History
Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal
Del Maguey (pronounced ma–gay), Single Village Mezcal was founded in 1995 by internationally renowned artist and mezcal visionary, Ron Cooper. Ron introduced the world to previously unavailable 100% certified organic, artisanal mezcal produced the original handcrafted way. Through deep cultural relationships with Zapotec Mexican Indian producers in the remote villages of Oaxaca, Mexico, Del Maguey harnesses ancient, original organic processes. Combining these methods with varying micro-climates and terroir gives each creation its own unique, rich, sweet and smoky character. Every product in our collection is made by individual family palenqueros (producers) in old-style villages. We are the first producer to credit each product after the village where our liquid is made. When you see our beautiful green bottles you know it’s Del Maguey.
Indigenous Process
Any time an agave-based distillate is made, it is called mezcal; thus, all tequilas qualify. Tequila is a region, like Champagne or Cognac. The clichéd notion of gusanos (worms) in the bottle has no place in a serious conversation about true mezcal.
The art of distillation is in no place more evident than in the palenques (stills) of Oaxaca, where indigenous culture is being preserved, pre-organic practices are being protected and fair trade micro-economies are being created – one village at a time.
Vida Mezcal
VIDA San Luis Del RioTM is an artisanal, Organic Mezcal from Del Maguey, at an entry-level price point and broader availability. Launched in 2010, it is highly mixable and has arrived to much anticipated industry acceptance and high bartender demand. Hand crafted, it is twice distilled, very slowly in small wood-fired, riverside copper stills to flavor specifications that underscore its versatility in cocktails.
Iberico
Ron Cooper, Del Maguey Single Village™ Mezcal’s founder, and Chef José Andrés, and his team at ThinkFoodGroup, worked collaboratively to create Del Maguey Ibérico, a unique mezcal made with Ibérico de Bellota ham, the legendary ham made of free-range, acorn-fed, black-footed Ibérico pigs from Spain.
This expression of Del Maguey has a spicy floral nose of carnation, tropical aromatics of gardenia and jasmine, ripe pear, dark fig, notes of wet green hay and forest floor. It enters the mouth like a caramel, and is round, soft and gentle, full-bodied, with a big middle palate. The long finish tastes of roasted root vegetables and umami, leaving the mouth with terracotta, a slate-like minerality and a touch of salinity.
