Ultramundo: Sergio Garnier & Lamparillo Mezcal

Lamparillo is puro Duranguense, a plant native to the Mexican state of Durango. This rare agave thrives in the harshest of environments where other types of agave cannot survive. Agaves are inherently built for surviving on little water, but only certain species are cold-tolerant. Lamparillo plants, which mature slowly over 15-20 years, can survive cold winters in Northern Mexico. It wasn’t until a few years ago that we tasted mezcal from this plant, scientific name: Agave asperrima. Not only was Lamparillo something new in the commerical mezcal world, these tough plants produce some of the most incredible flavors ever distilled.

By 2022, we had tried two or three Lamparillo mezcals and were impressed. However, we sipped Lamparillo mezcal so infrequently that it didn’t stay on our radar. Then Maguey Melate released a Lamparillo distilled by mezcalero Gilberto Roldan in June 2022 as part of their Mezcalero of the Month club. In a newsletter, Maguey Melate called Lamparillo “one of the rarest agaves in Durango and maybe even Mexico”. When the club did an 8-month ranking of their monthly mezcal releases, the Lamparillo was ranked the favorite by a wide margin. Their ranking noted that it was possibly the “favorite feature to date”.

Later that year, Lou Bank, founder of the non-profit S.A.C.R.E.D. and host of the Agave Road Trip podcast, connected us with the founder of Mezcal Ultramundo: Sergio Garnier. The incredible Lamparillo we tried from Maguey Melate was a preview of the Ultramundo brand. “The collaboration with Maguey Melate was the way we could first send some Mezcal to the US and I am glad this was our introduction”, he told us in an email. Sergio was a fellow Maguey Melate subscriber too. Shortly after the Melate release, Sergio formally introduced his brand, Ultramundo, to the US market.

What made Ultramundo a unique brand was that 100% of their releases would utilize Lamparillo from Sergio’s ranch in Mapimí, Durango. When the project first started, Sergio spent 3 months with Gilberto as his “student”, spending every day at Gil’s vinata (distillery) in Nombre de Dios. The first 4 batches of Ultramundo were produced by Gilberto. The next batch was produced by Benjamín Ávila, also in Nombre de Dios. And after that, Benjamín’s friend and fellow vinatero Juan Perez made a batch. Along the way, Sergio was learning how his Lamparillo plants could be transformed into a delicious mezcal using traditional Durango mezcal production techniques.

These days, new mezcal brands hit the market every few weeks. Unfortunately, most are 40% Espadin mezcals from Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca. Ultramundo was different. Not just because it was from Durango. The mezcal was 100% Lamparillo and a rare “single estate” mezcal. So about Sergio’s ranch… let’s rewind a bit.

Clusters of Lamparillo at Rancho Pelayo

It is important to understand that Sergio was a mezcal fan like us. However, his family is in the livestock business. Sergio’s father, a veterinarian, and his mother moved to Torreón, Coahuila around the time Sergio was born. Sixty percent of Mexican milk comes from the region. His father built a business providing medicine and vaccines for livestock. Keeping milk-producing cows healthy was important for the numerous dairy farms in the region.

Through his work with ranchers, his father purchased a large ranch from a mentor about 15 years ago. Rancho Pelayo, as it’s called, is located between the town Mapimí and the Zona del Silencio. For years, the government subsidized the purchasing of pedigree bulls, called Semintales, to improve herds. The ranch specialized in breeding Semintales. Over time, the government subsidies ended but in a twist of good fortune, the government installed an oil pipeline through the ranch. That brought electricity along with income from leasing agreements.

The question became, what to do next? The 24,000 acre ranch was split into eight sections for cattle to graze. Though arid, the ranch wasn’t barren. There were sandy areas prone to erosion and dry desert areas. But a large portion of the ranch was full of the tough plants that could survive in the extreme environment. Those included many types of shrubs, sotol, and a single species of agave. At that time, the non-edible plants were a nuisance on the property. Being a mezcal fan, Sergio showed pictures of the agaves to some mezcaleros in Nombre de Dios, inquiring about what they might be. The reaction was unanimous excitement. “That’s Lamparillo! You have some of that?!” Sergio had what seemed like an unlimited supply of it. It was then that he started to look at his family’s land differently.

