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"Para todo mal, mezcal y para todo bien también"
(for everything bad, mezcal, and for everything good, too.)
This September, Mexico celebrates it's 200 year anniversary of Independence from Spain.
Forget Cinco de Mayo; this is the REAL Mexican holiday! Celebrate by trying some
really great Mezcal. Forget the cheap stuff with the worm -instead try a brilliant version
that's been hand-crafted in the same method for 400 years. Mezcal is rich, smoky, smooth,
clean, complex, delicious and invigorating.
LOS NAHUALES MEZCAL
www.losdanzantes.com
Exquisite and rich flavor from agave espadin grown in Oaxaca state.
Traditional craft methods: agaves are slow roasted with mesquite,
crushed with a stone mill, naturally fermented in a wooden tun, and
double-distilled on a tiny hand-operated pot still. Distillers of
mezcal put agave solids in the still (tequila distillers use
extracted juice only), so that well-made mezcal is unusually full-
bodied and complex.
Héctor Vazquez de Abarca is in charge of production at Distileria
Los Danzantes, the source of Los Nahuales. His talent and passion
means that every batch we get is better than the last. He retains
the best from traditional methods, but he is also introducing
refinements. Los Nahuales is more than great mezcal; it’s a world-
class distilled spirit.
Los Danzantes Reposado
$64.99
Los Nahuales Joven
$51.99
DEL MAGUEY
www.mezcal.com
Del Maguey (pronounced: ma-gay) brings you a collection of fine,
rare, unblended mezcals made by individual family producers in tiny
remote villages scattered throughout the state of Oaxaca
(prounced: wah-ha-kah), Mexico. Each Del Maguey Mezcal bears the
name of the village where it is produced. The highest level of
integrity is maintained in order to preserve this art which is
revered by the peoples of the mountains, plains and fertile valleys
of this magical region.
Using natural processes over four hundred years old, the village
palenquero (maker) captures the true body and spirit of mezcal with
only two ingredients: water and the heart of the maguey (agave).
The hearts of maguey are roasted over hot stones in a pit in the
ground for three to five days covered with earth. They are then
ground to a mash using horse-powered stone mills, followed by a
long period of natural fermentation in wooden vats and finally
distilled twice, very slowly, in wood-fired clay or copper stills.
These mezcals are truly unlike any others. They are the most rare,
pure and fine available in the world. Their flavor has been described
as smokey, true, deep and warm. Our production is only available in
exclusive quantities, for each different village's mezcal, to preserve
16th century style and quality.
Crema de Mezcal
Del Maguey presents another unique traditional libation made in the
lush, remote mountains of Oaxaca Mexico.
Del Maguey Crema de Mezcal, is a combination of Miel de Maguey (unfermented syrup
of the roast agave) and Mezcal San Luis del Rio - double distilled from
100% mature agave Espadin, produced the original, natural 400-year-old,
hand-crafted way.
Crema label
$41.29
Del Maguey Vida
The newest arrival from Del Maguey, Oaxaca's most revered and sought-
after mezcal producer. This entry level bottling called "Vida" allows
for all of the purity and beauty that one extracts from Del Maguey's
hand-crafted distillations at a more affordable price. The "Vida" is
still produced 100% according to the 400 year old local tradition of
small-batch distillation and using nothing but the agave heart and water
in the mezcal.
$35.99
Del Maguey San Luis del Rio
San Luis Del RioTM mezcal has a spicy, fruity and smoky nose with
a high note of citrus. It is smooth and warming to the palate,
with a clean finish.
San Luis Del Rio is the name of the village where this fine Mezcal
is produced. Del Maguey, Ltd. Co. is the only producer in the four
hundred years of Mezcal production that has credited the name of
each village where our Mezcal is made.
Two hours south of Oaxaca on a two-lane, pot holed highway on route
to the Gulf of Tehuantepec is the turnoff to San Luis Del Rio. One
takes another 2 hours on a winding, rocky, dirt road. The pueblo
(village) is at an elevation of approximately 8,000 feet. It is a
narrow, hot valley, with steep slopes full of Maguey Espadin. The
Rio Hormiga Colorada (Red Ant River) flows through it. You may see
Paciano Cruz Nolasco, tending his fields. Above the large fields of
Maguey, the tops of the mountains are scattered with cornfields,
Iguanas crawling across the road, the trees and cactus with Bromeliads
growing on them.
