Agave Spirits - Tequila, technically a Mezcal, is only made with Blue Weber agaves.

Whereas mezcal can be produced from up to 50 species of the agave plant. Mezcal is protected by a denomination of origin or “DOM, " meaning it can only be made in certain areas of Mexico: Oaxaca, San Luis Potosi, Michoacan, Guerrero, Durango, Tamaulipas, Puebla, Zacatecas, and Guanajuato. Mainly, the production of Mezcal takes place in Oaxaca. Also, the ABV has to be between 36% and 55% and can only be made from 100% agave with no additives or other products.

Some spirits are produced by non-traditional means and thus are not technically a mezcal, such as Raicilla, Sotol, and Bacanora. Beyond that, some brands, such as Real Minero (previously Mezcal Real Minero), choose not to go through the certification process or do not fall within DOM specifications.