Exploring the Smoky and Mysterious World of Mezcal
Mezcal has become a popular spirit in recent years, with bartenders and spirits enthusiasts alike embracing its smoky flavour and complexity. While tequila has long been the more well-known Mexican spirit, mezcal has been steadily gaining recognition and appreciation for its unique character.
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"Once you've consumed mezcal three or four times, you won't have to tune up your palate, because you'll know what you're expecting.
The motto is: Sip it. Don't shoot it.”
S. Irene Virbla - L.A. Times
Our Favourite Mezcals you can buy in New Zealand
The Mezcal brands we enjoy the most are Ilegal, Alipus, La Travesia, Gracias a Dios, and Los Siete Misterios, each providing a unique and distinct flavour experience.
Select a product to find out more:
Ilegal Mezcal Joven
Alipús
La Travesia
Gracias a Dios
Los Siete Misterios
Ilegal Mezcal Joven
Ilegal mezcal starts with 100% espadín agave grown in the fields of Tlacolula, Mexico and harvested at nearly 10 years of age. Their piñas are roasted for 5-7 days in an earthen pit lined with river stones then the cooked agaves are crushed using a horse-drawn tahona. After natural fermentation, it is distilled once in stainless-steel alembic stills and then again in copper alembic.
Long finish. Un-aged. Full-bodied agave flavour. Eucalyptus and mineral aromas compliment hints of green apple, fresh citrus, and red chiltepe. Light smoke. Lingering heat. Ideal for cocktails or perfect on its own.
Nose: Notes of sweet agave, eucalyptus and minerals, complimented a light floral note.
Palate: Notes of rich agave are well-balanced with hints of pear, apples and citrus.
Ilegal Mezcal Joven cocktails
Molé Punch
40 ml Ilegal Mezcal Joven
10 ml Bianco Vermouth
East Imperial Yuzu Lemonade
Dash of Chocolate Bitters
Cinnamon Quill
Lime Zest
Build in a rocks glass and garnish with cinnamon quill and lime zest.
PALOMA INGRATA
40 ml Ilegal Mezcal Joven
15 ml Lime Juice
20 ml Agave Nectar
20 ml Grapefruit Juice
60 ml IPA Beer
Add all ingredients to tin and whip. Shake with 2 ice cubes and dump into a beer glass with salt rim and fill with ice. Garnish with grapefruit peel.
Love your Neighbour
40 ml Ilegal Mezcal Joven
15 ml Fresh Grapefruit Juice
15 ml Fresh Lime Juice
East Imperial Tonic Water
Rim a tall glass with salt or add a pinch to the cocktail. Build in glass. Garnish with a grapefruit peel.
Alipús
Alipús Mezcal originated in 1999 as a ‘social impact project’ that sought to support traditional producers and their lands in a number of regions. A project of the Destilería Los Danzantes, with Don Joel Antonio and sons as the first producers, in San Juan del Río.
Do whatever you wish with this mezcal, but we do recommend starting with a couple of small sips to help warm up the senses. Mezcal needs to be taken care of and nursed for its true joy to shine.
Made by mezcalero Don Valente Angel in San Andrés, Oaxaca and it contains many of the signature qualities that one expects when drinking mezcal made by this master mezcalero.
This mezcal is a blend of 80% maguey Espadin and 20% semi-wild maguey Bicuishe.
The result is a bright, floral, and richly-textured Mezcal.
Alipús Mezcal Cocktails
Chonburi Lemonade
50 ml Alipus Mezcal
East Imperial Yuzu Lemonade
Dash of Maple Syrup
Fresh Orange Slice
Basil
Build in a chilled rocks glass, then garnish with basil sprig and orange slice.
Rubus Smash
50 ml Alipus Mezcal
5 ml Crème de Mure
East Imperial Yuzu Lemonade
Brambles (Blackberries)
Build in chilled highball, fill with ice and top with Yuzu Lemonade. Garnish with 4 brambles.
Bochalia
50 ml Alipus Mezcal
East Imperial Kima Kola
Dash of Fresh Lime Juice
Lemon Zest
Cinnamon Quill
Build in chilled highball glass, then garnish with lemon zest and cinnamon.
La Travesia
"Crafted with wisdom, patience and your needs in mind. The divine agave is cooked for more than 30 hours in an oven made from quarried limestone. Its honey is extracted in a proprietary machine that impresses and terrines at the same time. Our magical yeasts sacrifice their lives labouring until right up until their final moments during three days of unknowable miracles in open pinewood fermenters which face the heavens.
The resulting possibilities are passed through a copper pot still. In the wake of these processes, we offer you this mezcal intended for your passage over the pathway of this life."
Prominent Mezcal nose with a subtle smokey aroma. Viscous palate with candied fruit and a long finish.
Distilled at Santa Caterina Minas, Oaxaca.
La Travesia Cocktails
Dusty Dove
45 ml La Travesia Mezcal
East Imperial Grapefruit Soda
7.5ml Suze
Half a grapefruit wheel
Build in a chilled, kosher salt rimmed tall glass with large cubed ice.
