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Pedro Vasquez and family. Credit: Max Kelly Photography
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Welcome to Back Bar Project's Mezcal Newsletter:
A destination for important information related to BBP's
Mexican spirits portfolio. The landscape of Mexican
spirits is developing rapidly. With multiple producers
in various regions, and batch-specific brands and
bottlings, the BBP portfolio is a joy to represent.
However, it can also be complex and difficult to track.
Our goal with this newsletter is to keep our followers
fully informed about special events, new producers, new
batch releases, annual release El Jolgorio bottles, and
other fun information related to the world of mezcal.
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Global Brand Ambassador: Monica Bautista Cortés
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Casa Cortés is proud to announce that in March,
it appointed Monica Bautista Cortés as its new
Global Brand Ambassador, representing Agave de Cortés,
Nuestra Soledad, and El Jolgorio. Monica is no stranger
to the mezcal category, growing up in a family whose
mezcal tradition dates back generations. Having spent
the past four years working with her family's brands in
Oaxaca, Monica split her time between Santiago Matatlán,
Oaxaca City, and of course, out in the mountains
building relationships with mezcaleros at the palenques.
In her time at Casa Cortés, Monica has become
integral to several aspects of the company, making this
a very exciting move. We recently sat down for a quick
Q&A on her new role:
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Q:
We'd love to hear about your story and how you
got to where you are with Casa Cortés.
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A:
I was born and raised in L.A., but my family is
originally from Santiago Matatlán,
Oaxaca. Matatlán is a small town
southwest of Oaxaca city, where my family began
producing mezcal around 1840. Despite having
been born in the U.S., I always felt a pull back
to my family's roots and that heritage. Four
years ago, I decided to get involved in the
family business and explore this history that
has been a part of my family for so long.
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Q:
What is your new title and role at Casa Cortés?
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A:
I recently assumed the role of Global Brand
Ambassador at Casa Cortés. This is an
exciting new change for me, and I'm looking
forward to helping introduce mezcal to the
world.
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Q:
What is your first memory of mezcal? And what is
your best memory of mezcal?
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A:
I have vivid memories of being nine years old
and helping wash empty mezcal bottles with my
grandparents. Often, they would go out into the
villages surrounding Matatlán and sell
mezcal, returning with empty bottles they had
collected and would reuse. Tasting Tio Pedro's
first batch of Arroqueño and realizing I
had fallen in love with mezcal is by far my best
mezcal memory.
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Monica and Tio Pedro
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Q:
You've lived in a few places, what has been your
favorite city to live in and why?
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A:
Maybe I am biased, but of all the places I have
lived in, Oaxaca has been my favorite. The rich
traditions, food/mezcal culture and Oaxacans'
love for life make this an incredibly special
place.
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Q:
What is your favorite variety of mezcal and why?
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A:
This is like asking a parent who their favorite
child is, although I do often bounce between
Arroqueño and Jabalí. Both have a
complexity and depth that continues to surprise
me. For me, these two are the best
representations of how nuanced mezcal can be.
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Precious Arroqueño
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Q:
What is your biggest achievement in the mezcal
industry so far?
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A:
Casa Cortés has always focused on
producing the highest quality mezcal, while
maintaining a respect for the environment, the
mezcaleros, and the history of mezcal. Honestly,
working with a group of people that maintain
those values and helping to push them forward,
has been my biggest achievement. The achievement
I am most looking forward to in the future is
helping to evolve our growing sustainability
initiatives.
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Q:
What is the single most important or surprising
aspect of mezcal to you?
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A:
The most interesting and surprising aspect of
mezcal for me, is its diversity. The range of
flavors someone can experience as they try
different mezcals never ceases to amaze me.
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Q:
Who are your mentors in the mezcal industry?
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A:
The mezcal industry is full of passionate people
that have a proper appreciation for mezcal and
genuinely care about its future. Luckily,
working at Casa Cortés exposes me to
those people every day. Choosing one mentor
would be difficult. I can say, learning about
the art of mezcal production from our family of
maestro mezcaleros is the highlight of my visits
to the palenques.
