The Backstory A legacy of the era when Mezcal production was illegal in Oaxaca, this batch of Tobalá crafted by Silverio García Luis – a 2023 Ancestral Limited Release – rescues a García family tradition and speaks to the tenacity, ingenuity, and oral history of Mezcal families from generation to generation. In the 1960’s and [...]

Tasting Notes: A true blend of 50% Tepeztate and 50% Tobalá, two agaves that are dramatically different in personality.  This Tepeztate-Tobalá Ensamble is Tepeztate forward, meaning you will likely taste the green, vegetal, and pear notes of the Tepeztate first, before it expands into the Tobalá's sweeter fruit notes and rounder body. A verdant, precise and [...]

The Backstory Named one of Wine Enthusiast's Top 100 Spirits of 2025 and VinePair's Best 20 Mezcals for 2026, this 500-liter batch is an experimental collaboration between Erstwhile and Epifania Gómez & Silverio García, our friends and long-time partner producers from Rancho Blanco Güilá, Oaxaca.    Making mezcal at Palenque Don Lencho - Silverio & [...]

The Backstory Meet the master distillers who craft Erstwhile's award-winning Espadín, named a Top 100 Spirits by Wine Enthusiast, Gold Medal winner by the Beverage Testing Institute, and BEST IN CLASS gold medal winner with the highest rating in the mezcal / agave spirits category at Craft Spirits Berlin Awards 2023 - Europe's largest competition dedicated to [...]

The Backstory Made by a multiple award-winning, family-run palenque in Oaxaca, this mezcal brings together 80% Espadín—the backbone of many great mezcals—with 20% wild Tepeztate, a highly prized agave that takes decades to mature and is known for its bold, herbaceous personality. The result is a harmonious, complex, yet highly approachable ensamble mezcal for serious [...]

The Backstory A must-have for any serious mezcal collector. This mezcal, made from cultivated Henequén piñas, is a small-batch limited edition of only 397 liters. Henequén, an agave plant native to the Yucatán Peninsula, once ruled and transformed the region's economy to such an extent that it came to be known as "green gold". It [...]

Master Mezcalero: Juan Hernández Méndez & Hortensia Hernández Martínez NOM: NOM-0496X Agave Varietal: Tobalá Scientific Name: Agave potatorum Town / Municipality: Santiago Matatlán State: Oaxaca Fermentation: Natural, Open-Vat Fermentation in Wood Still Type: Copper Alembic Date of Distillation: December 2017 Number of Liters in Distillation: 525 Liters ABV: 44% Tasting Notes: Tropical fruit notes, with [...]

Master Mezcalero: Juan Hernández Méndez & Hortensia Hernández Martínez NOM: NOM-0496X Agave Varietal: Arroqueño Scientific Name: Agave americana Town / Municipality: Santiago Matatlán State: Oaxaca Fermentation: Natural, Open-Vat Fermentation in Wood Still Type: Copper Alembic Date of Distillation: December 2017 Number of Liters in Distillation: 500 Liters ABV: 44% Tasting Notes: Bright, botanical, and floral. [...]

The Backstory "Capón" refers to a particular treatment of agave plants prior to harvest.  It can be applied to all agave varietals, including but not limited to Espadín. After cutting the budding quiote off a mature agave, the plant is intentionally left alone and continues living for a period of time before it is harvested [...]