Brand Introduction

A mission-driven, social impact-driven company, Erstwhile is a boutique agave spirits importer based in Brooklyn, New York.  Our mission: advocate for small, independent, family-owned producers who lack representation outside their local communities in Mexico; and bring their craft to mezcal lovers in international markets for the first time.

We work closely with our partner producers and set them up for success.  No haggling.  No exclusivity contracts.  We guide producers through the complicated steps to export in their own names for the first time, and cover necessary expenses including local attorneys, accountants, license fees, and more.  We absorb our producers’ marketing and supply chain costs as our own. 

We believe in autonomy for producers, be it hiring their own workers or using their own bottling facility. We only step in if they want our help. We connect our partner producers to share knowledge and help each other in production. 

Revenue from every Erstwhile bottle sold creates jobs in our partner producers’ and vendors’ local communities in Mexico.  Our producers hire their own team of local men and women, on their own terms. 

Erstwhile is a woman-owned, women-led business.  Our team is multicultural and multilingual.  We are outspoken about elevating underrepresented voices in Mezcal and our industry. 

Erstwhile Espadin Mezcal 375 ml (2021 Ancestral Limited Edition)

Only 300 liters made.  This rare batch of Espadin – one of Erstwhile's 2021 Ancestral Limited Releases- marks Master Mezcalero Juan Abel Quiroz Agustín's debut in the United States and international markets.  Natural fermentation with wild native yeasts in sabino cypress wood vats.   Distilled exclusively in clay pots.  Crafted with love in Santa María Sola, Oaxaca. 

Brand Introduction

A mission-driven, social impact-driven company, Erstwhile is a boutique agave spirits importer based in Brooklyn, New York.  Our mission: advocate for small, independent, family-owned producers who lack representation outside their local communities in Mexico; and bring their craft to mezcal lovers in international markets for the first time.

We work closely with our partner producers and set them up for success.  No haggling.  No exclusivity contracts.  We guide producers through the complicated steps to export in their own names for the first time, and cover necessary expenses including local attorneys, accountants, license fees, and more.  We absorb our producers’ marketing and supply chain costs as our own. 

We believe in autonomy for producers, be it hiring their own workers or using their own bottling facility. We only step in if they want our help. We connect our partner producers to share knowledge and help each other in production. 

Revenue from every Erstwhile bottle sold creates jobs in our partner producers’ and vendors’ local communities in Mexico.  Our producers hire their own team of local men and women, on their own terms. 

Erstwhile is a woman-owned, women-led business.  Our team is multicultural and multilingual.  We are outspoken about elevating underrepresented voices in Mezcal and our industry. 

Erstwhile Tobalá 375 ml (2021 Ancestral Limited Edition)

Only 200 liters made.  This rare batch of Tobalá – one of Erstwhile's 2021 Ancestral Limited Releases- marks Master Mezcalero Juan Abel Quiroz Agustín's debut in the United States and international markets.  Natural fermentation with wild native yeasts in sabino cypress wood vats.   Distilled exclusively in clay pots.  Crafted with love in Santa María Sola, Oaxaca. 

Brand Introduction

A mission-driven, social impact-driven company, Erstwhile is a boutique agave spirits importer based in Brooklyn, New York.  Our mission: advocate for small, independent, family-owned producers who lack representation outside their local communities in Mexico; and bring their craft to mezcal lovers in international markets for the first time.

We work closely with our partner producers and set them up for success.  No haggling.  No exclusivity contracts.  We guide producers through the complicated steps to export in their own names for the first time, and cover necessary expenses including local attorneys, accountants, license fees, and more.  We absorb our producers’ marketing and supply chain costs as our own. 

We believe in autonomy for producers, be it hiring their own workers or using their own bottling facility. We only step in if they want our help. We connect our partner producers to share knowledge and help each other in production. 

Revenue from every Erstwhile bottle sold creates jobs in our partner producers’ and vendors’ local communities in Mexico.  Our producers hire their own team of local men and women, on their own terms. 

Erstwhile is a woman-owned, women-led business.  Our team is multicultural and multilingual.  We are outspoken about elevating underrepresented voices in Mezcal and our industry. 

Erstwhile Arroqueño-Espadín Ensamble 375 ml (2021 Ancestral Limited Edition)

Only 300 liters made.  This rare 50/50 blend of Arroqueño and Espadin – one of Erstwhile's 2021 Ancestral Limited Releases- marks Master Mezcalero Juan Abel Quiroz Agustín's debut in the United States and international markets.  Natural fermentation with wild native yeasts in sabino cypress wood vats.   Distilled exclusively in clay pots.  Crafted with love in Santa María Sola, Oaxaca. 

