Mezcal is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from any type of agave plant. The piña, which is the heart of the agave plant, is roasted to release its natural sugars. Mezcal can be made from over 30 different types of agave, but the vast majority is made from a variety known as Agave espadin. The agave plant can take 6-10 years to fully mature and is harvested by hand. Once harvested, the leaves are removed, and the piña is roasted in fire pits in the ground, which gives it its smoky flavor. The agave pinas are then crushed in a mill to extract the sugars. Mezcal is generally consumed straight and has a strong smoky flavor, but not all mezcals have a smoky flavor. The flavor varies based on the varietal, age, and terroir of the agave plant, as well as the individual cooking and fermenting preferences of the mezcaleros themselves.