Some brands liken mezcal to the drink of the gods, a sacred drink. Where does this idea come from?
Mezcal being used as an offering or being associated with religious rites is not to be found in historical records, although it does form a central part of some indigenous celebrations.
Some confuse Mayahuel with being the god of tequila but this deity was considered the god of maguey, specifically the maguey from which pulque is produced.
In Alcohol in Ancient México, Henry Bruman explains that pulque was produced and consumed mostly in the Mexican High Plains and in the state of Oaxaca. There was a legend in the mixteca culture, of Guerrero, Puebla and Oaxaca, that the maguey used for pulque came from the decapitated head of a goddess. Aside from this goddess, Mayahuel, were her 400 offspring, the 400 centzontotochtin, or los 400 conejos, the 400 rabbits.
Pulque was used in sacred rites and rituals and curations. In some communities the offerings of and use of pulque in these rites were substituted for mezcal. In this sense mezcal has come to be associated with the concept of the drink of the gods, which has only added to the high cultural and historical value communities recognize in it.
See the full article here: https://mezcologia.mx/mezcal-bebida-de-dioses/
