World's Strangest Liquors

Mezcal
Oaxaca, Mexico

Description: Distilled from fermented agave cactus mash, mezcal catapulted to notoriety when an importer deployed a successful marketing scheme in the 1940s: the addition of a worm to the bottle. Technically one of two types of larva (snout weevil or caterpillar), the “worm” is coveted for its hallucinatory properties, but worm-snackers beware: some of them are plastic.

Where to Find It: Mezcal is distributed all over the world, often found on the shelf next to tequila.