El Jolgorio, Arroqueño Mezcal

Among the largest of all agave, Arroqueño (Agave americana) is an overwhelming sight to behold. Maturing between 13 and 25 years, the variety was almost extinct just a couple of decades ago, due to overharvesting for the production of mezcal.

Maestro Mezcalero “Tio” Pedro Vasquez is among those credited with helping to nurse the subspecies back from the brink of extinction, and is widely acknowledged as one of the true masters of its distillation. As such, Tio Pedro is the only mezcalero to distill Arroqueño batches released under the El Jolgorio label.

Arroqueño is also a special release for El Jolgorio. Offered in a distinctive black glass reminiscent of the black clay jugs mezcal was historically stored in, the opaque bottle accentuates the preciousness and singularity of the spirit inside.

Traditional, artisanal mezcal forms an important part of rituals, ceremonies and festivities – known as “Jolgorios” – in villages in our native homeland of Oaxaca, México. Nine unique El Jolgorio Mezcals are made exclusively from different species and varieties of wild-harvested agave by Master Distillers in local indigenous Zapotec villages in Oaxaca, and are twice distilled in copper pot stills. On every bottle is inscribed the species of agave, the age at harvest, the village of production, the name of the Master Distiller, and the batch and lot number so as to truly connect the drinker with the land, people, and plants at the heart and soul of our mezcal. Salud y Dixeebe!

In Mexico, there are around fifty different species of agave used for mezcal production, each yeilding a mezcal with its own distinct character. In 2010, the Cortés family begain buiding a collective of top mezcal distillers from around Oaxaca, with the goal of sharing the true culture and spirit of mezcal with the world. In all, El Jolgorio represents sixteen different families, working in ten different regions of Oaxaca, Mexico, each with its own special story. Every bottle is hand-marked with the specific details of each batch, to truly connect the drinker with the family behind the expression.