Mezcalistas

This Tasting Box introduces you to three distinct, sustainably produced mezcals—all unique offerings that express the diverse distilling philosophies and stories of their maestros mezcaleros, and will give you a full-spectrum tasting experience.

The highlight of the trio is the Chulele® Mezcal Día de los Muertos 2022, a single-batch release handcrafted from Espadin agave in Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca, during the 2022 Day of the Dead celebration. This year’s festival was especially vibrant as the Oaxacan people emerged from the pandemic lockdown, finally able to celebrate wholeheartedly. The air was filled with marigolds, food aromas, and the sounds of music and laughter. This essence is captured in this first Día de los Muertos batch of Chulele® artisanal mezcal. Expect a bold nose and flavor, yet a gentle, comforting essence. 

Every small batch of Chulele® Mezcal comes with its very own “field to glass” documentary. While you are sipping this mezcal, click here to peek behind the curtain and watch how the very mezcal in your glass came to life!

Next, Madre Mezcal Ensamble, a handcrafted spirit from Oaxaca's valleys, uses agave Espadin and Cuishe. Roasted in an earthen pit and fermented with wild yeast, it delivers vibrant agave flavors with warm, peppery notes, thanks to the family's ancient copper still.

Finally, explore Alipus San Juan del Rio, handcrafted from Espadin agave. This mezcal captures its terroir's essence, with plants nurtured in unique reddish and white soils. The lengthy fermentation adds mineral and chalky undertones, offering a taste that honors old-world methods passed down through generations.

Enjoy your tasting, we’ll be there with you in spirit! Remember the famous saying:“Para todo mal, mezcal, y para todo bien, tambien.”

Smartass Corner

1) Did you know that when you harvest an agave plant you kill it? Yes, that’s right, the Espadíns that went into these bottles were raised for a minimum of six years, most of them closer to ten years, and then killed when they were harvested. Now their replacements are growing in the fields of Oaxaca.

2) In Oaxaca, mezcal is usually accompanied by orange slices and sal de gusano which translates as worm salt. It’s a mixture of dried up worms (actually a moth larvae but do you really care?), chiles, and salt. It’s the perfect mix of salty, sweet, acid, savory, and spice - a great pairing for your mezcal.

3) That worm in the bottle - it’s just a marketing gimmick. Really, someone created it after World War II to market mezcal and it took off a way to test the mettle of spring breakers ever after. It has no hallucinogenic effects, it just changes the flavor of the mezcal bottle, making it more savory and woody. A few people still add worms and other insects to mezcal bottles because it’s become a tradition of its own but most mezcal makers don’t because they want to preserve the full flavor of the mezcal.

4) The Vago Elote in this box is very similar to a pechuga. That word literally translates as “breast” because traditionally you suspend a turkey or chicken breast over the third distillation. The Elote only has roasted corn added so it’s technically vegan. Pechugas don’t have to include meat. Some include local herbs, fruits, grassses, and spices. But frequently they do include meat, everything from rabbits, to deer, to iguanas. Whatever is local and in season works best!

5) While mezcal is produced across Mexico most of the mezcal we see is produced in the state of Oaxaca. And, over 70% of mezcal is made from the Espadín agave even if more than 20 agave types are used to make mezcal.

6) Did you know that the Mescalero Band of Apaches in New Mexico has that name because they cultivated the agave, also known as the mescal plant locally? Recent archeological findings show that this tribe grew huge fields of agave plants and used them for food.

7) In Mexico the words maguey and agave are synonymous, different words for the same plant. But maguey is a word derived from native languages while Agave was the name of Cadmus’s daughter in Ancient Greek mythology.

8) The Espadín agaves have that name not only because they look like protruding swords. The plant is just as dangerous as their metal counterparts - when cut, they bleed a sap that causes rashes in humans! Which is to say, that nice agave that you see harvested for your excellent mezcal is nice to drink only!