$68.99
Del Maguey Chichicapa
ChichicapaTM has a relatively light nose, yet is deep and sweet on
the tongue with a very complex character. It has a long finish, with
a distinct smokiness and hint of mint at the end.
Chichicapa is 2 hours south of Oaxaca, and 2 hours to the west on a
dirt road. The pueblo elevation is about 7,000 feet. Chichicapa is
separated from the valley of Oaxaca by a mountain range. The valley
is broad, about thirty miles deep and ten miles wide. The climate is
desert and tropical, with banana trees, guava, mangoes and other
exotic fruits. Faustino Garcia Vasquez is the maker of Chichicapa.
He is a humble and talented craftsmen with great respect for the
ancient processes.
$68.99
Del Maguey Santa Domingo Albarradas
Santo Domingo Albarradas is located in the high Mixe (pronounced
Mee-Hay) region south of Oaxaca. The Mixe is a high altitude tropical
zone closely resembling parts of Hawaii. Tropical plants and fruits
grow here beside rushing mountain streams. Cool gray mists blow
through the valleys and Pine trees also grow nearby. The water here
is spectacular! Espiridion Morales Luis and his son Juan are our
Palenqueros. Espiridion has been making Mezcal since the Fifties.
He is soft spoken and sincere which reflects in the honesty of his
mezcal. All the transportation in this area is by horse or burro,
which limits production.
$68.99
Del Maguey Tobala
Duub-Bá-Lá is the ancient Zapotec phrase describing this most rare
mezcal made from the wild mountain maguey.
Duub means maguey plant and Bá-lá means house, therefore shade hence
- the plant that grows in the shade. This maguey is found growing
naturally only in the highest altitude canyons, growing in the shade of oak trees like truffles.
Tobala plant before harvesting
Tobalá's form is different than the maguey Espadin (Sword) or maguey
Azul (Blue). It is smaller and broader leafed. It takes about eight
Tobala piñas (hearts) to equal one piña from either of the more commonly
propagated and cultivated Magueys.
Tobala plant after harvesting
Whenever one mentions Tobalá in a smaller village, the peoples eyes
light up and a broad smile covers their face. They say their Ancestors,
in times before the maguey began to be cultivated by man in lower
altitude fields, always made their mezcal from this wild plant.
Our Tobala has a sweet, fruity nose, with a mango and cinnamon taste
and long, extra smooth finish. The pueblo elevation is around 8,200 feet,
with a mountainous, tropical microclimate.
Traditionally the high mountain village's government "Municipios" permit
their producers to cut Tobalá several months per year - including the month
before the village's patron saint's fiesta! They normally produce about 400
liters a year, which is almost totally consumed during the fiesta week.
We had been purchasing 25 liters a year from a rare, remote, high mountain
producer for our personal use. We have the great fortune to have convinced
the Municipio to allow our Zapotec palenquero to produce an extra 450
liters for Del Maguey this year.
We had thought to institute a program of replanting from seed but after
tasting other tobala mezcals cultivated by humans... we decided to keep
our production limited, to not mess with nature and to continue with the
traditional way... being very careful to never overharvest and allow mother
nature to do her job.
False Mezcal labeling in the commercial production towns and sales in
cities is endemic to Tobalá, Pechuga, as well as Minero. There is no way
to find a TRUE bottle of any of these special mezcals any place in Mexico,
including Oaxaca, other than the village they were made in or from Del Maguey!
$118.99
Mezcal Recipes
The Old Gringo
Duggan McDonnell, Cantina, San Francisco:
1.5 oz. Crema de Mezcal
.75 oz. Agave Nectar
1 oz. Pimm's
5 oz. Dry Vermouth
1 oz. Fresh Lemon
1 oz. Champagne
Shake first 5 ingredients, then strain into a punch glass while simultaneously pouring the Champagne.
Garnish with a cucumber slice, a blackberry and a lemon wheel. Serve.
Oaxacan Dream
aka wine geeks, International:
2 oz. Mezcal Vida
1 oz. pineapple juice
3/4 oz cranberry juice
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz agave nectar
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Shake and strain over fresh ice into a highball glass.
Garnish with a slice of grilled pineapple.
Salsa Verde
aka wine geeks, International:
1 3/4 ounces Mezcal Vida
1 1/4 ounces cucumber juice
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
1/2 oz agave syrup
1 small sprig cilantro.
Build all ingredients in a pint glass. Add a small sprig of cilantro and shake.
Strain into a rocks glass over 4-5 kold draft ice cubes and garnish with a sprig of cilantro.
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