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Monica at Tio Rey's palenque in Sta. Maria Zoquitlán.
Credit: Sunny Martini
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On Instagram follow
Monica @
mobauco
Casa Cortés @
casa_cortes1840
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El Jolgorio is one of three brands in the Casa Cortés
portfolio. Credit: Sunny Martini
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El Jolgorio is one of the most celebrated mezcal brands
currently on the market, not only for its expressive
flavor profiles and exacting quality of its mezcal
producers, but also for the wide variety it offers. Each
sequential Edition of El Jolgorio is different than the
last, oftentimes with consecutive editions of an El
Jolgorio expression being produced by a different
mezcalero, in a different region of Oaxaca. Our goal is
to continuously provide clear updates on upcoming
batches of mezcal, so our customers can track editions.
In the last week of August, we are excited to make
available several new batches from the world-class
distillers in the El Jolgorio network of mezcaleros.
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Tio Pedro tending to his limestone-laden fields. Credit: Max
Kelly Photography
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In late August, El Jolgorio will release two new
bottlings of mezcal from legendary distiller, Pedro
Vasquez (aka Tio Pedro), with availability limited to
New York (with some availability in NJ, CT, and PA)
through Back Bar Project's distribution partner, Skurnik
Wines. Under normal circumstances, these rare varieties
of mezcal are released in the Fall each year as part of
the El Jolgorio Special Release series (bottled in black
glass) and represent some of the most limited mezcal
offerings in the El Jolgorio range. However, due in part
to the mounting financial pressures of the ongoing
pandemic, Casa Cortés prioritized the purchase of
a small number of mezcal batches from its mezcalero
partners in order to generate revenue during a time that
has shocked the entire mezcal supply chain.
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El Jolgorio Arroqueño Edition 11
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Arroqueño is one of the rarest bottlings in the
El Jolgorio range, meaning every bottle is very special
(and often difficult to locate). Edition 11, however, is
much more significant for Casa Cortés and Tio
Pedro's mezcalero family, as it represents a symbolic
passing of the torch between the generations. For the
first time ever, Tio Pedro worked side-by-side with four
of his grandsons as they participated in the entire
production process, from harvest to distillation.
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Arroqueño cook at Tio Pedro's palenque at Lachigui.
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Librado Vasquez. Dad is catching a break.
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Guadencio Vasquez (18 yrs)
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No mezcalero will ever take a long sip of their own
mezcal, swirl it around on their palate, and eloquently
recite tasting notes. What a mezcalero will tell you is
that, in the end, the quality of a batch of mezcal often
comes down to the amount of heart and feeling a
distiller puts into the production process. El Jolgorio
Arroqueño Edition 11 is all heart.
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The generational passing down of knowledge between
family members is one of the most important and
beautiful aspects of mezcal production. Most of the
mezcaleros at El Jolgorio started in their early teens
as an extra (and often integral) set of hands on their
families' palenques, performing a variety of tasks, all
the while learning the entire process of mezcal from
harvest to distillation, bit-by-bit through observation
and interaction. Some children growing up in mezcal
families may go on to pursue further schooling, work in
a different profession, or, in some cases, emigrate to
seek a better life for their families. However, many go
on to become full-fledged mezcal apprentices either
supporting their own family business or working as a day
laborer under other mezcaleros in their community;
oftentimes it's a combination of both.
