Master Mezcalero Juan Abel Quiroz Agustín prefers to go by “Abel”. Born and raised in Santa María Sola where he still resides, Abel saved for years before achieving the dream of building his own palenque next to his house. Santa María Sola is a municipality in the district of Sola de Vega, in the [...]
Recently, I had a disturbing but thought-provoking experience with a discussion thread on Reddit. It occurred to me that the problems underlying my experience are not limited to the mezcal industry, and may manifest themselves in other industries as well. I want to share what happened and how I responded, in case my fellow [...]
Epifania, Silverio and their sons. Photo provided by the Consejo Regulador del Mezcal (CRM). Mezcal made from Espadín, a cultivated (versus wild) varietal of the agave plant, is by far the most common varietal you are likely to find in your local liquor store, cocktail bars or restaurants. Espadín is the most [...]
Hortensia Hernández Martínez and Juan Hernández Méndez, circa March 2018, in front of the fermentation vats at their family palenque in Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca. At Erstwhile Mezcal, we work with each and every one of our partner mezcaleros with care and passion, committing our brand and reputation only after countless tastings [...]