Making batches with Gilberto Roldan had been a success but Sergio wasn’t willing to “bet the ranch” on his mezcal idea quite yet. He and the mezcaleros in Durango all loved the Lamparillo mezcal, but how would it be received elsewhere? To find out, Sergio traveled down to Mexico’s mezcal capital, Oaxaca, to seek feedback. Down in Oaxaca, Sergio gave bottles of Ultramundo to some of his mezcal heroes. Ulises Torrentera of Mezcaleria In Situ and Lalo Angeles of Lalocura both loved it. Lalo can be a tough critic, known for disliking non-ancestral agave spirits. But, Lalo even gifted Sergio a bottle of his pechuga in exchange for the Ultramundo. After that, the brand went into full throttle and was soon on US shelves.

Months after connecting with Sergio over email, Mezcal Reviews co-founder Jonny was at a Gusto Historico tasting – an excellent brand that features mezcals from Miahuatlán, Oaxaca. Bumping elbows at Mezcaleria Tobala in Austin, Jonny began chatting with the guy next him about the mezcals they were sipping. After a while, the guy mentioned he had a mezcal brand: Ultramundo. After the moment of surprise, Jonny introduced himself and thanked Sergio for the samples he had shared a few months prior. He told Sergio that there weren’t many Durango mezcals on the market and (no lie) Ultramundo was one of his favorites. After that we made plans to visit Durango for our next annual mezcal trip; visiting Sergio’s ranch was at the top of our list.

In April 2024, we touched down in Durango, the capital and largest city in the state of Durango. Stepping off the plane, the land around us was flat and the sun was hot. Our group of four were the only gringos on the flight. In the customs line, someone asked us what the hell we were doing in Durango. “Mezcal”, we told them. They asked us if we knew about Oaxaca and we laughed. At this airport, Sergio greeted us in his ranch gear: boots, hat, and modern vaquero snap button shirt. We wore shorts and stuck out like a sore thumb in the small airport.

As we left the airport, we stared at the large agaves lining the parking lot. A rare species near the airport entrance, Igok, was nearly blooming. We pondered how we could get some seeds without airport security noticing us. That night, Sergio had a table at a local mezcal event featuring Durango producers. Durango has historically been the second largest mezcal producer state in Mexico, but far behind Oaxaca in terms of volume.

Sergio Garnier sharing his brand Ultramundo at a tasting event

The sun sets at the mezcal event at Hotel Gobernador

The handful of brands at the event were on the same team; they all wanted Durango mezcal to grow. While Oaxaca has the advantage of agave variety, Durango is one of the largest and least populated states in Mexico. If managed properly, its supply of agave is practically limitless. Cenizo (Agave durangensis) was the most plentiful, but the state had many other maguey varieties including: Verde (A. salmiana), Tepemete (A. angustifolia), Castilla (A. angustifolia), Masparillo (A. maximiliana), and of course Lamparillo (A. asperrima) among a few others. Durango also has the unique advantage of being both a mezcal and sotol certifying state.

The event was underway as the sun was setting. Arranged around the Hotel Gobernador pool deck, guests walked from table to table sampling mezcal and asking questions. The majority of the mezcal at the event was made using Cenzio. Ultramundo, a 100% Lamparillo brand, was quite unique in comparison. We walked over to Sergio, “You gotta try this pechuga” he told us, holding up the bottle. It was a rabbit (conejo) pechuga made in collaboration with Bosscal, a Durango brand launched way back in 2015. Sergio had delivered a double-distilled batch of Lamparillo to the Bosscal team and they did the third distillation using their secret pechuga recipe. Using such an expressive agave in a pechuga was nearly unheard of in places like Oaxaca. You had to appreciate Sergio’s experimental and collaborative mentality. And the mezcal was good too! On top of the Lamparillo and pechuga were notes of anise and oranges.

The next morning we began the drive north. We stopped in Torreón, Coahuila to pick up supplies at Sergio’s house. “Your Zoom background,” said Jonny, pointing at a wall with neatly arranged artwork. This is where we had “met” Sergio over a video call. Sergio laughed and opened the door to his patio area. Outside was his garden full of succulents and other desert plants. “I’m a plant lady,” he joked. He inherited a green thumb from his mother and was proud of it. Little did he know that caring for plants would be critical for a future mezcal project. He showed us large plastic trays full of baby Lamparillo agaves. They would stay there before being transported to the ranch.

