><\/b>(\u201cpot\u201d):\u00a0 Traditional clay distillation vessel in Jalisco and Cotija. See also <\/span>Hoya de Barro.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>

Cenizo <\/i><\/b>(\u201cash\u201d):\u00a0 Local name for an agave species with grayish leaves. See <\/span>Manso Sahuayo.<\/span><\/i><\/p>

Chino<\/i><\/b>(\u201ccurly hair\u201d)<\/span>:\u00a0 A La Luna mezcal expression made from wild <\/span>A. cupreata<\/span><\/em>, <\/span>named for curling thorns on its leaves.<\/span><\/b><\/p>

Cocci\u00f3n <\/i><\/b>(\u201ccooking\u201d):\u00a0 The process of roasting the agave <\/span>pi\u00f1a <\/span><\/i>to convert carbohydrates into fructose (fruit sugar) for fermentation; also, the duration of cooking.<\/span><\/p>

Colas amargas <\/i><\/b>(\u201cbitter tails\u201d): Bitter fourth part or cut of the distillate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Colas dulces<\/i><\/b> (\u201csweet tails\u201d):\u00a0 Sweet third part or cut of the distillate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Cono<\/i><\/b>:\u00a0 An inverted copper cone (also called a cap or head) at the top of a still chilled by circulating water to cool and condense distillation vapors that drip from its tip into a <\/span>cuchara<\/span><\/i>, or gutter, and flow into a receptacle.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Cotija: <\/i><\/b>Cotija de la Paz is a municipality in the state of Michoac\u00e1n, known for its cheese and mezcal \u2014 home to the Chavez family and a small La Luna <\/span>vinata.<\/span><\/i><\/p>

Criollo <\/i><\/b>(\u2018creole\u201d):\u00a0 A small, heirloom blue Weber agave with concentrated sugar and flavor.<\/span><\/p>

CRM.<\/i><\/b> Acronym for <\/span>Consejo<\/i><\/b> Mexicano <\/span><\/i>Regulador<\/i><\/b> de la Calidad del <\/span><\/i>Mezcal<\/i><\/b>, the governing body for the Denominaci\u00f3n de Origen of mezcal. Currently, the CRM oversees production of certified mescal in nine Mexican states.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Cuchara <\/i><\/b>(\u201cspoon\u201d):\u00a0 A copper gutter inside a wooden still that catches mezcal distillate as it cools, condenses, and drips off of the still\u2019s copper cone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Cuerpo <\/i><\/b>(\u201cbody\u201d):\u00a0 The middle and main part or cut of the distillate. Also called the <\/span>coraz\u00f3n <\/span><\/i>(\u201cheart\u201d).<\/span><\/p>

Cupreata:<\/i><\/b> An agave, <\/span>A. cupreata, <\/span><\/i>both wild and cultivated.<\/span><\/p>

Destilado con<\/i><\/b> (\u201cdistilled with\u201d): Mezcal category indicating something added like fruit, herbs, or spices during distillation to contribute aroma and flavor nuances. Associated with custom batches.<\/span><\/p>

Encino verde <\/i><\/b>(\u201cgreen oak\u201d):\u00a0 Green, or not completely dry, white oak wood with sufficient moisture content to roast agave <\/span>pi\u00f1as<\/span><\/i> properly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Ensamble<\/i><\/b>. A blend or mixture of mezcal expressions made from two or more agave species or sub-species.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Espad\u00edn. <\/i><\/b>The predominate agave in Oaxaca, <\/span>A. angustifolia var. espad\u00edn <\/span><\/i>(related to <\/span>espada, <\/span><\/i>\u201csword,\u201d for the shape of its leaves).<\/span><\/p>

Espadincillo. <\/i><\/b>A maguey \u2013 recognized as <\/span>A. sp <\/span><\/i>(\u201cunspecified agave\u2019) by CRM, and considered by other experts to be<\/span> A. angustifolia var. espadincillo, <\/span><\/i>a sub-variety of <\/span>A. angustafolia var. espad\u00edn <\/span><\/i>—<\/span><\/i>\u00a0 <\/span><\/i>that is found in Michoac\u00e1n.<\/span><\/p>

