Del Maguey Vida Mezcal

About Del Maguey

The Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal Project was founded in 1995 by Ronald Cooper, an internationally renown artist and mezcalero. The project aims to identify and support independent mezcal producers in Mexico, who are bound by a common love for the land. “Through deep cultural relationships with Zapotec Mexican Indian producers in the remote villages of Oaxaca, Del Maguey harnesses ancient, original organic processes,” says Cooper. Each mezcal belonging to the project is sourced from a unique region in Oaxaca’s Central Valley and represents a singularly exquisite expression of the village’s terrior.

Del Maguey Vida Mezcal is crafted from estate-grown agave, which are nearly a decade old and harvested by expert farmers with a special knife called a coa. Once the agave have been harvested, the heart of the plant, or piña, is removed and cooked for several days in a large, earthen pit lined with hot stones. This process caramelizes the piñas natural sugars, and gives the piñas a slightly smoky aroma and flavor profile. Then, the piñas are crushed and fermented, before the remaining pulp is twice distilled through a small, wood-fired, riverside copper pot still. Following distillation, the mezcal is bottled at 84 proof.