Mezcal, not "mescal", (/mɛsˈkæl/) is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from the maguey plant (a form of agave, Agave americana) native to Mexico. The word mezcal comes from Nahuatl mexcalli [meʃˈkalːi] metl [met͡ɬ] and ixcalli [iʃˈkalːi] which means "oven-cooked agave".The maguey grows in many parts of Mexico, though most mezcal is made in Oaxaca.