Et\u00facuaro. <\/i><\/b>Small town in the Madero municipality, 18 miles south of the Michoac\u00e1n capital of Morelia, site of a small <\/span>vinata <\/span><\/i>where the first La Luna mezcals were made by Isidro Perez, mezcalero and partner.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Exprimidor <\/i><\/b>(\u201csqueezer\u201d): Device to press and extract juice from a <\/span>pi\u00f1a.<\/span><\/i><\/p>

Gusto. <\/i><\/b>Taste or pleasure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Hornilla <\/i><\/b>(\u201coven\u201d or \u201cburner\u201d):\u00a0 A wood-fired oven that heats a <\/span>cazo <\/i><\/b>for distillation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Horno C\u00f3nico <\/i><\/b>(\u201cconical oven\u201d):\u00a0 Cone-shaped earthen oven lined with volcanic rock used to cook or roast agave <\/span>pi\u00f1as. <\/span><\/i>\u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/p>

Hoya de Barro <\/i><\/b>(\u201cclay pot\u201d):\u00a0 Traditional distillation vessel used in Cotija and Jalisco\u2019s Sierra de Tigre.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Hydrolysis. <\/i><\/b>A chemical breakdown of a substance, like a complex sugar, in reaction to water.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Indaparapeo<\/i><\/b>:\u00a0 A municipality in Michoac\u00e1n, 15 miles northeast of the capital of Morelia, and the location of La Luna\u2019s main <\/span>vinata.<\/span><\/i><\/p>

Jimador: <\/i><\/b>One who harvests agave. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Joven <\/b>(\u201cyoung\u201d):\u00a0 An un-aged mezcal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Maguey<\/i><\/b>. <\/b>Spanish synonym in Mexico for agave.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Manso Sahuayo<\/i><\/b> (\u201ctame\u201d Sahuayo):\u00a0 An <\/span>Agave sp., <\/span><\/i>or \u201cunspecified\u201d agave, named for the Sahuayo area, about 16 miles north of Cojita. (See <\/span>Cenizo.<\/span><\/i>)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>

Mezcal. <\/i><\/b>A distilled alcoholic beverage made from cooking and fermenting the <\/span>pi\u00f1a<\/span><\/i> of the agave. The word mezcal is from the Nahuatl <\/span>mexcalli, <\/span><\/i>a combination of <\/span>metl<\/span><\/i> (\u201cagave\u201d) and <\/span>ixcalli <\/span><\/i>(\u201coven-cooked\u201d). Tequila is a (subset of) mezcal, but not all mezcal is tequila. Certified mezcal is produced in nine Mexican states.<\/span><\/p>

Mezcalero. <\/i><\/b>One who makes mezcal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Morelia. <\/i><\/b>Capital city of the Mexican state of Michoac\u00e1n.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Mosto<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/i><\/b>(\u201cmust\u201d):\u00a0 Fresh agave juice and solids <\/span>(bagazo) <\/span><\/i>from cooked and shredded <\/span>pi\u00f1a, <\/span><\/i>plus water, ready for hydrolysis and wild yeast fermentation. <\/span>Also called <\/span>tuba. See Mosto muerto <\/span><\/i>(below).<\/span><\/p>

Muerto <\/i><\/b>(\u2018dead\u201d):\u00a0 <\/span>Mosto muerto<\/span><\/i> is agave must that has finished fermentation. <\/span>Also called <\/span>Tuba muerta<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>

Nahuatl.<\/i><\/b> The language of the Aztecs, one of 63 indigenous languages in Mexico, dates from at least the 7th century C.E.<\/span><\/p>

Ordinario<\/i><\/b>(\u201cusual\u201d):\u00a0 First distillation of fermented agave <\/span>mosto<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span>See Refinada.<\/span><\/i><\/p>

Parada<\/i><\/b> (\u201cstop\u201d):\u00a0 The process of filling the <\/span>cazo <\/span><\/i>with 160 literes of<\/span> ordinario<\/span><\/i> then distilling again to 50 liters of <\/span>refinado <\/span><\/i>(when distillation \u201cstops\u201d). Also refers to the final product.<\/span><\/p>