Nassau Collins
50 ml La Travesia Mezcal
150 ml East Imperial Yuzu Lemonade
Dash of Orange Bitters
Fresh Orange Slices
Dried Hibiscus Flowers
Build in chilled highball glass with large cubed ice. Garnish with fresh orange slices and dried hibiscus flowers.
left Hand Kola
50 ml La Travesia Mezcal
150 ml East Imperial Kima Kola
Dash of Chocolate Bitters
Pear Slice
Add ingredientsh to a chilled lowball glass and top with East Imperial Kima Kola. Pack with cubed ice and garnish with a slice of pear.
Gracias a Dios
The team behind Gracias a Dios Mezcal opened a mezcalería in Querétaro, México in 2010. After two years of touring around Mexico in search of mezcal, they met mezcalero Oscar Hernández and were impressed by his mezcal. They decided to create a brand with Oscar and make him an equal partner. Oscar learned how to distill from his mother whose nickname is “La Jefa”.
Aside from a few special releases, Gracias a Dios is made in Santiago Matatlan, Oaxaca. It is 100% artisanal, handmade with piñas from Espadín agave and other varieties, ground and fermented in their own palenque in Santiago Matatlán, and distilled in copper by maestro mezcalero Oscar Hernández Santiago. Their Karwinskii agaves are shredded mechanically, due to the toughness of their fibers, and then tahona-crushed afterwards. All other agave used at this palenque are crushed by horse-drawn tahona only.
The Gracias a Dios Espadin uses 8-year old cultivated agave Espadín, and two times distilled in copper.
It has a slight smokiness and spiced from the beginning, followed by a fruity flavor and a mild astringency.
Dry and spiced finish.
Gracias a Dios Cocktails
Hearts on Hearts
50 ml Gracia a Dios Mezcal
Dash of Cynar
East Imperial Royal Botanic Tonic
Fresh Cucumber Slice
Add Mezcal, Cynar and Royal Botanic Tonic to a chilled highball glassPack with large cubed ice & garnish with a fresh cucumber slice.
Piña Lima
50 ml Gracias a Dios Mezcal
15 ml Fresh Pineapple Juice
Dash Peychaud's Bitters
East Imperial Yuzu Tonic Water
Fresh Lime Slices
Add Mezcal, fresh pineapple juice & Peychaud's Bitters to a shaker tin,pack with ice and hard shake for 5-7 seconds. Fine strain into chilled rocks glass and garnish with fresh lime slices.
Trellis Tonic
50 ml Gracias a Dios Mezcal
10 ml Seedlip Garden
Dash Habanero Bitters
East Imperial Grapefruit Tonic Water
Fresh Mint
Add Mezcal, Seedlip, bitters & Grapefruit Tonic Water to a chilled highball glass. Pack with cubed ice and garnish with fresh mint.
Los Siete Misterios - Doba Yej
After three years of watching the world fall in love with Mezcal, we noticed an opportunity to reach more people and diversify the way to enjoy Mezcal: through cocktails. The Doba-Yej is bright and floral with beautifully balanced citrus notes, perfect for enjoying neat or in cocktails. Doba-Yej means Maguey Espadín in the ancient Zapotec language and each label features a Mexican war hero. They depict Doña Josefa Ortiz, Father Miguel Hidalgo, and José María Morelos.
Agave Type: Agave Angustifolia Haw.
Cooking: Earth oven using local wood and river stones.
Distillation: Double distilled in Copper Pot Still.
Region: Santiago Matalan, Oaxaca; San Dionisio, Oaxaca;and Yautepec, Oaxaca.
Los Siete Misterios Cocktails
Hortus Collins
40 ml Los Siete Misterios Mezcal
East Imperial Yuzu Lemonade
Dash of Peychaud's Bitters
Fresh Mint
Lime Coin
Build in a Collins glass, pack with cubed ice and garnish with fresh mint sprig and a lime coin
Jalisco Tea
50 ml Los Siete Misterios Mezcal
10 ml Fresh Lemon Juice
10 ml Green Tea
10 ml 1:1 Sugar Syrup
East Imperial Tonic Water
Fresh Mint
Lemon Slice
Add Mezcal, fresh lemon juice, green tea and sugar to a chilled wine glass. Pack with cubed ice and garnish with mint and fresh lemon slices.
Puerto Collins
50 ml Los Siete Misterios Mezcal
10 ml Fresh lemon juice
5 ml Agave nectar
1 Barspoon of fresh passionfruit
East Imperial Soda Water
Passionfruit husk
Lime zest
Add Mezcal, lemon juice and agave nectar to a chilled short glass. Add one barspoon of fresh passionfruit, stir gently and pack with quality ice, then top with East Imperial Soda Water.
Cut a thin zest of lime, removing all the pith and twirl. Carefully empty half a passionfruit husk with a spoon and place on the top, this creates a delicious aroma when drinking our Puerto Collins.
Give it a try
Ready to tantalize your taste buds with some of the most exquisite Mezcal flavors out there? Look no further than our partner bars! Immerse yourself in a world of rich and unforgettable flavors as you sample some of the best Mezcal around.
From smoky and complex to sweet and refreshing, there's a Mezcal to suit every palate. Check out our Insta for more places to sip some delicious Mezcal!