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Vasquez family, March 2017. Credit: Max Kelly Photography
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For this specific batch of Arroqueño, Tio Pedro
oversaw approximately 50% of the production process,
allowing the next generation of mezcaleros in the
Vasquez family to lead the way, all the while
transmitting the legacy of life and knowledge in terms
of the production of artisanal mezcal to his
grandchildren. Working as apprentices at the palenque
are brothers Gaudencio (18 yrs.), Delfino (17 yrs.), and
Romario (16 yrs.), all sons of Librado Vasquez. Rodrigo
(13 yrs.), son of Eugenio Vasquez, also participated,
along with both Librado and Eugenio, thus completing the
trilogy of generations. Both Librado and Eugenio are
exceptional mezcaleros in their own right, working under
their father - the maestro - since their teens at the
family ranch in Lachigui. Today, Tio Pedro mostly
operates the palenque at Lachigui, while his son, Pedro
Vasquez Jr., spends more time at the palenque attached
to the family home in El Palmar. What cannot be
understated is that, under Tio Pedro's watchful eye,
each of these young men will not only learn an art form
that could grow into a meaningful livelihood, but also
continue to build the loyal partnership between the
Vasquez family and Casa Cortés into the future.
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- Agave: Arroqueño (A. Americana)
- Mezcaleros: Vasquez Family
- Palenque: Lachigui
- Campo: El Nanche (near Miahuatlán)
- ABV: 54%
- Agave age at harvest: 16 years
- Harvest year: 2019
- Bottled year: 2020
- Cases arriving in U.S.: 44
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El Jolgorio Tobasiche
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El Jolgorio Tobasiche quickly gained high praise within
the El Jolgorio family of mezcals for its wide-ranging,
layered complexity of flavors. Like several past
bottlings of this expression, Edition 09 is produced by
the legendary Pedro Vasquez in Lachigui. The wild agave
Tobasiche is a member of the Karwinskii family, and is
sometimes identified as "Cuixe" or "Largo" in some
regional dialects. Its leaves often begin growing midway
up the piña, leaving a barren, stalk-like portion
at the bottom. Taking up to 15 years to mature,
Tobasiche can also grow extremely tall, making it
cumbersome to harvest.
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This specific batch of Tobasiche is a throwback.
Distilled in 2016, it was held back by Tio Pedro and
never released for sale… until now.
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Tobasiche agave in the wild.
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Trimming Tobasiche in Lachigui. Credit: Max Kelly
Photography
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- Agave: Tobasiche (A. Karwinskii)
- Mezcaleros: Pedro Vasquez
- Palenque: Lachigui
- Campo: El Llano
- ABV: 52%
- Agave age at harvest: 14 years
- Harvest year: 2016
- Bottled year: 2020
- Cases arriving in U.S.: 44
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El Jolgorio Mexicano
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For the first time ever, Casa Cortés will release
an El Jolgorio Mexicano bottling from the La Soledad
palenque, located in the tiny municipality of La Compañía,
Ejutla. The Hernandez brothers - Gregorio and Gonzalo -
were two of the first mezcaleros to partner with Casa
Cortés, back in 2013. At that time, they were
producing primarily Barril for El Jolgorio. Then,
beginning in 2014, they also began producing Espadín
for the Nuestra Soledad Ejutla single village
expression. The two maestros own separate palenques only
a few kilometers apart, but historically worked as a
tightly-knit unit in their partnership with Casa Cortés.
In the past two years, however, Don Gonzalo has slowly
wound down production as he approaches retirement. Don
Gregorio, on the other hand, continues to produce mezcal
with the support of his two sons, Valentín and
Joel, on their family ranch in the sprawling foothills,
30 minutes west of the main town of Ejutla de Crespo.
Don Gregorio is well known for the exceptional quality
of his Barríl and Espadín mezcales, but
for the first time ever, is offering a rare batch of El
Jolgorio Mexicano for the U.S. market. Due to the tiny
number of bottles produced, this one is sure to go fast.
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Maestro Mezcalero Gregorio Hernandez. Credit: Max Kelly
Photography
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Refrescadera still setup. Credit: Max Kelly Photography
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Agave Mexicano belongs to the species Rhodacantha and
matures at around 7-10 years. Most Mexicano these days
are cultivated in wild terrains, as opposed to tilled
soil in sectioned off fields, as is the practice with
most Espadín production. Agave Mexicano can grow
to be large, though are often still slightly smaller
than the more common Espadín variety, especially
when growing in the mountains, where access to nutrients
and water is competitive. Although it is a genetic
relative to agave Espadín, the most common agave
used in mezcal production, agave Mexicano is much less
prevalent and thus, rarely used to produce mezcal. It
grows to be large, with a high concentration of sugars.
