OUR MEZCALERO
Mezcalum is produced by award-winning Maestro Mezcalero Carlos Mendez Blas. Carlos co-owns his family distillery — first established in 1930 — with his mother. The family’s traditional methods of producing mezcal have been passed down for four generations on both sides of the family.
Carlos is an investor, partner, and advisory board member of Mezcalum, and employees at the distillery and factory who contribute to production benefit from a profit-sharing program.
FARM
At its heart, Mezcalum is a celebration of agave. Our flagship joven mezcal is blended from Espadin (95 percent) and wild Cuishe (5 percent) agave.
Our Espadin is grown on the hillsides of Santiago de Matatlán; our Cuishe — which can take between six and twelve years to mature — is found in the high, arid valleys of Oaxaca at altitudes between 750 and 2,000 meters.
HARVEST
When the agave matures, our mezcaleros cut off the quiote (a large flowering stalk which emerges when the agave is matured), a process known as “capón.” This method is used to increase the yield of the agaves and to enhance flavor. When the agave is ready to be fully harvested, the mezcaleros cut off the agave leaves to prepare the piña, or heart, of the plant.
COOK
Following harvest, the mezcaleros prepare a stone-ground oven by igniting locally-sourced firewood underneath large stones that form the base of the oven. Once the flames die down and the stones are heated, our distiller fills the oven with the piñas and then covers the pit with a cloth tarp and dirt; this ensures that the oven is fully insulated. The piñas roast for 5 days, releasing their natural sugars.
FERMENT
After roasting is finished, the piñas are crushed with a large circular stone called a Tahona Press. The pulp is then placed in large wooden barrels, combined with water, and left uncovered for about 3 days. Wild yeast from the agave, wooden barrels, and ambient environment convert the sugars into alcohol. This is known as open-air fermentation.
DISTILL
Finally, the fermented liquid is placed in a copper pot over an open flame, which causes the vapors to rise through a still. The liquid is distilled twice to refine the purity of the spirit.
Mezcalum is made from a blend of 95% Espadín and 5% wild Cuishe agave.
Our wild Cuishe agave is found at elevations between 750 and 2,000 meters in the Oaxaca Valley.
Our wild Cuishe agave takes up to 12 years to mature.
Our Espadín agave takes up to 6 years to mature.
100% ESPADÍN & CUISHE AGAVE
