h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Actually i think it is mezcal that is halucinogenic - it's the one with the worm in the bottle.

But Absinthe makth the heart grow fonder..... hic!

I've checked with a friend in Wyoming who is well versed in tequila law, and mescal (note spelling) is the same drink as tequila, i.e. made from the mescal cactus, but has an added worm (or if you are really unlucky, half an added worm). So now you know.
P.S. it is not usually hallucinogenic - probably depends on the species of worm

Tequilla isn't made from cactus, according to the cuervo gide to tequilla (it came free on the bottle!) it's made from the blue algarve desert lilly.

Correct, and mescal cacti are definitely not used in Tequila!! These cacti contain mescaline which is a strong hallucinogenic, much akin to LSD and psilocybin.

thats what i said, so i was right.

yep, that's the one that's a natural hallucinogenic. erm, I mean, why would I know that. oops, having another flashback, sorry

and where could I get hold of these cacti?

I'm not here. Didn't see a thing.

Actually the worm in the bottle is just that. However it is reputed to feed upon the peyote cactus, the source of the hallucinogen Mescaline (not mezcal!).

What a load of Tosh. Youre going to hallucinate if you drink enough of anything, exept watery drinks like Lager etc.
I`ve done my fair share of Tequila bashing, and its never allowed me any hallucinatory experiences.

Mezcal is a distilled drink made from various species of agave - a plant related to the lily. It has no psychotropic or psychedelic properties whatsoever. The association between mezcal and drugs comes from an unfortunate similarity between the words mescal (peyote) and mezcal (agave, or maguey). However, aside from their like sounds, any other relationship is pure imagination.

The worm is actually a butterfly larva called a gusano, which lives on the agave. It, too, has no psychedelic effect. There are actually two different caterpillars used, a red and a white one. Neither is a traditional additive to the drink - it was the result of a successful marketing ploy from the 1940s (see www.mezcal.com for details). You can eat it without any side effect.

For more information, surf over to www.georgian.net/rally/tequila.

Cheers
Ian

No, the caterpillar in mezcal does not feed on peyote cactus. it feeds solely on agave plants, a succulent without any association with drugs. The red caterillar (gusano) feeds on the leaves, while the white feeds on the roots. Both are available as food in Zapotec markets in Oaxaca. Any association between mezcal the drink and mescal the drug is purely a hallucination on the believer's part.

See www.mezcal.com and www.georgian.net/rally/tequila

Cheers
Ian