Brand Introduction

A mission-driven, social impact-driven company, Erstwhile is a boutique agave spirits importer based in Brooklyn, New York.  Our mission: advocate for small, independent, family-owned producers who lack representation outside their local communities in Mexico; and bring their craft to mezcal lovers in international markets for the first time.

We work closely with our partner producers and set them up for success.  No haggling.  No exclusivity contracts.  We guide producers through the complicated steps to export in their own names for the first time, and cover necessary expenses including local attorneys, accountants, license fees, and more.  We absorb our producers’ marketing and supply chain costs as our own. 

We believe in autonomy for producers, be it hiring their own workers or using their own bottling facility. We only step in if they want our help. We connect our partner producers to share knowledge and help each other in production. 

Revenue from every Erstwhile bottle sold creates jobs in our partner producers’ and vendors’ local communities in Mexico.  Our producers hire their own team of local men and women, on their own terms. 

Erstwhile is a woman-owned, women-led business.  Our team is multicultural and multilingual.  We are outspoken about elevating underrepresented voices in Mezcal and our industry. 

Erstwhile Madre Cuishe (2021 Ancestral Limited Edition)

Distilled in clay pots and quiote.  A legacy of the era when Mezcal production was illegal in Oaxaca, this extraordinary batch of Madrecuishe crafted by Silverio García Luis – a 2021 Ancestral Limited Release – rescues a García family tradition that had been lost for about 50 years.  In the 1960's and 1970's, mezcal production was illegal in Oaxaca and other parts of Mexico.  Don Lencho, Silverio's father, used a hollowed out quiote (the flowering stalk of agave plants) instead of a copper tube, to evade the military that would come and seize his distillation equipment by force.  The García family went back to using copper stills around 1980, as prohibition came to a gradual end in Oaxaca.  Now you too can partake in this unique distillation method and family tradition from the García family in Rancho Blanco Güilá, Oaxaca, available for the first time in the United States in partnership with Erstwhile Mezcal.

Brand Introduction

A mission-driven, social impact-driven company, Erstwhile is a boutique agave spirits importer based in Brooklyn, New York.  Our mission: advocate for small, independent, family-owned producers who lack representation outside their local communities in Mexico; and bring their craft to mezcal lovers in international markets for the first time.

We work closely with our partner producers and set them up for success.  No haggling.  No exclusivity contracts.  We guide producers through the complicated steps to export in their own names for the first time, and cover necessary expenses including local attorneys, accountants, license fees, and more.  We absorb our producers’ marketing and supply chain costs as our own. 

We believe in autonomy for producers, be it hiring their own workers or using their own bottling facility. We only step in if they want our help. We connect our partner producers to share knowledge and help each other in production. 

Revenue from every Erstwhile bottle sold creates jobs in our partner producers’ and vendors’ local communities in Mexico.  Our producers hire their own team of local men and women, on their own terms. 

Erstwhile is a woman-owned, women-led business.  Our team is multicultural and multilingual.  We are outspoken about elevating underrepresented voices in Mezcal and our industry. 

Erstwhile Tepeztate (2021 Ancestral Limited Edition)

Distilled in clay pots and quiote.  A legacy of the era when Mezcal production was illegal in Oaxaca, this extraordinary batch of Tepeztate crafted by Silverio García Luis – a 2021 Ancestral Limited Release – rescues a García family tradition that had been lost for about 50 years.  In the 1960's and 1970's, mezcal production was illegal in Oaxaca and other parts of Mexico.  Don Lencho, Silverio's father, used a hollowed out quiote (the flowering stalk of agave plants) instead of a copper tube, to evade the military that would come and seize his distillation equipment by force.  The García family went back to using copper stills around 1980, as prohibition came to a gradual end in Oaxaca.  Now you too can partake in this unique distillation method and family tradition from the García family in Rancho Blanco Güilá, Oaxaca, available for the first time in the United States in partnership with Erstwhile Mezcal.

Brand Introduction

A mission-driven, social impact-driven company, Erstwhile is a boutique agave spirits importer based in Brooklyn, New York.  Our mission: advocate for small, independent, family-owned producers who lack representation outside their local communities in Mexico; and bring their craft to mezcal lovers in international markets for the first time.