After grabbing lunch, we loaded the truck bed with supplies and continued the journey. Torreón to Mapimí was about an hour drive and we’d be crossing back into the state of Durango. Mapimí is a small town designated as a Pueblo Magico. The area had a history of mezcal production many years ago according to Sergio’s research. He also told us that people in the area which included Torreón and Mapimí called themselves Laguneros. La Laguna was the name of this region which included large portions of the states of Durango and Coahuila. The name came from the rich soils produced by periodic flooding in the nearby river basins. In fact, in the 1980s there was a failed effort to make La Laguna its own state in Mexico.

Further north of the small town was the Mapimí Biosphere Reserve. In 1979, the 340,000 hectare reserve was created to protect the Bolson tortoise and other unique flora and fauna. This tortoise is featured prominently on the Ultramundo label and a portion of sales go towards supporting projects to protect this rare animal.

After unsuccessfully trying to buy beer in Mapimí (there were purchase restrictions on Sunday) we pulled off the paved road and headed towards the ranch. “Don’t worry, we have mezcal,” Sergio told us. Next, we drove through a 10,000 hectare ejido before reaching the entrance to the ranch. Sergio told us that it was much more difficult to survive on the land in Durango versus Oaxaca. In Durango, many more hectares of land were required per person given the limited natural resources.

The Zone of Silence

Finally, we arrived at the ranch and unloaded the truck. There was well water, solar electricity, a backup gas generator, and even Starlink internet. But in many ways, we were cut off from civilization. Like the desert mouse Muad’Dib in Dune, only a few types of animals could survive out here without stocking up at H-E-B first (yes, northern Mexico has H-E-B!). As we settled into what would be our home for the next two nights, the stars began to come out.

Rumors were that radio signals and most types of communications cannot be received in the Zona del Silencio. There was certainly no cell signal and none of us really cared about getting on Starlink to stare at our phones.

A sotol plant blooms in Rancho Pelayo

At the event the night prior, we told a few people that we were visiting the Zona del Silencio and their reactions were mixed. “Have you been there before?”, they asked warily. Apparently if you are going to see aliens in Mexico, that was the place. The origin of these rumors is likely related to an incident in the 1970s when NASA launched a test rocket from Utah. Its intended target was the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. However, the rocket veered far off course. NASA was unable to track it with their radar systems. After studying the trajectory and weather data, they determined it landed 450 miles into Mexico… it was recovered in The Zone of Silence.

The following day we explored the ranch, driving through sections, opening and closing gates. We passed a cattle shelter that had its roof blown off by high winds. Hot and dry during our visit, the land gets hammered by rain seasonally, causing erosion and flash flooding. “The Lamparillos, their root system, help with erosion”, Sergio told us, pointing at a washed out area peppered with tiny agaves. In the previous 3 years, the team had planted 10,000 Lamparillos. When the hijuelos are about 4 years old, they pull them from the mother plant for relocation. There is a 90% survival rate. The new agaves also help stimulate other plant life, enriching the ecosystem. As we slowly drove through the ranch, Sergio shared his vision of a mezcal brand as an agroforestry project, in balance with nature. The ranch, which had its ups-and-downs over the years, had a new purpose. The project had progressed through many stages. Soon it would culminate in the completion of a vinata on site at the ranch.

Lamparillo planted in an area prone to erosion

The truck slowed and we parked behind another vehicle with a flat trailer. Nearby, a few guys were harvesting an agave. Sergio told us that Lamparillos and agaves like Cenizo in Durango need to be harvested with an axe. The pencas (leaves) are too thick for a machete as is typical in Oaxaca. He also pointed at the many sotol plants in every direction. This was the edge of the Chihuahuan Desert after all. Sergio was told they were the species Cedrosanum and his land included male and female sotol plants.

We made an obvious proposal: do an agave and sotol ensemble! He said it was part of his plans but seemed disappointed that it could neither be labeled as mezcal or sotol. That was an interesting point we hadn’t considered before. Sergio was quite proud of selling certified mezcal, even though it cost him considerably more to have certification personnel visit this remote part of Durango.

As we got out of the truck, a few cows stood nearby waiting to chew on the freshly cut scraps of agave. Suddenly, we were greeted by some members of Sergio’s team: Mezcal and Sotol, two energetic ranch dogs. “They should be on the payroll”, Sergio told us. Mezcal had scars on his face from fighting a wild boar. They tagged along as we walked around shrubs towards a small pile of piñas. The raw Lamparillo smelled just like the mezcal tasted – a big burst of fresh bell peppers. We met Eleazar, Sergio’s right hand man, who said they were just about done. We had planned to help harvest Lamparillo but the small trailer was nearly full. Sergio would transport these to Nombre de Dios for a collaborative batch with Burrito Fiestero.