Petate. <\/i><\/b>A <\/span>woven<\/span> dried palm leaf <\/span>mat<\/span> used to cover roasting agave, burning wood, and hot rock in underground ovens;<\/span>\u00a0wet<\/span> mats<\/span> are then sealed with dirt on top.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Pencas. <\/i><\/b>Leaves of the agave plant.<\/span><\/p>

Perlas <\/i><\/b>(\u201cpearls\u201d):\u00a0 Small bubbles created and observed by shaking a transparent container of mezcal; the longer the bubbles persist, the closer the mezcal is to the \u201csweet spot\u201d of alcohol content, 48+% ABV.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Pie de levadura <\/i><\/b>(\u201cfoot of yeast\u201d):\u00a0 Addition of sweet, free-run agave juice to the <\/span>mosto <\/span><\/i>to stimulate yeast activity in fermentation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Pila <\/i><\/b>(\u201cpile,\u201d \u201cbasin\u201d): A container, rectangular or square and often in-ground, in which agave juice is extracted from cooked <\/span>pi\u0144as.<\/span><\/i><\/p>

Pi\u00f1a <\/i><\/b>(\u201cpineapple\u201d or \u201cpinecone\u201d): The \u201cheart\u201d of the agave plant where carbohydrates are stored that can be cooked, fermented, and distilled to make mezcal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Pulque <\/i><\/b>(from the Nahuatl <\/span>octli<\/span><\/i>): A traditional milky alcoholic beverage made by fermenting the sap, or <\/span>aguamiel,<\/span><\/i> of the agave plant; produced for millennia in central Mexico. <\/span>Pulque <\/i><\/b>is occasionally used to help start agave fermentation.<\/span><\/p>

Punta <\/i><\/b>(\u201cend\u201d): First part or cut of the mezcal distillate. Also called the <\/span>cabeza.<\/span><\/i><\/p>

Quiote. <\/i><\/b>The tall stalk or spike of a mature agave plant that produces its flowers.<\/span><\/p>

Raicilla <\/i><\/b>(\u201clittle root\u201d): Southwestern Jalisco name for mezcal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Refinada<\/b><\/span><\/i> <\/b>(\u201crefined\u201d). Second distillation of agave distillate which increases alcohol content to the desired 48+% ABV. See Ordinario<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>

Saccharomyces cerevisiae <\/i><\/b>(from Greek and Latin for \u201csugar-mold\u201d and \u201cof beer\u201d). A species of yeast used in baking and fermentation that occurs naturally (also called indigenous, wild, native, or spontaneous), usually on ripe fruits, and ferments agave juice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Salmiana. <\/i><\/b>An agave, <\/span>A. salmiana, <\/span><\/i>also known locally as <\/span>Verde <\/span><\/i>(\u201cgreen\u201d). <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>

Tahona<\/i><\/b>. Traditional horse-drawn large stone wheel used outside of Michoac\u00e1n to crush the <\/span>pi\u00f1a<\/span><\/i> to make tequila. Large modern distilleries use mechanized crushers. Artisanal mezcal producers still extract agave juice by hand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Tequila. <\/i><\/b>A distilled alcoholic beverage made by cooking and fermenting the <\/span>pi\u00f1a<\/span><\/i> of the <\/span>A. tequilana<\/span><\/i>, or blue Weber agave. Tequila is a sub-set of mezcal, named for a city in the Jalisco highlands, but is also produced in some municipalities of four other states, including Michoac\u00e1n.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Tequilana. <\/i><\/b>An agave, <\/span>A. tequilana <\/span><\/i>(see <\/span>Tequila <\/span><\/i>and <\/span>Azul<\/span><\/i>).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Tina<\/i><\/b> (\u201cvat\u201d):\u00a0 <\/span>Round, open wooden v<\/span>essel for fermenting the agave <\/span>mosto.<\/span><\/i><\/p>

