New mezcal coming to Minnesota this summer
/I have slowly moved my way into selling and representing mezcal in the Minnesota market over the last year or so. Well, good news is I have news. I have a few new brands that are here and should in be stores and restaurants soon. More will be coming down the line, but today we’ll focus on what is here.
You can see all the brands I work with on the Brands Page
First: Lopez Real from Santiago Matatlán Oaxaca.
Founded in 1956 by the grandfather of Maestro Mezcalero Antonio Lopez, Lopez Real is a family-operated distillery in Santiago Matatlán Oaxaca for six decades. Their mezcal is made with estate grown maguey espadín (a. angustifolia) in a certified artisanal production.
Maguey Espadin (a. angustifolia)
Class: Mezcal Artesanal
Oven: Conical Earth Oven, 4-6 Days
Extraction: Tahona
Ferment: Pine wood with ambient yeast, 2-6 days
Still: 2x Copper
Adjustment: Well Water
ABV: 45%
Second: Tres Tiempos Tepeztate from San Luis Amatlán, Oaxaca
The history of our mezcal begins five generations ago in the native town of San Luis Amatlán, in Oaxaca. Our brand pays tribute to the three stages of life: being born, growing and dying, as well as the three stages of production that guarantee the quality and authenticity; the cultivation, distillation and packaging of mezcal.
Maguey Tepeztate (a. Marmorata)
Class: Destilado de Agave
Oven: Underground conical
Fuel Source: Wood
Roast Duration: Unknown
Mash: By hand with wood mallet
Fermentation: Wood, ambient yeast, with fibers
Distillation: 1x in Copper Pots + Refrescadora
Third: Amateco Ensemble from San Luis Amatlán
With Amateco, I chose to focus on their ensembles which we have 3 different expressions currently available. Ensemble dos (Espadin + Tepeztate), ensemble cuatro (Coyote+Tepeztate+Tobala+Espadin) and ensemble cinco (Tobala+Tepeztate+Jabalí+Pulquero+Mexicano). All providing different tasting notes from each of the different agave being used in production.
Look for them or ask for them at your favorite store or restaurant.
If you have questions about how or where to find them, please reach out and I can help.