Cucharillo Sotol (2021 Limited Edition)

This beautiful Cucharillo, distilled from wild Sotol plants harvested in Oaxaca’s southern highlands, is the most aromatic and botanical from Erstwhile Mezcal’s 2021 Limited Releases.

Cucharillo is the local name for the Sotol plant in this part of Oaxaca. Oregano, lemon balm, and other wild mountain herbs that grow naturally in the same hills make a delightful bouquet in this Cucharillo’s mouth feel and flavor profile.

Who are the master distillers crafting this singular Sotol spirit? Meet the Lucas García clan, a nine-generation Mezcal family from San Isidro Guishe, a community in the district of Miahuatlán among the southern highlands of Oaxaca. Today, in part due to their efforts, the region is widely regarded as a center of mezcal production.

With illustrious family history comes a sense of timelessness, a responsibility to honor and to preserve. “400 Lustros”, their family brand, says it all (a “Lustro” is a period of five years). Of all the mezcal producers we have met and worked with to date, the Lucas García family is perhaps the most focused on legacy: looking beyond the present day, focusing on sustainability, and passing on the family’s collective knowledge and traditions to future generations.

José and Clara are the patriarch and matriarch. Their sons, Mario and Chano, head the family distillery. Grandson Diego, the 9th generation, joined the family business after graduating from college.

Check out the photos and videos on this page to see what it is like to spend time with three generations of Lucas Garcías under one roof. Clara’s pork carnitas are out of this world. We are big fans of their “Capulinas” – the traditional suede jacket made from deer skin and worn by the “Cuerudos” (roughly: cowboys) in this part of Mexico. Don’t forget to check out their Mezcal 101 video series, where Mario and Diego share their wealth of Mezcal knowledge and show you what makes their distillations so unique.

We at Erstwhile Mezcal are thrilled to partner with the Lucas García family and bring a 2021 Limited Release of their Cucharillo to international markets for the first time.