MezcalĪ spirit that, as legally defined, can be made from more than 50 species of agave and produced in one of nine Mexican states (with the majority of exports coming from Oaxaca). A palenquero, or distillery worker, prepares agaves for cooking at the Montelobos distillery. Each recommendation that follows represents a producer or brand that adheres to trusted production methods and creates truly distinctive agave spirits. With more of these spirits increasingly finding a place in American bars, there’s no better time to get familiar with the category and discover some bottles to try. While many are not currently organized into formal denominations of origin (DO), a handful, including Tequila, have rules and regulations that detail and regulate production methods. Like wine, Mexican agave spirits have protected appellations of origin to distinguish the most unique regional styles.
In Mexico, agave spirits are made from the southern state of Oaxaca to the northernmost point of Sonora, with every state and micro-region producing expressions that are distinct in character and flavor, depending on what local agaves are used and what regional production methods are put into practice. Mexico is an amazing place.”Īn easy way to look at the broad picture of agave spirits is to think of the category like wine, where there’s an umbrella of grape-fermented liquids known as “wine” and then smaller and more specific regional variations existing within that realm, like Rioja and Champagne.
“The beautiful thing is that the well of diversity and creativity is very deep. “I’m excited by what’s available in the market and what’s to come-we’re way past scratching the surface with agave spirits,” he says. Today, the spirits Torren imports are available in more than 30 states. When he launched Fidencio in 2009, he estimates that they were one of 11 brands of mezcal on the market. “I get excited by makers, stories, and flavor, and it didn’t take long for me to realize that the world of agave spirits is huge, and way beyond one man or one place,” he says. These days, liquor store shelves and backbars feature bottles displaying the names raicilla, bacanora, and beyond, offering a kaleidoscope of flavors from across the country.Īrik Torren, owner of Mezcal Fidencio and importer of Mezcal Derrumbes, La Venenosa Raicilla, Rancho Tepúa Bacanora, and Sotol La Higuera, was one of the first to import agave spirits beyond tequila and mezcal into the States.
With mezcal’s meteoric rise over the last decade (figures from the regulatory commission in Mexico show the industry produced almost 8 million liters in 2020, compared to less than 1 million in 2011), the door has opened for other Mexican spirits to find a place in American bars.
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