Tuba: <\/i><\/b>Agave must. <\/span>See Mosto.<\/span><\/i><\/p>

Verde <\/i><\/b>(\u201cgreen\u201d):\u00a0 Spanish name for <\/span>A. salmiana. <\/span><\/i>Also called <\/span>Maguey Verde <\/span><\/i>(\u201cgreen agave\u201d).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Vinata<\/i><\/b> (likely from <\/span>vino de mezcal, <\/span><\/i>\u201cwine of the mezcal\u201d plant): Michoac\u00e1n term for a mezcal distillery.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Alambique (\u201calembic\u201d):<\/strong><\/em> A still; a distilling apparatus consisting of a pot to heat a liquid and a cap (or head) to cool and condense vapors which then flow through a downward-sloping tube into a receiver. (place between Aguamiel and Azul)<\/p>

Azul (\u201cblue\u201d):<\/strong><\/em> Spanish name for A. tequilana. Also called Maguey Azul (\u201cblue agave\u201d) and in English, blue Weber agave.<\/p>

Bagazo (\u201cpulp\u201d):<\/strong><\/em> Fiber, or shred, remaining after agave juice is extracted from the pi\u00f1a. (replace previous copy)<\/p>

Cabeza (\u201chead\u201d):<\/strong><\/em> First part or cut of the distillate. Also called the punta.<\/p>

Catador<\/strong><\/em>. One who samples or tastes mezcal to evaluate quality.<\/p>

Cazo<\/strong> <\/em>(Change 250-liter to 200-liter)<\/p>

Colas amargas (\u201cbitter tails\u201d):<\/strong> Bitter fourth part or cut of the distillate.<\/p>

Colas dulces (\u201csweet tails\u201d):<\/strong> Sweet third part or cut of the distillate.<\/p>

CRM.<\/strong><\/em> (Add on to end of current copy) Currently, the CRM oversees production of certified mezcal in nine Mexican states.<\/p>

Cuerpo (\u201cbody\u201d):<\/strong> The middle and main part or cut of the distillate. Also called the coraz\u00f3n (\u201cheart\u201d).<\/p>

Espadin.<\/em><\/strong> (add accent to Espad\u00edn; also, change augustifolia to angustifolia)<\/p>

Espadincillo.<\/em> <\/strong>An agave, A. angustifolia var. espadincillo, a sub-variety of A. angustafolia var. espad\u00edn that is found in Michoac\u00e1n.<\/p>

Exprimador<\/strong><\/em> (\u201csqueezer\u201d): Device to press and extract juice from a pi\u00f1a.<\/p>

Gusto.<\/em><\/strong> Taste or pleasure.<\/p>

Hydrolysis.<\/em><\/strong> A chemical breakdown of a substance in reaction to water.<\/p>

Manso Sahuayo<\/strong><\/em> (\u201ctame\u201d Sahuayo\u201d) Please remove quotation mark (\u201c) after Sahuayo<\/p>

Mezcal<\/em><\/strong> (Please ad on to end of current copy) Certified mezcal is produced in nine Mexican states.<\/p>

Pie de levadura<\/em><\/strong> (\u201cfoot of yeast\u201d): Addition of sweet, free-run agave juice to the mosto to stimulate yeast activity in fermentation.<\/p>

Pila<\/em><\/strong> (Out of alphabetical order, between Et\u00facuaro and Hornilla. Please place after Petates and before Pi\u00f1a)<\/p>

Punta (\u201cend\u201d):<\/em><\/strong> First part or cut of the distillate. Also called the cabeza.<\/p>

Tequila.<\/em><\/strong> In last line, please change \u201cfive\u201d to \u201cfour\u201d other states.<\/p>

Verde (\u201cgreen\u201d):<\/em><\/strong> Spanish name for A. salmiana. Also called Maguey Verde (\u201cgreen agave\u201d).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

LA LUNA GLOSSARY LA LUNA GLOSSARY \u201cPara todo mal, mezcal, y para todo bien, tambien.\u201d(\u201cFor everything bad, mezcal, and for everything good, as well\u2019) Agave:\u00a0 Scientific name for a genus in the Asparagaceae plant family with almost 200 species, about 30 of them used to make pulque and mezcal. Also known in Mexico as maguey. … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lalunamezcal.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1800"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lalunamezcal.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lalunamezcal.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lalunamezcal.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lalunamezcal.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1800"}],"version-history":[{"count":41,"href":"https:\/\/www.lalunamezcal.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1800\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2759,"href":"https:\/\/www.lalunamezcal.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1800\/revisions\/2759"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lalunamezcal.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}