We work closely with our partner producers and set them up for success.  No haggling.  No exclusivity contracts.  We guide producers through the complicated steps to export in their own names for the first time, and cover necessary expenses including local attorneys, accountants, license fees, and more.  We absorb our producers’ marketing and supply chain costs as our own. 

We believe in autonomy for producers, be it hiring their own workers or using their own bottling facility. We only step in if they want our help. We connect our partner producers to share knowledge and help each other in production. 

Revenue from every Erstwhile bottle sold creates jobs in our partner producers’ and vendors’ local communities in Mexico.  Our producers hire their own team of local men and women, on their own terms. 

Erstwhile is a woman-owned, women-led business.  Our team is multicultural and multilingual.  We are outspoken about elevating underrepresented voices in Mezcal and our industry. 

Erstwhile Bacon Pechuga (2021 Limited Edition)

Must-have for any serious mezcal collector. This Bacon Pechuga Mezcal is an all-women collaboration and 2021 Limited Release between Erstwhile Mezcal and the Hernández Women Mezcaleras from Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca.  Only 300 liters made.  Ripe mango, guava, pineapple, and bacon locally sourced in Oaxaca are the star ingredients.  Three distillations total.  Bacon is slow-steamed in the still for the last two distillations, giving an amazing creamy and smooth texture to each sip.⁠

Our mezcal begins with a slow 90-minute drive outside of Puebla, Mexico. The dramatic terrain, rugged high-elevation mesas, and cyclical weather patterns are the perfect recipe for thriving agaves.

Nestled in the foothills around the small village of Huehuetlán el Grande, the palenque and agave fields are at the center of the budding Poblano mezcal movement.

Our story starts with fourth-generation master-mezcalero Aarón Alva Sánchez. A true mezcal visionary, Aarón is a pioneer in the mezcal space, having played a central role in the tobalá renascence.

Aarón is an artist and a scientist who has spent his life mastering the end-to-end process of agave farming through mezcal production.

Recognizing how difficult the tobalá agave is to cultivate, Aarón set out to develop a sustainable process for reproducing the finicky agave at scale. A true pioneer in the mezcal tradition, Aarón’s charismatic demeanor and legendary expertise command respect and admiration within the mezcal community.

Our mezcal begins with a slow 90-minute drive outside of Puebla, Mexico. The dramatic terrain, rugged high-elevation mesas, and cyclical weather patterns are the perfect recipe for thriving agaves.

Nestled in the foothills around the small village of Huehuetlán el Grande, the palenque and agave fields are at the center of the budding Poblano mezcal movement.

Our story starts with fourth-generation master-mezcalero Aarón Alva Sánchez. A true mezcal visionary, Aarón is a pioneer in the mezcal space, having played a central role in the tobalá renascence.

Aarón is an artist and a scientist who has spent his life mastering the end-to-end process of agave farming through mezcal production.

Recognizing how difficult the tobalá agave is to cultivate, Aarón set out to develop a sustainable process for reproducing the finicky agave at scale. A true pioneer in the mezcal tradition, Aarón’s charismatic demeanor and legendary expertise command respect and admiration within the mezcal community.

An homage to the popular history of Oaxacan clay-pot mezcal aged in brandy barrels, Don Amado Reposado uses exhausted brandy barrels from Pedro Domecq to create a nostalgic flavor of earthen-smoked maguey with the soft caramel and butterscotch notes of American white oak.

Familiar Mexican flavors of roasted corn slathered in butter, hints of vanilla and cinnamon, tropical fruit and dried chilies are balanced with a moderate amount of smoke leading into barrel notes of a satisfying, slightly spicy vanilla-driven extended finish.

• Master Distiller: Germán Bonifacio Arellanes
• Approx. 26 Bx Sugars from Angustofolia Haw Espadín maguey grown at 4,800' in municipio of Sta. Catarina Minas, Oaxaca
• Halved & quartered (cogollo removed) maguey earthen roasted for four days using mix of guamúchil and mesquite wood
• Cooked maguey macerated with proprietary blade spindle destrozadora shredder
• Fermented together with bagaso in 1,400L pine wood vats using airborne yeast strains
• Double distilled in burner heated ceramic pot stills to approx. 53% ABV and reduced with triple distilled demineralized water
• Six months aging in American White Oak formerly used for Pedro Domecq Mexican Brandy, bottled at 45% ABV

Burrito Fiestero Ensamble focuses on showcasing two of the state’s most emblematic agaves with a blend of Agave Cenizo (durangensis) and Agave Verde (cassispina). BF Ensamble has a well rounded body with sweet and spicy notes finishing with a smooth smokey and intense aftertaste. ideal for mezcaleros looking for an exciting intense experience.

