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

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In the beginning, and for a long time, Del Maguey was a very small operation,” Éva Pelczer, the global education manager for Pernod Ricard, says. “The idea [of Del Maguey] is to bring this liquid art form, this 400-year-old culture, to a global audience completely intact.”

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.

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During a tasting with New York-based brand education director Éva Pelczer, she said Miller wants folks to think about Del Maguey mezcal the way they think about wine — considering the different varietals of agave, different regions, and different production methods used to make the spirit. Sure enough, among the 25+ different expressions that the green-glassed Del Maguey now spans, the flavor profiles available really run the gamut. They even change slightly from year to year due to a variety of elements ranging from climate to the wild yeasts that happen to land on the agave hearts. (Batch numbers are printed on all Del Maguey bottles, so you can easily compare one year to another if you’re so inclined.)

Pernod Ricard’s House of Tequila has added an ‘accessible’ mezcal to its Del Maguey portfolio. Del Maguey Vida Puebla has been described as an ‘accessible’ mezcalThe Antonio family also uses an underground roasting oven cut directly into the granite hillside, infusing heaps more flavor from the environment. If you prefer a chilled drink, I recommend using large ice cubes to avoid excessive dilution. Artwork However, it is crafted using traditional Mezcal methods, including cooking agave in underground pits using wood and coal as fuel sources, rather than steaming in the Tequila process.

Over the years, Cooper formed working relationships with these artisanal producers. In 1995, Del Maguey was founded to uplift these methodologies and bring their products to the U.S. intact. The new Del Maguey Vida Puebla is made from 100% Espadín agave, which is roasted underground and naturally fermented before it is distilled twice in copper stills. Del Maguey exposed me to a deeper view of what Mexico offers in its rich history and culture of food and beverage. It showcases that, like with wine, time, terroir, and the hands that create mezcal greatly influence the final result,” he says. My education and training include a thorough knowledge of agave spirits creation from planting agaves to bottling, including distillation.The iconic green bottle and distinctive artwork — all done by the late artist Ken Price, a close friend of the founder — never fail to draw a guest’s eye, according to Stanley. Besides the eye-catching bottle, he appreciates Del Maguey’s vast amount of expressions. “It has so many options for novice mezcal drinkers or big agave heads who want to dig into some rare agaves,” he says. There are varying degrees of smoky flavor among mezcals. Some, like Del Maguey Vida, have a smoke profile to rival Scotch. Others, like Illegal Joven, are lighter on the smoke, emphasizing fruitiness and other flavors instead. This cookie is set by Rubicon Project to control synchronization of user identification and exchange of user data between various ad services. 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.

For the mezcal-curious, it can be an intimidating category. Del Maguey’s newest launch, VIDA Puebla, serves as an introduction to the spirit and rounds out what is now known as the VIDA Collection in the Del Maguey portfolio. With a softer taste and an approachable 40 percent ABV, VIDA Puebla is made with newcomers in mind. You’d expect the surrounding terroir of luscious fields, fruit trees and rose bushes to feature heavily in this mezcal, and you’d be right. However, those influences are joined by another set of all-together unique flavors which I’d never quite experienced before. When you smell Del Maguey Tobala, you’re met with an immediate whiff I could only describe as halfway between fresh blueberries and stinky cheese. This odd duality carries over into the flavor, combining notes of pear, apple and citrus with a mushroom-tinted funkiness. Del Maguey, Looking Forward Yet, unlike most other brands on the market, there is no Del Maguey factory. Instead, Del Maguey works with 10 different indigenous villages throughout Oaxaca and Puebla, Mexico. You can swap in mezcal in any tequila-based drink, including Margaritas, but given its rich, intense character, it’s also a good substitute for scotch or whiskey in classics like the Old Fashioned. But it’s wonderful sipped neat in a traditional manner, followed by an orange slice dipped in sal de gusano, a salt blended with chiles and insect larva.

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Yet, because mezcal production is high-cost—“Agave takes eight to 30 years to mature, and there’s no machine that harvests them, so it’s all manpower,” says Mix—bottles can be pricey. She suggests visiting a mezcal bar and sampling different one-ounce pours to figure out what you like before buying a bottle. Many of these villages are known for ceramic work, textile weaving and natural dyes,” says Pelczer. “Mezcal is one of those artisanal products. So you’ll begin to see this phrase, ‘liquid art.'” 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. The fruit forward, easy sipping Del Maguey Vida is an approachable introduction to the spirit. Wall Street Journal There are many factors that go into a mezcal’s flavor profile, such as terroir, agave species, and how the mezcalero chooses to cook, ferment, and distill the plants,” says bar consultant Deena Sayers of Drinks By Deena. “Not all varieties taste the same, and not every batch tastes the same. Tryingmezcalshould be a journey through flavors offlowers, fruits, vegetables, herbs, earth, cheese, or even sour notes until you find the perfect one for you. There is amezcalfor everyone.”