Updated July 2026.
How you drink mezcal is not a NOM-070 class. Certified mezcal is 35–55% ABV. The norm sets Mezcal / Artesanal / Ancestral categories and age classes such as joven. Bars often pour it neat in a copita; orange and sal de gusano are custom, not law. Smoke is process talk. Typical US bottles print 40%. A 1.5-ounce pour at 40% is one NIAAA drink.
Related: mezcal taste, mezcal vs tequila strength, how mezcal is made.
Pour vs class
| Language | 1.5 oz drinks |
|---|---|
| NOM-070 ABV | From labeled ABV |
| Categories | — |
| Copita / orange / salt | — |
| Typical US bottle | 1.00 |
A 750 mL 40% bottle is about 17 drinks. Four pours are four drinks. Pour math: agave drinks.
Sources
- NOM-070-SCFI-2016: 35–55%; categories and classes. 27 CFR 5.148 agave spirits.
- Typical US 40%. NIAAA December 2025. Service style is not a legal type.