The Best Mezcals

This entry-level espadín mezcal from Wahaka is made from agave that’s sustainably grown on a palenque that mezcalero Alberto “Beto” Morales describes as “a place of respect and harmony, where no arguments or even bad words may be uttered.” Certified organic by the USDA and Mayacert, Morales’ distillation process includes the use of a traditional tahona and double distillation in a copper alembic.

Mezcal Vago Elote begins innocently enough as the brand's 100% agave espadin mezcal. But master mezcalero Aquilino García López takes it further by adding toasted corn (elote) to the spirit after its second distillation. After days of infusion, the roasted corn is separated and the mezcal is distilled for a third and final time. It's bottled unaged.

Alipús is a product line of traditionally made village mezcals created by the group behind the Los Danzantes (aka Los Nahuales) line of mezcals. Each expression highlights a different village and distiller. San Andrés is fermented using wild yeasts in cypress vats before it is double distilled in a copper pot still. Don Valente Angel Garcia Juárez distills this espadín mezcal in the village of San Andrés in Xitlapehua, Oaxaca.

Mezcal Unión Uno is a silver mezcal distilled from 2 types of agave: espadín and cirial. It's produced by a group of mezcal families and Master Mezcalero Pedro Hernandez in San Baltazar, Oaxaca.

Bozal, translated as "untamed," alludes to the wild agave species used across the brand's range. This ensamble combines three agave varietals — Espadín, Barril, and Mexicano — grown in the villages of Ejutla de Crespo and San Baltazar, Oaxaca. Produced in small batches using earthen ovens, stone tahona wheels, open-air natural fermentation, and copper pot stills for double distillation. Bottled at 94 proof.

Made from wild Salmiana Crassispina agave harvested in the high plateau of San Luis Potosí, this expression is produced by Master Distiller Juan Manuel Pérez in the village of Charcas. Unlike most mezcals, the agave is cooked in a masonry oven with a stone pit using black oak rather than a traditional underground pit, resulting in a notably different smoke profile. The agave is tahona crushed, naturally fermented in masonry vats, distilled in copper pot stills, and rested a minimum of 60 days in glass before bottling at 86 proof.

Distilled from estate-grown espadín agave averaging 7 to 10 years of age, and is double-distilled in pot stills after the agave hearts are roasted in traditional stone lined pits. The Marca Negra expressions each detail things such as location of the distillery, production details, and the name of the Master Mezcalero. The square bottle is marked with a black handprint intimating the hand of the mezcalero (distiller) which in the espadín expression is Abel Nolasco Velasco.

Gracias a Dios prides itself in it sustainable practices, planting three agaves for every bottle produced. They use traditional methods of production, including wood-fired ovens and donkey-pulled tahonas. The organic espadín in the spirit is 8 years old at harvest and double-distilled. It is bottled without further aging.

Driving through the villages, in the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico you'll come across several "palenques" or distilleries each telling a tale. The stories coming out of their stills are of a particular place: the soil, the elevation, the growing seasons, the species of agave as well as the skill and sensibilities of the mezcalero (distiller). The Del Maguey “Chichicapa" comes from the valley floor of the village of Chichicapa, made entirely from agave espadín and hand-crafted by Faustino Garcia Vasquez.

This mezcal is distilled from 100% agave tobalá which grow semi-wild. The agave are harvested after 12 years and pit-roasted in the traditional manner. The roasted "piñas" or hearts of the agave plants are crushed using a mule-drawn tahona before the juices are open fermented. This mezcal is double-distilled and produced in Matatlan, Oaxaca by Mezcalero Gregorio Martinez Jarquin. This is released in small batches due to sustainable practices conserving the wild agave plants as well as the scarcity and size of the tobalá plants. It only grows in high altitudes in the shade of oak trees and is relatively small in size.