Its broad, serrated leaves, or pencas, often bear black
tips. In some Zapotec dialects, this agave is called
'doba-daan' or 'dob-daiin'.
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Mexicano agaves growing in the fields in Ejutla
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Joel Hernandez. Credit: Max Kelly Photography
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Valentín Hernandez. Credit: Max Kelly Photography
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Don Gregorio - sharing or selling? Credit: Max Kelly
Photography
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- Agave: Mexicano (A. Rhodacantha)
- Mezcaleros: Gregorio Hernandez
- Palenque: La Soledad
- Campo: La Soledad
- ABV: 47%
- Agave age at harvest: 8 years
- Harvest year: 2017
- Bottled year: 2019
- Cases arriving in U.S.: 10
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EJ Espadín - Edition 12. Credit: Sunny Martini
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The newest batch of El Jolgorio Espadín is
finally on its way to the United States. El Jolgorio has
a fantastic track record for releasing benchmark quality
Espadín offerings and this latest release does
not disappoint. At the end of August, we will receive
Edition 12 of El Jolgorio Espadín, produced in
Lachigui, Miahuatlan, by the relentless Tio Pedro. Among
the huge variety of mezcals that Tio Pedro produces, his
Espadín is mostly reserved for the Nuestra
Soledad bottling from Lachigui. However, for this
upcoming edition of El Jolgorio Espadín, the
batch selected was produced in 2015 and held back
intentionally by Tio Pedro and Casa Cortés for
future bottling. Here we are five years later, ready to
experience a mezcal that hits a very high mark. As with
all El Jolgorio bottlings, EJ Espadín rarely
lasts in the market for very long, with only 56 cases
(336 bottles) arriving in the U.S. Don't miss your
chance to taste this mezcal relic from one of the best
distillers in Mexico.
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- Agave: Espadín (A. Angustifolia)
- Mezcaleros: Pedro Vasquez
- Palenque: Lachigui
- ABV: 47%
- Agave age at harvest: 10 years
- Harvest year: 2015
- Bottled year: 2020
- Cases arriving in U.S.: 56
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El Jolgorio Special Release Series: Coming in Fall
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Fall is nearly upon us, and that means that the El
Jolgorio Special Release 2020 collection of mezcals is
arriving. Bottled in black glass, these
highly-anticipated entries will feature seven
limited-release mezcals of various agave varieties. Keep
an eye out for our next newsletter, where we will
provide full batch details on each of these coveted
mezcals.
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| Agave |
Edition |
Producer |
Village |
Harvest Year |
Bottled Year |
Agave Age |
ABV |
| Barril |
11 |
Gregorio
Hernandez |
La Compañia, Ejutla |
2017 |
2019 |
13 |
47% |
| Espadin |
12 |
Pedro Vasquez
Ogarrio |
Lachigui, Miahuatlán |
2015 |
2020 |
10 |
47% |
| Tepeztate |
22 |
Rafael Mendez
Cruz |
San Luis
del Rio |
2018 |
2020 |
25 |
48% |
| Tobala |
19 |
Gregorio Martinez
Garcia |
S. Baltazar Guelavila |
2016 |
2019 |
15 |
47% |
| Pechuga |
18 |
Gregorio Martinez
Jarquin
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S. Matatlán |
2020 |
2020 |
10 |
48% |
| Mexicano |
15 |
Gregorio
Hernandez |
La Compañia, Ejutla |
2017 |
2019 |
8 |
47% |
Arroqueno
NY Exclusive |
11 |
Pedro Vasquez
Ogarrio |
Lachigui, Miahuatlán |
2019 |
2020 |
16 |
54% |
Tobasiche
NY Exclusive |
9 |
Pedro Vasquez
Ogarrio |
Lachigui, Miahuatlán |
2016 |
2020 |
14 |
52% |
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