Found on the lower areas of El Mezquital, Durango, Wild and scares, this huge maguey has very long and narrow leaves, with a green color. It has a 2 to 3.5m diameter and 1.5 to 2m height, delivering piñas that weigh 120kg in average.

Hand-crafted on a tropical hillside surrounded by fruit trees and rose bushes in the village of Santa Maria Albarradas. Agave: Wild Jabali. Naturally fermented and twice distilled in wood-fired copper stills. Nose of fresh figs, baked apples, and parmesan rind. Palate of bright acidity with notes of sweet violets and tarragon. Creamy finish with hints of sandalwood. ABV 47.

A perfected balance of rich agave and mesquite, this aged mezcal delivers a vigorous palate of sweet oak, dates and raisins and lands in an explosion of green vegetables and spicy cooked agave with a long-textured finish.

The Story 

Se Busca, which means ‘wanted’ in Spanish, is a tribute to the brave women of the Mexican Revolution who stood shoulder to shoulder with men in battle for a new constitution. As unapologetic as our mezcal, these women were the outlaws of their time, earning the titles of Adelitas and Soldaderas (women in the military). Se Busca mezcal is our tribute to their battle cry - a cry proving that in every revolution there is love

The Technique

word “mezcal” comes from Nahuatl mexcalli meaning “oven-cooked agave.” This spirit represents the history, culture and diversity of Mexico. Se Busca is a super-premium mezcal artesanal made from 100% Agave Augustifolia Espadin, produced in San Juan del Rio, a small town in Oaxaca, Mexico. Se Busca is skillfully distilled and aged at the family-owned Lopes Sosa palenque - an artisanal production that has been making this famed spirit for more than 50 years. Balancing rich cooked agave and mesquite, maestros mezcaleros Rodolfo and Mary Lopez Sosa handcraft this mezcal to embody the rebel spirit of the women of the Mexican Revolution, earning it the title “Se Busca”

Sweeter notes are found in this aged mezcal. Coconut, sweet almond and hazelnut can be uncovered in this complex spirit that expertly intertwines with notes of oak, cereal and mesquite delivering a rebellious bouquet.

The Código 1530 founders value the time-honored art of premium tequila and mezcal making and the natural evolution has brought them to join forces to refine and bring two new premium mezcals to the market: Ancestral Mezcal and Artesanal Mezcal.

With an appreciation for the skill and patience needed to create an authentic, high-quality spirit, the Código 1530 mezcals have flavor profiles that are smooth on the palate, with subtle smoke to sip alone or layer into an interesting cocktail.

Staying true to their centuries-old traditions, Código 1530 partnered with a small village of artisanal families who have been quietly making the finest mezcals in the world. Single-village production / sourcing from the San Juan del Rio region of Oaxaca, Mexico.

Tasting Notes
Sweet, earthy nose, honey, tobacco, salinity from clay, vanilla, cantaloupe, bright minerality, hazelnut.

DOS PASIONES Mezcales are 100% Maguey.

Ranging from 7 to 20 years, every agave is harvested to maximize taste with maturity proving that the best things in life always take time. Santa Maria’s rich mineral-soil and natural spring water sources offer unique mezcal flavors, which extend a sublime experience to all the senses. Our distillation process is also completely artisanal yet remains true to Oaxaca’s deep tradition for its spirits and liquor.

DOS PASIONES ESPADÍN

Our Espadín comes from a variety of agaves that we cultivate and harvest after 7 to 8 years of seeding. These agaves are grown among the various soils of our village which adds to its flavor's distinct strength and complexity.

TASTING NOTES

AROMA: It smells of papaya and roasted fruits.

FLAVOR: Notes of grapefruit skin, herbals and black pepper .It has a long tingling finish on the palate.

DOS PASIONES Mezcales are 100% Maguey.

Ranging from 7 to 20 years, every agave is harvested to maximize taste with maturity proving that the best things in life always take time. Santa Maria’s rich mineral-soil and natural spring water sources offer unique mezcal flavors, which extend a sublime experience to all the senses. Our distillation process is also completely artisanal yet remains true to Oaxaca’s deep tradition for its spirits and liquor.

DOS PASIONES TOBALÁ

Our Tobalá is one of the most exclusive variants in the world of mezcal. These wild agaves take 7 to 12 years to age. However, due to its small size, Tobalá agaves require a considerable batch to produce a successful harvest.

