Del Maguey Vida De San Luis Del Rio Mezcal, 70 cl

Product Information

At its most basic, mezcal is an agave distillate,” explains Ivy Mix, co-owner of Brooklyn’s Leyenda and author of Spirits of Latin America, “But it is not just smoky tequila.” Tequila is technically a mezcal, but it is only produced in Jalisco and three surrounding states using at least 51 percent blue agave. Mezcal is made from an array of different agaves in 13 different Mexican states. Most Americans know the mezcal of Oaxaca, where Espadín agave is roasted in a hole in the ground to prepare it for distilling, resulting in a smoky spirit. “But that’s just one of many different types of mezcal,” says Mix. “It’s like not all scotch is peaty Laphroig.”

The village distillers follow a strict adherence to the natural, rustic and pure process they established over 500 years ago, to produce mezcal with only two ingredients: the heart of the maguey (agave), and 10% pure water added to the fermentation process. Ron Cooper founded Del Maguey (pro tip: “del ma-gay”) in 1995, created the category of artisanal mezcal in the U.S. singlehandedly. The brand has gone nowhere but up since, thanks certainly due to the way it works. Rather than being a bulk product, Miller works with 12 different families in 10 villages in Oaxaca (and one in Puebla) to source true, terroir-driven mezcal that is made by hand, in small batches. Like, with horses dragging stone wheels around.

If you prefer a chilled drink, I recommend using large ice cubes to avoid excessive dilution. Artwork Del Maguey distinguishes itself through its exceptional spirits and the captivating artwork adorning each bottle. The “Single Village Mezcal” approach is a methodology that provides village producers (palenqueros) with the freedom to produce mezcal using ancient practices that were established before the Spanish conquest. All in all it’s not that bad, two and a half stars works. I would not say its complex, seems to get a bit better tasting after it sits in the glass for a while (Is that a thing?) It would be better if the notes of alcohol were not present. Swanson agrees, adding, “Mezcal is one of the most labor-intensive exports out there, and is culturally and historically the most significant product coming out of Mexico. It should be consumed with the appropriate respect for what goes into it,” she says, summarizing: “Buy small, buy private, do your homework.”

You’ll find the familiar notes of traditional Tequila flavors along with the characteristic flavors of Mezcal. His advice for someone who is new to the category? Start slow. “Take small sips — which is hard for many as people usually haven’t taken the time to sip any high-proof spirit in the past — and take the time to understand the different flavors,” he says. Many of us understand spirits brands as creating one liquid that goes through different permutations – in the case of tequila, typically the “three amigos” of Blanco, Reposado and Añejo. In contrast, Del Maguey highlights dozens of one-of-a-kind, age-old traditions, ones cultivated by generations of families in small villages across Mexico.The final product combines hints of tropical fruit with floral notes and subdued spice, lingering notes of sweet lavender and minerality undeniably reflecting the spirits’ earthy origins. Del Magueys 100% Tobala This combination of traditional methods lends San Luis del Rio Azul a distinct flavor profile that marries the best of both worlds. That conversation could help demystify mezcal, casting aside its more daunting attributes. “The smoke that most people automatically associate with the category can be scary and off-putting. It was also to me at the beginning of my education,” Aredes says. When it comes to VIDA Puebla, Aredes commends its flavor profile. My journey has seen me as an owner of sophisticated bars and renowned liquor shops, and even as a Mezcal distiller, honing the craft from scratch.

At La Josie in Chicago, bar manager Juan Carlos Parker says this mezcal is “a nice way to switch things up while still being cost-effective; mezcales from San Luis Potosí are much less smoky than Oaxacan espadín, and salmiana tends to have very green notes, with a slightly cheesy flavor profile.”

Produced by cousins Edgar and Elisandro Gonzalez, who grow many of their agaves from seed, the spirit is made with espadín that’s been cooked in an earthen underground oven covered with banana leaves. The cooked piñas are crushed by tahona, fermented in open-air wooden vats with wild yeast and distilled twice in copper alembic stills heated by wood fire. Ignacio “Nacho” Jimenez, of Superbueno in New York City, calls it a true reflection of the espadín style. “It’s light-bodied, more acidic, and has tropical notes as well,” he says, adding that it works particularly well in Margaritas. “It could even work in a Negroni because of those tropical notes, and the proof of the mezcal will stand up to Campari and vermouth.”

The fruit forward, easy sipping Del Maguey Vida is an approachable introduction to the spirit. Wall Street JournalThere’s an infinite quality to the culture. There’s so much richness and history, and we’re just scratching the surface with what we’re able to access in the U.S.” The key to doing that, according to Pelczer, is Del Maguey’s emphasis on single-village mezcal. The company works with Oaxacan families and families from Puebla, each with their own distinctive way of producing the spirit based on their Indigenous traditions and village microclimates, which result in what ​​Del Maguey calls “the hand of the maker.”