EL MENU DE AGAVE

TEQUILA FLIGHT 33/48

Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo Tequila from 3 of our favourite producers.

TROMBA BLANCO 40% Australian owned, Mexican made.

TEQUILA FORTALEZA REPOSADO 40% Fifth generation Tequila family – these guys do it best.

CORRALEJO AÑEJO 40% From lesser-known Tequila state, Guanajuato.

DISTILLATION FLIGHT 37/54

3 mezcals distilled using different materials.

ESTANCIA RAICILLA Maximiliana • 40% Copper alembic distilled.

DON AMADO RUSTICO MEZCAL Espadin • 47% Clay pot distilled.

LA VENENOSA COSTA RAICILLA Amarillo • 45.5% Hollow tree trunk/copper pot distilled.

PECHUGA & INFUSION FLIGHT 61/90

Pechuga is celebratory mezcal made with local produce hung inside the still.

BRUXO NO. 2 PECHUGA 46% Infused with a roasted agave.

DEL MAGUEY IBERICO 49% Distilled with Spanish Iberico ham.

EL JOLGORIO PECHUGA 48% Distilled with creole turkey, pineapple, anise.

EXPENSIVE BUT WORTH IT FLIGHT 89/135

Hard to find. Treat yourself...

LA VENENOSA PUNTAS 63% Potent ‘heads’ of the distillation. Amazing character.

MEZCALOTECA ENSAMBLE 47% Non-commercial producer, bottled by a mezcal library.

LEYENDA RESERVA DE LA BIOSFERA 48% Harvested from the largest cactus reserve on Earth.

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PRICED FOR 20ML POURS / 30ML POURS

AGAVE FLIGHTS

3

SPECIES ANGUSTIFOLIA (VARIETY ESPADIN)

The humble Agave Espadin is the most common agave in the mezcal world, and it’s easy to see why – It’s a high yielding, easily cultivated agave, and the perfect canvas for which to showcase the artistry of traditional mezcal production. “Espadin” translates to “small sword” in Spanish, and is also called Doba-Yej in Zapotec language.

KEY | BRAND Agave type • ABV Price

MEZCAL LIST

AGAVE DE CORTEZ AÑEJO Espadin • 43% 18

AGAVE DE CORTEZ EXTRA AÑEJO Espadin • 43% 20

ALIPUS SAN ANDRES Espadin • 47.9% 15

ALIPUS SAN BALTAZAR Espadin • 47.9% 15

ALIPUS SAN JUAN DEL RIO Espadin • 47.8% 15

BRUXO NO. 1 Espadin • 40% 14

DEL MAGUEY CHICHICAPA Espadin • 46% 18

DEL MAGUEY ESPADIN ESPECIAL Espadin • 45% 18

DEL MAGUEY MINERO Espadin • 49% 18

DEL MAGUEY SAN JOSE RIO MINAS Espadin • 48% 22

DEL MAGUEY VIDA Espadin • 42% 12

DON AMADO RUSTICO Espadin • 47% 17

ILEGAL JOVEN Espadin • 40% 15

ILEGAL REPOSADO Espadin • 40% 17

ILEGAL AÑEJO Espadin • 40% 24

LOS DANZANTES Espadin • 47% 17

MEZCALES DE LEYENDA OAXACA Espadin • 42% 21

NUESTRA SOLEDAD SANTIAGO MATATLAN Espadin • 47% 13

NUESTRA SOLEDAD STA. MA. ZOQUITLAN Espadin • 46% 16

NUESTRA SOLEDAD LA COMPANIA EJUTLA Espadin • 46% 15

QUIQUIRIQUI Espadin • 45% 14

SIETE MISTERIOS Doba-Yej • 45.5% 28

XICARU Espadin • 40.5% 13

SPECIES KARWINSKII (VARIETY BARRIL, CUIXE, MADRECUIXE, TOBASICHE)

Agave Karwinskii is different to other agave species, and have quickly grown in popularity. The piña grows upright on top of a short stalk made of denser piña composition. The stalk is sometimes used along with the piña to produce mezcal. Mezcals made with this agave usually have less of a bright flavour profile than other agave, instead making often-bold, dry mezcals. Karwinskii agaves are found mainly in Oaxaca and Puebla.

