Ilegal Joven Mezcal, 70cl, 40% ABV

Product Information

While fermented drinks from agave (like pulque) is pre-colonial, [10] the distillation of agave heart juice into mezcal was only introduced in the colonial era. How stills reached New Spain remains a point of scholarly dispute; some historians attribute the propagation of distillation to the Spanish who learned the process during the Moorish rule of Iberia, while others trace its origins to Filipino sailors who, after the opening of the galleon trade in the 1570s, brought stills with them to make vino de coco (coconut liquor). [11] Believe it or not, the first thing I did was to see if they were readily available on the internet. Because if you can’t get it, what’s the point? Unlike most imported tequilas, where production is structured on a relatively large scale, many mezcals are small individual or family-run operations, and unless they are fortunate enough to have marketing and distribution connections, you may never find them on this side of the Rio Grande. But then comes the all-important element of taste. The degree of smokiness is not the deciding factor; while some of the best mezcals thunder out of the bottle with domineering smoke, other superbly crafted mezcals offer just a faint whiff. It’s the flavor beneath the smoke that matters most. Ilegal Mezcal has an interesting origin story, starting as an accidental venture by founder John Rexer.

a b c d Taibo, Paco Ignacio. "Misterio y magia del mezcal"[Mystery and magic of mezcal] (in Spanish). Mexico City: Mexico Desconocido. Archived from the original on 29 March 2010 . Retrieved 9 October 2009. The state of Oaxaca sponsors the International Mezcal Festival every year in the capital city, Oaxaca de Juárez. There, locals and tourists can sample and buy a large variety of mezcals made in the state. Mezcals from other states, such as Guerrero, Guanajuato, and Zacatecas also participate. This festival was started in 1997 to accompany the yearly Guelaguetza festival. In 2009, the festival had over 50,000 visitors, and brought in 4 million pesos to the economy. [32] See also [ edit ]Most people have never heard of mezcal — but they have heard of tequila, which is just a subset of mezcal with some very specific requirements. For mezcal, it really just needs to be distilled from agave plants of some kind to be considered ‘mezcal’.

I start by nosing the liquid directly from the bottle, as that small opening provides an initial—although rudimentary—concentration of each mezcal’s personality. Then I pour a small amount into a Glencairn tasting glass and do a sniff, sip and spit routine, not actually swallowing the liquid but by “breathing” it though the nose, as there are far more taste receptors in our noses than in our mouths. Only then can I dissect more of the flavors, which are often hidden underneath mezcal’s varying degrees of smokiness.Ilegal Mezcal is produced in Oaxaca, Mexico. The brand launched out of a Guatemala bar, Café No Sé, as the pet project of an American expat, John Rexer. It is currently headquartered in NYC. This campaign resonated with those who opposed the political figure, contributing to Ilegal Mezcal’s growing prominence.

Mezcal ( / m ɛ ˈ s k æ l/, Latin American Spanish: [mesˈkal] ⓘ), sometimes spelled mescal, [1] is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from any type of agave. The word mezcal comes from Nahuatl mexcalli [meʃˈkalːi], which means "oven-cooked agave", from metl [met͡ɬ] and ixcalli [iʃˈkalːi]. [2] Traditionally the word "mezcal" has been used generally in Mexico for all agave spirits and it continues to be used for many agave spirits whether these spirits have been legally certified as "mezcal" or not. [3] Internationally, mezcal has been recognized as an Appellation of Origin (AO, DO) since 1994. [13] [14] There is also a Geographical Indication (GI), originally limited to the states of Oaxaca, Guerrero, Durango, San Luis Potosí, Puebla and Zacatecas. Similar products are made in Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacán, and Tamaulipas, but these have not been included in the mezcal DO. [14] The mezcal is famous for its guerilla marketing campaign, Donald Eres Un Pendejo (translation: Donald, you’re an asshole). Launched two days after Trump announced his candidacy for president in 2015, the campaign was a response to racist remarks Trump made about Mexican immigrants. (Most notably, he called them “rapists.”) The insights I’ve gained aren’t just from books or hearsay; they are the result of hands-on experience, countless tastings, and an enduring passion for these spirits.Agaves or magueys are endemic to the Americas and found globally as ornamental plants. More than 90% of mezcal is made in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, but is now produced and commercialized throughout Mexico for the national and international market. Native fermented drinks from maguey plant, such as pulque, existed before the arrival of the Spanish. The brand gained further attention during the 2016 presidential election with its viral “Donald eres un pendejo” (Donald, you are an asshole) campaign. Ice can be a bit of a challenge for spirits, often upending the balance of flavors and eliminating some of the lighter aspects. But in this case, the majority of the flavors are surprisingly unchanged. It’s just the intensity that has been altered. ILEGAL Mezcal is available in Joven, a full-bodied agave flavor with a light smoke; Reposado, aged six months in medium-charred American oak; and Añejo, aged to taste for 13 months using a combination of new and used American oak, medium char barrels.

The origin of mezcal is tied to the introduction of distillation technology which was introduced to New Spain either by the Spanish or Filipino sailors. a b c d e Lagasse, Erich. "Mezcal: típico afrodisíaco mexicano"[Mezcal:Typical Mexican Afrodisiac] (in Spanish). Univision. Archived from the original on 29 March 2010 . Retrieved 19 October 2009.I’m J Highland, and for over 30 years, I’ve been deeply immersed in the captivating world of Tequila, Mezcal, and other agave spirits. Inaugura URO XII Feria Internacional del Mezcal"[XII International Festival of Mezcal opens] (in Spanish). Oaxaca: State of Oaxaca. 20 July 2009 . Retrieved 19 October 2009. The old adage goes, “All Tequila is Mezcal, but not all Mezcal is Tequila.” Mexico’s Mezcal spirit is made from the fermented and distilled sugars of agave plants. Unlike Tequila, which must use the Weber blue agave and be made within the designated Tequila appellation, Mezcal can be produced from one of dozens of agave species and doesn’t need to be made in a specific region.