Celebrate National Mezcal Day With These 6 All-Star Picks

No matter how many times your mustache-twiddling friend says otherwise, mezcal is a hard spirit to understand for newcomers.

Unlike tequila, which can only be made with Blue Weber agave, mezcal can be distilled with over 40 varietals including Americana, Angustifolia, Karwinskii and Potatorum. The regions they originate from are just as varied, as are the families and distilleries, otherwise known as palanques, at which they’re produced.

Monday is National Mezcal Day so, we thought we’d round up six picks that exemplify the best the category has to offer.

Our only criteria — apart from quality — was to showcase variety. Each mezcal on this list highlights a different agave varietal, whether it be the funky tobala, the bright and fruity jabali or the oily pechuga. We’ve also made some considerations so far as price. Every bottle on this list can be purchased between $40 to $200, so hopefully your wallet will be spared, if only slightly.

Without further ado:

La Luna Cupreata

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Over 80% of commercially available mezcal in the U.S. is produced in Oaxaca. Though the states’s spirits are acclaimed for good reason, Oaxaca’s enormous output tends to overshadow the equally fantastic distillates of Mexico’s other nine mezcal-producing regions.

Distilled from 15-year agave Cupreata in the canyons of Michoacán, this bottling from La Luna floats with a sweet and ashy combo of lemon custard, black pepper, grapefruit and what our reviewer delicately describes as “Starburst sweetness.” From a brand that once released an alligator and coconut mezcal, it’s no wonder that La Luna Cupreata excels in the unexpected.

Perhaps most unexpected of all, this expression is widely available at a mere $40. Cupreata generally sits on the niche side of the mezcal spectrum, a distinction that — more often than not — is passed on to consumers by way of a $100-plus price tag. So long as La Luna produces this expression at over half the average price, we’ll happily keep on buying it.

Mezcal Marca Negra Ensamble

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Marca Negra takes a “one step at a time” approach to its products, recruiting distillers who work with a wide variety of regional and seasonal agave varietals. As a result, its catalog changes constantly — year over year, the spirit contained within an identical bottle may switch production methods and take on an entirely new identity.

The current iteration of its Ensamble, overseen by mezcalero Basilio Pacheco since 2017, has a lot going on under the hood. The blend is an equal-part mix of espadin (typically earthy), mexicano (typically fruity) and sanmartin (typically herbaceous) bottled a notch below 100-proof. The final result is fittingly complex. A big waft of coconut on the nose gives way to a wonderfully thick mouthfeel brimming with pepper, melons and faint clay. On the finish, lingering ash and a smidge of tobacco.

For those in search of a discerning sipper, Marca Negra Ensamble can be found for around $70.

Gracias a Dios Cuixe

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Most agave species correspond to a single mezcal type; agave Papalome makes cupreata, Angustigolia makes espadin, Potatorum makes tobala and so on and so on. The confusion expands tenfold when you start talking about agave Karwinskii, which can produce a myriad of subvarieties including barril, tobaziche, sanmartin, verde, and, in the case of this release from Gracias a Dios, cuixe.

Vocabulary aside, this is some great juice. Distilled by mezcalero Oscar Hernandez using wild foraged plants (otherwise known as agave silvestre, but we’ll spare you the details), this bottling opens with a lovely aroma halfway between moss and minerality. Those influences continue onto the palate with gentle touches of lemon curd, honey, limestone and confectioner sugar.

At $80, we’d say it’s a steal. If you’re interested in learning more about the process, note that Gracias a Dios distills its mezcal with rainwater collected on its estate — reportedly nearly 180,000 liters per year. Other products to look out for include its Espadin and one-of-a-kind Agave Gin.

Del Maguey Tobala

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Del Maguey, perhaps the most recognizable mezcal brand on the market, takes what it calls a “single village” approach. Each of its over two dozen bottlings is distilled by different families and palenques dotted throughout Mexico. Though best known for its Vida and Chichicapa expressions, we’d argue that its backlog matches, if not exceeds those flagship products.

The brand’s Tobala, subtitled “The Wild Mountain Maguey,” is the one to grab if you’re in an experimental mood. The Cruz family in Santa Maria Albarradas roasts their agaves in earthen pits for nearly a month, allowing piñas to get a jump start on the fermentation process. By the time the coal settles, the charred, dark orange husks are engrossed in blue and white webs of fungus already lingering with the beginnings of alcohol. Truly funky stuff.

The unusual technique carries over to the palate with big hits of cream cheese sweetness and mushroom vegetality. Lighter flavors of orange, mango and lemon zest simmer on the palate before the finish dives headfirst into a cloud of hickory smoke. We’d liken the overall effect to smothering a slice of apple with goat cheese and a sprinkle of black pepper. Retails for around $150.

Rey Campero Jabali

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Jabali is, according to many distillers, the most difficult mezcal to produce. The agaves used to make this rare liquid are known to foam and sputter during fermentation, occasionally bursting out of the still and damaging equipment. Thankfully for us, its explosive reputation is matched by some explosive flavor.

This expression was crafted by Romulo Sánchez Parada at the eponymous Sánchez distillery. Natural sweetness takes center stage, led by a medley of kiwi, mango, pear and banana runts that burst on the palate like fruit salad. Its aroma and finish call to mind subdued hints of wood, all culminating in a cozy experience perfect for falltime sipping.

It also acts as a rare window into old-school techniques. The Sánchez family has been hard at work producing mezcal for over seven decades using a combination of open-air vats, copper pot stills and a mule-drawn tahona. As mezcal reaches new heights of popularity, it’s nice to see distillers keep in touch with the tried-and-true methods that originated the spirit. A bottle of Rey Campero Jabali will run you $109.

El Jologrio Pechuga

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At last, we’ve come to the point in the list where we can rave about mezcal de pechuga.

The centuries-old technique involves the hanging of a protein — anything from rabbit to snake to ham — above a bubbling still. As vapors rise, juices fall. Though we wouldn’t describe the result as “meaty,” per se, pechugas boast a viscosity and depth of flavor that’s incomparable to just about any other product on the market. Regionality often takes center stage as distillers add fruits, vegetables and grains into the still for added depth of flavor.

El Jologrio accomplishes the task with a mix of pineapple, orange, plantain, anise and raw turkey breast added during the second round of distillation. Believe it or not, none of these were the exact notes that we picked out in the spirit. A rich, oily mouthfeel is the first thing you’ll notice, followed quickly after by bursts of blueberry, sweet cream, cedar and minerality.

Whether or not you’re willing to take the $165 plunge may depend on your adventurousness. If you do, we promise you won’t be disappointed.