BRUXO NO. 3 Barril • 46% 16

EL JOLGORIO Barril • 46.4% 27

EL JOLGORIO Cuixe • 47% 24

IN SITU Verde • 48% 39

PIERDE ALMAS Tobaziche • 48% 44

REAL MINERO Barril • 49.5% 38

QUIQUIRIQUI Madrecuishe • 47% 21

SPECIES AMERICANA (VARIETY ARROQUEÑO)

Agave Americana is a giant plant, growing up to 4m wide and dwarfing Mezcaleros whom care for it for up to 20 years. Mezcals produced from this plant have giant flavours. Notes of tropical fruits are just the beginning. This species is most commonly found in the states of Oaxaca and Puebla.

EL JOLGORIO ARROQUEÑO Arroqueño • 49.5% 43

SIETE MISTERIOS Arroqueño • 50% 38

SIETE MISTERIOS Coyote • 46.3% 46

SPECIES MARMORATA (VARIETY TEPEZTATE, COYOTE)

Tepeztate remains notoriously rare due to its tendency to grow in places such as cliff faces, and only in the wild. It is also a large agave, and can take 25+ years to reach maturity. It is renowned for its often-herbaceous and spicy expressions.

DEL MAGUEY WILD TEPEXTATE Tepextate • 45% 20

EL JOLGORIO Tepeztate • 49.5% 32

PIERDE ALMAS Tepextate • 55% 44

KEY | BRAND Agave type • ABV Price4

MEZCAL LIST

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DEL MAGUEY WILD PAPALOME Papalote • 45% 21

MEZCALES DE LEYENDA GUERRERO Papalote • 45% 22

MEZCALOTECA Papalome • 45% 42

SPECIES CUPREATA (VARIETY PAPALOME, PAPALOTE, PAPALOMETL)

A short, thick agave with fat leaves, Agave Cupreata is treasured in the states of Michoacán and Guerrero where it is grown wild and also cultivated. This agave is pretty to look at, and fittingly produces bright, fruity, floral expressions. It is also called Papalomé after the word butterfly (papalotl) in Nahuatl, Aztec language.

SPECIES DURANGENSIS (VARIETY CENIZO)

Endemic to the state of Durango, Agave Cenizo is a medium sized agave found growing at high altitudes, often in dessert-like conditions. It produces beautifully expressive mezcales with everything from floral notes to funky notes.

DONA NATALIA Cenizo • 40% 37

DERRUMBES DURANGO Cenizo • 45% 18

LAGRIMAS DE DOLORES Cenizo • 45% 18

MEZCALES DE LEYENDA DURANGO Cenizo • 47% 22

BRUXO NO. 5 Tobala • 46% 32

DEL MAGUEY TOBALA Tobala • 45% 33

EL JOLGORIO Tobala • 48.3% 31

MEZCALES DE LEYENDA PUEBLA Tobala • 47% 25

MEZCAL VAGO TOBALA Tobala • 52.3% 32

MEZCAL VAGO TOBALA EN BARRO Tobala (2015 Mexi trip) • 50% 32

WAHAKA Tobala • 42% 36

SPECIES POTATORUM (VARIETY TOBALA)

While it sounds like an Irishman’s rum, this is actually one noble little agave. Agave Tobalá are not only one of the smallest, but also one of the hardest to harvest, often found growing wild in shady, rocky areas such as cliff faces. Iconically sweet and complex, Tobalá can be the gateway to mezcal obsession. With roots that break through limestone, there are many reasons to cherish this hardy, low-yielding agave.

MEZCAL LIST

EL JOLGORIO Mexicano (2013) • 47% 21

EL JOLGORIO Mexicano (2015 Mexi trip) • 47% 21

MARCA NEGRA Dobadán • 47.8% 30

MEZCAL VAGO Mexicano • 50.7% 26

PALENQUEROS VALENTE GARCIA Mexicano • 49.5% 23

MEZCALES DE LEYENDA SAN LUIS POTOSÍ Salmiana • 42% 22

DERRUMBES SAN LUIS POTOSÍ Salmiana • 44.4% 15

DEL MAGUEY WILD JABALI Jabali • 45% 21

El JOLGORIO JABALI Jabali • 50.5% 44

SPECIES RHODACANTHA (VARIETY MEXICANO)

Agave Rhodacantha has an enormous distribution throughout Mexico’s Western states, spanning from Oaxaca in the South to Sonora in the North. The plant is large, and their mezcals offer an array of aromatic expressions.

