The Mezcal Vago Tasting Room in Oaxaca is located on a quiet residential street in a small suburb of Oaxaca City. The space is used mostly for aging and bottling mezcal from Vago’s producers, but they have a bar set up in the corner of the main room that has four or five bar stools […]
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If you haven’t heard of Mezcal Marca Negra, you’re missing out on some amazing mezcal from some of Oaxaca’s most talented mezcaleros. Marca Negra was founded in 2010 with the mission of promoting authentic mezcal – the brand does not shy away from releasing mezcals that are at or above 50% alcohol by volume. This might […]
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Cinco Sentidos (5Sentidos) is the house mezcal of a restaurant named El Destilado in downtown Oaxaca. The restaurant was founded in 2015, and it’s quickly become one of the more popular stops for tourists from all over Mexico and abroad. El Destilado started as a mezcaleria that featured a curated mix of some of the more […]
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Mezcal has become incredibly popular in the United States and mezcal bars (aka mezcalerias) can be found in most major cities. While many cocktail bars might have a bottle or two of mezcal on hand, mezcalerias are typically well stocked with small-batch premium mezcals, and their bartenders possess deep knowledge of agave spirits. They are […]
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While Wahaka produces many fantastic mezcals that are more readily available, the Wahaka VdM line is some of the hardest to find and most expensive mezcal on the market. The name VdM stands for “Vino de Mezcal,” which is an old name that was used for agave-based spirits before Mezcal and Tequila were considered individual […]
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The process of making mezcal is a true art. Each little detail makes a big impact on the final product, and unlike many other spirits, traditional mezcal is made without the use of large industrial machinery that is designed to make the precise calculations easier. With traditional mezcal, it’s all done by hand. Everything from […]
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If you’ve tasted Mezcal Real Minero, you know it’s special. It can be difficult to find due to their limited production and certain bottles retail for as much as $180 in the United States! While that is not cheap, in my experience their product is some of the finest. Others seem to agree.. as of […]
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Did you know it takes a minimum of about 8 years for an agave plant to reach maturity before it can be harvested for use in tequila, mezcal, agave nectar, and other products? Spirits like whiskey and scotch might be barrel-aged for a similar length of time but the crops needed to produce those spirits can be […]
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Mezcal Union is a favorite among bartenders in both the US and Mexico. You’ve likely seen it at a liquor store or at your local corner bar. If you’ve ever looked at their bottle closely, you may have noticed that it’s made with both agave Espadin and agave Cirial. This is noteworthy, because almost all […]
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Almamezcalera and Mezcalito Pal’alma are mostly unavailable outside of Mexico. Certain releases can occasionally be found under the prestigious Wahaka VdM label, but there aren’t any other legal importers that we know of, and the Wahaka VdMs are all limited releases that can be hard to find. We’d seen Almamezcalera and Pal’alma bottles online, and […]
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Australia, a country and continent surrounded by two oceans, is about 8,000 miles (12,900 km) from Mexico. It has a population of approximately 24 million. Sydney is its largest city with a population of nearly 5 million people. In my previous post I mentioned that about half of certified mezcal is exported and the United States […]
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Once you become a mezcal fanatic, you look for it everywhere. I’m sometimes surprised to find a special bottle awaiting my enthusiasm at a unassuming bar off the beaten path. Likewise, a night hunting for mezcal in a new city can yield disappointing (and thirsty) results. Thankfully the internet can assist in these types of situations. Earlier this fall, before I […]
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