Artesanal mezcal is a handcrafted skill, handed down from one generation to the next. Mezcal is analogous to wine.  As with wine, where different varietals of grapes produce different expressions, so it is with mezcal. Mezcal can be made from dozens of types of agaves, each yielding a unique and exciting flavor profile. Mezcal and wine are influenced by the terroir, skill of the maker, production process, and seasonal weather. On the other hand, tequila is all about consistency, utilizing just one agave and one cooking process (steam). Differentiation in many tequilas is often driven by flavor additives and branding. Not so with artesanal mezcal.

Our artisanal process starts with collecting the agave, each plant harvested by hand, using a sharp-bladed tool called a La Coa De Jima. The leaves of the agave are trimmed off leaving the heart of agave, called the “pina.” The pina is traditionally cooked in a conical pit in the ground for several days. The cooked agave is mashed using a horse-drawn tahona (a large stone wheel), fermented using the natural wild yeast that exists in the microclimate, then distilled one small batch at a time. Our mezcaleros use care to collect the best cut, the heart of the distillation, for our spirits. After distillation we rest our mezcal for a minimum of 30 to 90 days to mellow the spirit. We bottle, apply the label by hand, and ship from Mexico to be served at some of the finest restaurants in the USA and enjoyed by aficionados as well as those new to agave spirits.

A lot of time, patience, labor, and care go into every bottle.  “The ancestors say, honor the spirit”… not just the spirit in the bottle, but the Spirit of Mexico and Mezcal. Salud!