SPECIES SALMIANA

Common throughout central Mexico, and also often used for landscaping purposes, this giant takes 20+ years to reach maturity, and is also used to make Pulque – an Aztec drink made from fermented agave sap. Look for notes of fresh capsicum and jalapeño on the nose.

SPECIES CONVALLIS (VARIETY JABALI)

Agave Jabali is notorious for being the most challenging of all Agaves to work with. It foams and expands during both fermentation and distillation, apparently blowing up stills, and while the Agave itself is quite common in Oaxaca, few Mezcaleros dare to take it on.

DERRUMBES ZACATECAS Agave Tequilana • 46.4% 17

LAGRIMAS DE DOLORES Castilla • 47% 23

LEYENDA MONTANA “ÚNICOS” Montana • 45% 67

MISCELLANEOUS AGAVE

The first time Agave Montana has been used for mezcal. It is only found in a very remote part of Mexico, and turns a beautiful orangey-red when flowering. Derrumbes Zacatecas is a Mezcal, but made from the Tequila species of Agave.

KEY | BRAND Agave type • ABV Price6

MEZCAL LIST

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ENSAMBLES

These mezcals are produced with more than one agave variety. Unlike whiskey, which is blended to taste after distillation, Mezcaleros choose their blend of agaves before production begins, showcasing incredible knowledge and intuition for their raw product and craft. This also depends on which agave are ready for harvest at the same time.

ALIPUS EDICION ESPECIAL 2014 26Espadin, Madrecuishe, Bicuishe • 47.4%

ALIPUS DESTILADO EN BARRO 17Espadin 80%, Arroqueño 20% • 47.6%

BRUXO NO. 4 ENSAMBLE 19Espadin, Barril, Cuishe • 46%

DERRUMBES OAXACA 17Espadin, Tobala • 45.9%

LEYENDA ‘TEHUACÁN’ RESERVAS DE LA BIÓSFERA 59Macrocantha, Mamorata • 47%

MEZCAL VAGO ENSAMBLE EN BARRO 2484% Espadin, 7% Barril, 5% Mexicano, 4% Arroqueño • 50.6%

MEZCALOTECA ENSAMBLE 42Bicuixe, Madrecuixe, Verde, Espadin • 47%

MONTELOBOS ENSAMBLE 21Papalome, Espadin, Tobala • 45.3%

PALENQUEROS BALTAZAR CRUZ 23Espadin, Sierra Negra • 50%

PALENQUEROS ONOFRE ORTIZ 23Cinco Magueys • 48%

PECHUGAS / INFUSIONSPechuga is a celebratory style of mezcal traditionally consumed on days such as weddings. Pechuga translates to breast in Spanish, and refers to the chicken or turkey breast often hung in the still during distillation. Other produce such as nuts or spices may also be used, depending what the Mezcalero has available locally. Expect more experimentation as mezcal moves forward.

BRUXO NO. 2 PECHUGA 16Espadin 80%, Barril 20% infused with roasted agave piña • 46%

EL JOLGORIO PECHUGA 30Espadin distilled with creole turkey, pineapple, anise • 48%

MEZCAL GIN 19Cenizo infused with Mexican botanicals • 45%

DEL MAGUEY IBERICO 44Espadin distilled with Spanish Iberico ham • 49%

QUIQUIRIQUI PECHUGA MOLE 19Espadin distilled with the Mendez family’s Mole paste recipe • 50%

MEZCAL LIST

Bacanora is a mezcal made in the state of Sonora. It was not legally recognised until receiving its own Denomination de Origen in 2000. It is made using Agave Pacifica, a relative of Agave Espadin, found in the North of Mexico. Sotol is not technically mezcal, as it is made from a relative of Agave named Dasylirion Wheeleri, a plant that looks like agave, and creates an often-grassy distillate. Sotol has its own Denomination de Origen and can only be produced in 3 Northern states

