Let's get the worm out of the way. That curled specimen at the bottom of some mezcal bottles -- those marked con gusano -- is in fact the larvae of a moth that clings to the agave plant; it's harvested, purposefully, along with the leaves themselves. Depending on who's talking, the worm is an aphrodisiac or a dare, a marketing gimmick or a mark of tradition -- but any way you slice it, it's perfectly pickled, and will do no more harm than the liquor itself.

Once seen as tequila's rough-and-tumble brother (both spirits are derived from fermented agave juice, though the specifics of tequila production are controlled by law), mezcal has started to emerge from the shallows. Tequila shrines from coast to coast, including LA's Las Perlas (run by cocktail king Cedd Moses) and NYC's Cabrito, have stocked the shelves with smoky, slate-y specimens, handmade with care -- and without worms -- in Oaxaca.