Who Decides if it’s Mezcal? (NOM mini-series #2 of 3)
Mezcal is a Denomination of Origin, kind of like champagne. It’s controlled by the Mexican government, and that government gets to define what mezcal is. Then there’s a body that certifies mezcal, and since that Denomination of Origin has existed, that has been the CRM. But recent legislative changes in Mexico have opened up certification to three additional certifying bodies. In this second part of our NOM mini-series, we speak with Alberto Esteban Marina, former Director General of the NOMs for the Mexican government, about what these changes could mean for those bottles of mezcal on your backbar.
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Agave Road Trip is a podcast that helps gringo bartenders better understand agave, agave spirits, and rural Mexico. It’s hosted by Lou Bank and Chava Periban.
Episode notes
To read the court ruling that opens the door for these new bodies to certify mezcal against NOM 070, click here. Some of the other bodies you can use to certify mezcal include CIDAM; Certification Mexicana, SC; Universidad Michoacana; PAMFA, AC, and Extracta. Each has been in business for more than a decade, certifying various products against other NOMs.
A group of mezcal brand owners petitioned for an injunction to stop the alternative bodies from certifying mezcal. A judge ruled that the petitioners had no legal interest and dismissed the case. You can read the judge’s ruling here.
And here is the complete interview with Alberto Esteban Marina, former Director General of the NOMs for the Mexican government:
July 2022 update: Maybe it’s the new management, maybe it’s because there are now competitors certifying mezcal, or maybe it’s something else entirely, but we were very glad to see that COMERCAM (The Organization Formerly Known as the CRM) now publishes all of their fees for certification. You can find them on their home page. Click here to check them out!