Raicilla, pronounced Rye-see-ya, is an agave distillate with a long history in the state of Jalisco. Made in one of two regions, La Costa (the coast) or La Sierra (the mountains), producers use wild agave, and usually roast them in aboveground clay or brick ovens. Expect insane flavour profiles ranging from gin-like qualities through to blue cheese - This stuff is rad! Tutsi, also from Jalisco, was an almost lost spirit made deep in the jungle. “Rediscovered” and bought to market by La Venenosa, Tutsi is made using Ancestral methods, and distilled only once, instead of twice.

CIELO ROJO BACANORA Pacifica (Angustifolia) • 42% 19

LA HIGUERA SOTOL Dasylirion Wheeleri • 43% 16

ESTANCIA Maximiliana • 40% 15

ESTANCIA 45 Maximiliana • 45% 18

LA VENENOSA COSTA DE JALISCO Amarillo (Rhodacantha) • 45.5% 21

LA VENENOSA PUNTAS Maximiliana • 63% 37

LA VENENOSA SIERRA DEL TIGRE DE JALISCO Inaequidens • 46.5% 22

LA VENENOSA SIERRA OCCIDENTAL DE JALISCO Maximiliana • 42% 17

LA VENENOSA SUR DE JALISCO Cenizo Costeno • 47% 24

LA VENENOSA TUTSI Masparillo • 38.8% 29

ARETTE FUERTE 101 PROOF Blanco • 50.5% 17

CALLE 23 CRIOLLO Blanco • 49.3% 17

FORTALEZA STILL STRENGTH Blanco • 46% 21

HERRADURA DIRECTO RESERVA Blanco • 55% 28

TAPATIO 110 PROOF Blanco • 55% 19

Like most spirits, Tequila is usually diluted down to approximately 40% alcohol, however there are always exceptions to the rule. Alcohol is a vehicle for flavour and aroma, and these higher-proof Tequilas are some of our personal favourites.

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SOTOL & BACANORA

RAICILLA & TUTSI

HIGH PROOF TEQUILAMEXICAN APERITIFS

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Tequila, the most well known of Agave spirits, is made from Agave Tequilana Weber; AKA the Blue Weber Azul. Traditionally, agaves are roasted in brick ovens, crushed, fermented, and distilled. Tequila can legally be produced in 5 different states. Many categorise into lowland vs highland, however we see too many exceptions to consider this a consistent guide in neither taste nor aroma. Like any agave spirit, the terroir in which Blue Agaves are grown will have a significant impact on their flavour.

BLANCO/PLATA (AGED 0-2 MONTHS)

ARETTE Blanco • 38% 13

ARETTE SUAVE Blanco • 38% 16

CALLE 23 Blanco • 40% 12

CORRALEJO Blanco • 40% 12

FORTALEZA Blanco • 40% 18

HERRADURA Plata • 40% 13

TROMBA Blanco • 40% 11

REPOSADOS (AGED 2-12 MONTHS)

ARETTE SUAVE Reposado • 38% 20

CALLE 23 Reposado • 40% 13

CORRALEJO Reposado • 40% 13

FORTALEZA Reposado • 40% 21

HERRADURA Reposado • 40% 15

TROMBA Reposado • 40% 14

AÑEJO (AGED 1-3 YEARS)

ARETTE SUAVE Añejo • 38% 23

ARTE NOM SELECCION 1146 Añejo • 40% 21

CALLE 23 Añejo • 40% 16

CORRALEJO Añejo • 40% 15

FORTALEZA Añejo • 40% 29

HERRADURA Añejo • 40% 16

TAPATIO Añejo • 40% 15

TROMBA Añejo • 40% 17

EXTRA AÑEJO (AGED 3+ YEARS)