TASTING NOTES

AROMA: Nutmeg, baking spice, apple skins, camote, citrus, with ripe crushed pineapple

FLAVOR: Mellow roasted piña, pine, light earthy smoke, and long-lasting flavor

DOS PASIONES Mezcales are 100% Maguey.

Ranging from 7 to 20 years, every agave is harvested to maximize taste with maturity proving that the best things in life always take time. Santa Maria’s rich mineral-soil and natural spring water sources offer unique mezcal flavors, which extend a sublime experience to all the senses. Our distillation process is also completely artisanal yet remains true to Oaxaca’s deep tradition for its spirits and liquor.

DOS PASIONES TEPEZTATE:

Our Tepeztate comes from wild agaves that grows in our village mountains between the rocks and cliffs. Unlike the Tobalá, this agave is big in size but produces very little nectar due to the dry and arid regions where it grows. Additionally, Tepeztate takes between 12 to 20 years to be ready for harvest.

TASTING NOTES

AROMA: Fruity, berries, tropical, fruit loops, watermelon rind, mineral soil, and sweet herbs.

FLAVOR: Hints of vanilla, mildly spicy with orange zest.

About the Brand

Real Minero is a family-operated producer of mezcal that is famed in Mexico and over the globe as one of the finest producers of the spirit. They are based in Santa Catarina Minas, where they employ traditional practices in making only around 300 liters of mezcal per month. They started distilling in the 1970s but the family has been involved in the farming of agaves far longer. Their mezcal is certified organic and they participate in programs that deal with agave reforestation. They have played a large role in bringing back several types of agaves that were thought to be extinct. Today, Edgar Angeles has had the baton passed to him by his late father Don Lorenzo Angeles and continues making the finest mezcal. Their mezcal is made in small batches using small 70-liter clay pot stills. The Mezcal Real Minero Largo is crafted by Mezcalero Edgar Angeles from 100% 14-year-old Largo agaves, which is an extremely rare species of the Karwinski family. The spirit is rested in glass before being bottled, which softens the profile considerably. It's fruity and tropical, yet delicate and mineral-rich a beautiful, premium spirit that is laced with tradition.

Territorially located in the central zone of the state of Oaxaca, in the Central Valleys Region, our community was originally indigenous, although the inhabitants of the surrounding towns spoke or speak the Zapotec language. In this context, it is peculiar that in Santa Catrina Minas today there is no presence of Zapotec speakers and the population is mestizo.

Our town is known by the name of Santa Catarina Minas, in honor of Santa Catarina de Alejandría, martyr of the years 307 AD. Due to the mineral abundance of its mountains, the population enjoyed its peak before the conquest; ironically this mineral wealth was part of its decline.

The first written reference to our community is found in the Book of the priest José Antonio Gay, which documents the visit of the judge Galdós from Valencia, to receive the complaint of more than eight thousand indigenous people who presented evidence of the mistreatment to which they were subjected. by the Spaniards, owners of the mines that existed there, which remained active until the beginning of the 20th century.

Common name of the maguey : Espadín
Scientific name of the agave : Agave Angustifolia Haw
Age of the plant : 10 years
Type of oven: Conical truncated earth
Type of grinding : Electric harrowing
Type of Yeast : Native (spontaneous)
Type of distiller : Clay pots superimposed (Filipino distiller)
Number of distillations : two
Name of the master mezcalero : Edgar Angeles Carreño

Inspiration
Xicaru, the Zapotec word for beautiful, reflects Fernando Santibañez’s desire to share a traditionally produced mezcal that is approachable and distinct. Using his grandmother’s recipe, we make small batches of Xicaru Mezcal with time-honored methods at a palenque in Matatlán, Oaxaca.

Production
This mezcal showcases the 100% Maguey espadin from which it’s made. Its natural smoky flavor is derived by cooking the maguey in a conical stone oven on mesquite and ocote, woods native to Oaxaca.

Tasting Notes
The pure appearance and substantial body result from age old methods used in the production process. The finished aroma is natural and robust; a combination of maguey, mesquite and ocote. Earthy characteristics on the front palate give way to citrus and rich vegetal maguey notes that finish distinctively clean. A tinge of smoke complements these qualities without overwhelming the delicate balance found in Xicaru.

Jaguar Symbol
In ancient Zapotec culture the jaguar symbolized great strength and agility. The Santibañez family home of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, derives its name from this revered creature. We utilize the jaguar to reflect the tradition and heritage used in crafting Xicaru Mezcal.