Ranch hands: Mezcal & Sotol

Cattle graze behind a cluster of Lamparillo

Vinata El Oasis in the distance

Sergio described Lamparillo as a hybrid between Cenizo and Verde but smaller. Its sandpaper texture was unique compared to those other agaves. The scientific name Agave asperrima, seems to have been related to the Spanish word áspero, meaning “rough”.

Next, we made our ways towards the site of the new vinata. We stopped at the horno which was a few hundred yards away from the vinata. Benjamin, one of his vinatero collaborators, had built the horno using lava rocks from Nombre de Dios. Sergio told us the amount of wood required for a batch would be equal to 20-30% of the weight of the agave being cooked. Pecan tree cuttings would be used for the horno cooks to reduce unnecessary wood harvesting.

Nearby, we noticed that between the different sections of the ranch were large circular water vats to hydrate the cattle. A single vat extended into different sections under the fence. We approached one which contained large wooden cones. These were the wooden “viejo” still tops. They were stored submerged in water to prevent the wood from drying out and splitting. One thing we didn’t realize until we saw viejos up close was that they didn’t have metal tops like the wooden Filipino stills we’d seen in Michoacán. Instead, the spirit vapor builds up in the wooden top and pressure pushes it out the exit tube into the condenser.

We walked over to the vinata which was covered by a large roof. “Vinata El Oasis”, Sergio said smiling, gesturing us onward. The vinata featured four 300 liter stills. Wood scraps from a furniture factory would be used to fuel the stills. Nearby were 20 fermentation vats, referred to as “tombs”, lined with wood. The buried vats, common in Durango, help keep the fermentation temperature consistent. Fermenting Lamparillo was typically a challenge and fermenting in new vats would be especially difficult. Over time, the vinata would build up its own ambient yeast which would speed up fermentation and give the mezcal terroir unique to El Oasis.

Weighing agaves with a livestock scale

Sergio standing above the fermentation vats

We stepped out into the sun, towards a large pit dug in the earth. Sergio explained that the pit will be used for waste byproducts from the fermentation process. Every batch of mezcal results in many liters of viñaza, an acidic liquid in addition to heaps of bagozo, the spent agave fibers. The large pit will be lined with plastic so the volatile liquid won’t leach into the ground. “We’re doing a luxury product, it starts here,” he said.

The vinata represented Sergio’s bet on the ranch and the future of Lamparillo mezcal. After producing incredible mezcal with collaborators in Nombre de Dios, here, the brand could operate from start to finish on-site in a sustainable way.

Many of the Lamparillos on the ranch were clones, called hijuelos, that grow from the roots of mother plants. However, Sergio had a robust seed program as well. We had seen Lamparillo seedlings in his home’s garden. But the ranch featured a large outdoor agave nursery.

The nursery was primarily Lamparillo but also had young sotol, Cenizo, and also Cuishe from Oaxaca. There were a few larger Cenizo plants growing outside the protection of the nursery. Sergio was careful not to let the Cenizos go to seed because they were not endemic to the area. He was open to experimenting with “non-local” agave species for mezcal production but did not want to risk changing the natural propagation of plants species on the ranch.

Walking around Rancho Pelayo

The Ultramundo nursery full of baby agaves

Ultramundo, Sergio’s agroforestry project, was a mezcal brand that aimed to use agave to support and revive the land where it was grown. In Oaxaca, forests are being leveled for wood to fuel mezcal production. The cleared land is then used to plant tightly lined rows of Espadin. When land that can support a forest is replaced with one of the least resource intensive plants, agave, it doesn’t seem like the best use of land. There is a relationship between trees and rainfall which is covered nicely in a blog from Mezcalistas. In short, the process of evapotranspiration is the sum of all processes by which water moves from the land surface to the atmosphere through evaporation and transpiration. There is a scientific argument to preserve as many of earth’s forests as possible.

At Rancho Pelayo in Durango, the land was seen as inadequate for anything besides cattle grazing and even then, not at a large scale. Sergio has a vision for his ranch and the neighboring ejidos. These forsaken lands could be full of a rare agave called Lamparillo. An agave that can thrive and stimulate the desert environment. And of course, they can be transformed into incredible mezcal too!