FUENTESECA RESERVA EDAD 9 AÑOS 54 Extra Añejo • 43%

OCHO LA LATILLA Extra Añejo • 40% 32

TAPATIO EXCELENCIA Extra Añejo • 40% 30

Ancho Reyes Mexican Chile Aperitif 12

Fernet Vallet Mexican Fernet 12

El Tarasco Gran Reserva Mexican Rum 10

El Tarasco Extra Aged Mexican Rum 12

TEQUILA LIST

MEXICAN APERITIFS NEW ARRIVALS

DRINKING MEZCAL 101

1. Smell your mezcal - Expression falls equally on the nose and mouth.

2. Kiss your mezcal - Take a small sip, enjoy across every part of your mouth.

3. Rest after your first sip - Let your palate adjust, notice flavours develop.

4. Smile - Mezcal has rich cultural significance to Mexicans, including celebrations.

5. There are no rules, just don’t be a pendejo.

LINGO MEXICANO

In Mexico they don’t call it Agave, but instead Maguey. The word silvestre translates to wild, referring to Agave that were not cultivated or cared for by man. The leaves are called pencas, and once they have been cut off, you are left with the heart of the agave, called the piña. A person who harvests the maguey is a Jimador, but the person who produces the mezcal is a Mezcalero, or Palenquero. The “distillery” where the Mezcalero produces their mezcal is called a palenque or taberna. And this word Oaxaca you will often see, it’s pronounced Wa-ha-ka, and it’s the Mexican state where most mezcal is produced.

VINO DE MEZCAL

Early Spanish colonists referred to Mezcal as Vino de Mezcal, and in many ways Mezcal does share similarities with wine. While there are many different grape varietals and production methods, any beverage fermented from grapes is a wine. Similarly, while there are many different agave varietals and production methods, any beverage distilled from agave is a Mezcal.

Just as the Hill of Hermitage is famous for producing great Syrah wine in France, The Mexican state of Durango grows Agave Cenizo wild in the mountains, with terroir and micro-climate playing a major role in the flavour of both of these plants.

Unlike Wine or Whisky however, Mezcal is not made from a plant that can be harvested annually. Instead, Agave takes around 8 years to mature, with some even known to take 25+ years. If terroir plays a major role in a grape’s 1 year of growth, imagine the impact it has on Agave over 25 years. What’s more, once you harvest agave, it dies.

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INTRO TO AGAVE

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COOKING

Once harvested, piñas are usually roasted in an underground oven called a horno, lined with volcanic rocks and hot coals. It is insulated with spent agave fibres and dirt, and left to roast for up to a week. As with all of these steps, this varies depending on the Mezcalero.

CRUSHING

Once the piñas are cooked, they are crushed to extract the aguamiel (which translates to honey-water) for fermentation. This is commonly done by horse drawn tahona, which is a heavy stone wheel. One of our favourite Mezcaleros however, crushes his agave inside a wooden canoe with large wooden mallets, alternating turns with his young daughters – this is hard work!

FERMENTATION

This is the process in which wild yeasts convert sugar into alcohol, creating many of the mind-blowing flavours and aromas we enjoy. Just like our own backyards, every palenque (distillery) has its own unique cocktail of yeasts floating around the air, making natural fermentation a beautiful and hyper-local process. Many different vessels are used for fermentation, most commonly large wooden vats. If you ever come across a bovine (cowhide) fermentation, be sure to give it a try.

DISTILLATION

Several types of distillation have been introduced to Mexico throughout history - A fascinatingly ancestral process, Mezcaleros generally use stills made from ceramic, wood, copper and stainless steal, among other makeshift materials. Mezcal is traditionally distilled twice to around 45% – 55% ABV, this percentage being measured by eye as the Mezcalero watches bubbles, called perlas, forming when pouring the mezcal from a height.

MEZCAL VS TEQUILA

What’s the difference? We get this question a lot. In a nutshell, Tequila can only be made from the Blue Weber species of agave, but Mezcal may be made from any. Whilst agave for Tequila production are usually cooked using aboveground methods, agave for Mezcal are usually roasted below ground, spending days buried in a smoky earthen pit. While the Tequila industry has a large focus on ageing their product in oak barrels, this is not common for mezcal, with many purists against the idea all-together. There are also laws on where each of these distillates can be produced.

MEZCAL PRODUCTION

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