Mezcal vs tequila — which to cook with and which to drink

A question I get asked often: what is the actual difference between mezcal and tequila and does it matter in cooking? Both are made from agave. Tequila must be made from blue agave, primarily in Jalisco. Mezcal can be made from over 30 agave varieties and the production involves roasting the agave hearts over wood or in a pit, which creates the characteristic smokiness. For drinking alongside food: tequila for its clean agave flavour with citrus-based drinks; mezcal for its smoke and complexity with anything rich and fatty — carnitas, dark moles, anything with lard. For cooking: tequila in lighter applications (ceviche, brines, salsas where smoke would be wrong). Mezcal in marinades and braises where the smokiness will complement rather than compete.