Mezcal and tequila in Bologna: Paloma, Margarita and agave cocktails

In Mexico they say: para todo mal, mezcal; para todo bien, también — for everything bad, mezcal; for everything good, the same. In recent years the philosophy reached Bologna too, and the Via Petroni counter took note.

Same plant, two characters

Tequila and mezcal start from the same place: the heart of the agave, the piña, which is cooked, fermented and distilled. But the roads split immediately.

Tequila is made only from blue (Weber) agave, almost always steam-cooked in autoclaves or brick ovens: the result is clean, vegetal, citrusy. Mezcal can use dozens of agave varieties, roasted for days in conical pit ovens dug into the ground, over hot stones and wood: that’s where the smoky, earthy note comes from, and it resembles nothing else.

Rule of thumb: every tequila is technically a mezcal, but not every mezcal is a tequila. And neither deserves the salt-and-lime speed-shot ritual: that’s a different sport.

The drinks that tell their story

• Margarita — tequila, triple sec, lime: the absolute agave classic, dry and direct. Want it softer? Ask for the agave-syrup version (Tommy’s).
• Paloma — tequila, grapefruit, soda: in Mexico it outsells the Margarita. Fresh, gently bitter, dangerously easy.
• Mezcal Paloma — same structure, but with mezcal smoke under the grapefruit: the kindest door into the mezcal world.
• El Diablo — tequila, cassis, ginger beer and lime: fruity, but with character.

How to choose in Bologna

At Jimmy, Via Petroni 32/c, the agave family has its own shelf inside a wall of 500+ bottles: blanco and reposado tequilas, artisanal mezcals, plus the liqueurs that complete the drinks. All the agave cocktails live in the digital menu with photos, ingredients and prices, and at the counter you can always ask for a guided taste: tell us what you usually drink, we’ll start from there.

You’re in the university area, two minutes from Piazza Verdi. Mexico, tonight, is closer than you think.