ALIPUS

Agave Type: Espadn, BicuisheRegion: San Andreas, OaxacaMaestro Mezcalero: Don Valente AngelProof: 94 Proof, 47 percent ABVTasting Notes:Minerality, salinity, robust fruit. Vibrant, floral, rich character. Details: Crafted from 80 percent espadn and 20 percent semi-wild agave Bicuishe. Distilled in the San Andreas region.

Alips is a line of traditionally hand-crafted mezcals with smoky overtones produced by a socially conscious co-op of mezcaleros, seeking to stimulate the Oaxacan economy with mezcal production. Each expression features a different artisanal family producer.Nestled alongside the dusty road to the San Juan del Rio Alips destilera, wild agave tobal rise above the chaotic desert foliage. Irrigated only by the rain, the high-altitude upland plateau features a terroir that crafts the very essence of Alips Mezcals. Owned by the Cruz family, Alips Mezcals are bottled by Destilera Los Danzantes, an artisanal distillery in Santiago Matatlan, south of Oaxaca city, and distributed (in the US) by Craft Distillers. San Juan del Rio is one of the many family distilleries in rural pueblos in the state of Oaxaca, that produce mezcal.Joel Antonio Cruz produced 30,000 bottles of Alips in 2015, and after deciding to remain small scale, turned to his younger cousin Rodolfo Juan Juarez, to take over distillation for export. The youthful Maestro Mescalero handcrafts Alips in the quaint riverfront distillery. The Cruz destilera operates as a co-op and has four copper pots.San Andrs Mezcal is crafted from handcrafted from agave Espadn and Bicuishe from the San Andrs, Oaxaca region. Planted nearly 5000 feet from the ground, the soil is mostly shale, which is not the most fertile, but some agave varietals are known to flourish there. The agave are fermented with wild yeasts in cypress vats and double distilled in a copper pot still in the village of San Andrs in Xitlapehua, Oaxaca. Distillation is overseen by Maestro Mezcalero Don Valente Angel. The result is a vegetal, earthy mezcal with underlying notes of sweet tobacco, fruit. Pick up your bottle today!

Agave Type: EspadnRegion: San Baltazar, OaxacaMaestro Mezcalero: Cirilo Hernandez, Don Cosme Hernandez. Proof: 96 Proof, 48 percent ABVTasting Notes:Ash, citrus, floral, salinity. Sweet notes of fruit, herbaceousness. Details: Crafted from Espadn grown at 4,100 feet on an open hilly countryside. Fermented in old pine vats.

Owned by Jaim and Gustavo Muoz, identical twins, and proprietors of five restaurants in Mexico including the well-known Los Danzantes in Oaxaca, an authentic Oaxacan restaurant emphasizing regional cuisine. Los Nahuales Reposado, also known as Los Danzantes Reposado, is distilled by Mezcalera Karina Abad Rojas at the Dstileria Los Danzantes in Santiago Matatlan. Just south of Oaxaca city, Santiago Matatlan is the world capital of mezcal. The mezcaleras behind the scenes have been making mezcal for generations, but the Los Danzantes brand was founded in 1997. In 1997, the Muoz siblings acquired a small artisan distillery in Santiago Matatlan, near Oaxaca city, in order to provide their restaurants with a dependable, quality source of mezcal. They hired Hector Vasquez de Abarca in 2004 to oversee the Danzantes distillery. Hector fused tradition and innovation in his methodology, and Karina Abad Rojas- a trained lab chemist- was brought on board in 2009, to oversee the expansion of the distilleries, making Los Danzantes and Alipus Mexicos top artisan mezcals.In 2013 Enrique Pea Nieto, President of Mexico, awarded Grupo Los Danzantes with the annual National Quality Award. Los Danzantes/Los Nahuales has been highly regarded as the finest mezcal in production to this day. Los Nahuales is crafted using traditional, highly authentic artisanal methods. After being matured for about 10 years, the agave are roasted in a ground fire pit, above mesquite wood, giving Los Nahules its signature pronounced smoky flavor. The fermented agave is then distilled along with all of its fibers and solids, infusing the mezcal with a more intense character than that of tequila, which is distilled after filtering out any solids. Mezcals have a more complex vegetal character, rich in the essence of the agave. 66 percent of this reposado is aged in French Oak barrels, and 33 percent is aged in American White Oak. After 9 months resting in these barrels, this mezcal is then bottled. This Los Nahuales Mezcal is bursting with flavor, defined by beautiful oak overtones, from their rest in French oak barrels.Get your bottle today!

Agave Type: EspadnRegion: Santa Ana, OaxacaMaestro Mezcalero: Hernandez Melchor Proof: 96 Proof, 48 percent ABVTasting Notes:Smoked wood, meaty notes, citrus, lime, spicy red pepper and sweet notes.Details: Crafted from agave Espadn harvested at an elevation of 4100 feet. Roasted in a pit oven, crushed using a horse drawn tahona, fermented in open pine vats, and double distilled in copper stills.

Agave Type: Espadn, Arroqueo.Region: Sola de Vega, OaxacaMaestro Mezcalero: Felix Garcia, Jesus Rios, Leonardo RojasProof: 96 Proof, 48 percent ABVTasting Notes:Vegetal, earthy notes, smoke, cocoa nibs, tobacco, fruits, cracked pepper, citrus.Details: Crafted from 80 percent espadn and 20 percent arroqueo agaves. Distilled in clay pot stills in the Sola de Vega region.

Agave Type: EspadnRegion: Santa Ana, OaxacaMaestro Mezcalero: Hernandez Melchor Proof: 94 Proof, 42 percent ABVTasting Notes:Herbaceousness, fermented fruits, smoke, mineral notes, bitter flavors.Details: Crafted from agave Espadn harvested at an elevation of 5200 feet. Roasted in a pit oven, crushed using a horse drawn tahona, fermented in open pine vats, and double distilled in copper stills.