Mix mezcal, Swift for time of lime, piña and song

“Dear Reader,” I thought I was the “Mastermind”; I had the perfect idea for a column you’d love. The response to my first column paring wine to Taylor Swift albums was overwhelming; why not do the same for her newest release, “The Tortured Poets Department?” I gave the album a listen, and by the time I was done, she’d surprised us all with a second announcement beyond our “Wildest Dreams”: a double album.

Could I handle 31 wine pairings for 31 songs? Not at 3 a.m. Sorry, Taylor, “You’re Losing Me” to sleep and an editorial deadline. Is there anyone whose liver could handle 31 wines, either?

But now, with a few hours of sleep and a second listen under my belt, we’re still left with the “Question…?” of what we should be drinking while tuning in to the “Tortured Poets.”

We know she’s a big fan of pinot grigio with ice cubes (no judgment here), and we’ve all heard her sing about her love of “screwtop rosé” (She called it cheap, but screw caps are my favorite closure method!). But for “Me!” this album asks for something a little more hard-hitting, something with a little more burn.

Enter mezcal. It’s smoky and mysterious; hints of citrus add a nod to “Florida!!!” and it’s the perfect thing to sip the pain of heartbreak away.

Mezcal and tequila might both be made from the agave plant, but they are as different as noon and “Midnights.” Let’s start with the base: tequila is made from blue agave, typically in Jalisco, while mezcal can be distilled from a variety of agave species across several regions in Mexico, including Oaxaca and Guerrero.

Production is another “Love Story” entirely. Tequila’s agave is steamed in ovens, but mezcal’s agave hearts are roasted in earthen pits, imparting that signature smoky flavor. When it comes to taste, tequila leans toward a smoother, often more “Clean” finish, whereas mezcal delivers a more complex, robust profile with earthy and smoky notes. Think of tequila as the elegant cousin, while mezcal is the wild, unrestrained relative with a dash of grit and mystique.

And isn’t that exactly what Taylor’s given us over these 31 songs? She leans into the pain and invites us to languish with her, even if that just means drowning her sorrows in our own bottle of the hard stuff. After all, as she tells us right up front, “All’s fair in love and poetry”… And mezcal.