Think sparkling margarita with a grapefruit citrus hit and smoky overtones A decidedly upscale margarita: Kolâs Mezcal Paloma. Photograph: Dan Matthews/The Guardian A decidedly upscale margarita: Kolâs Mezcal Paloma. Photograph: Dan Matthews/The Guardian MaximSchulte Fri 5 Feb 2021 11.00 EST Mezcal is traditionally made by baking agave hearts over wood or charcoal in earthen pits before the resulting mash is fermented and distilled in clay pots. Itâs a much more labour-intensive, artisanal process than that used for tequila, which these days typically involves cooking the agave in huge industrial ovens, and is why mezcal tends to be more expensive.