PARAISO’S MEZCAL BRANDS
Paraiso Mezcaleria has a variety of mezcal and tequila-based cocktails, mezcal and tequila flights, Mexican beer and wine. Paraiso Mezcaleria has the largest collection of mezcals and tequila in Washington D.C., all hand-selected by the maestro of our bar: Jose Diaz. Here’s an overview of the mezcal brands you will find in our Mezcaleria.
SOMBRA
Sombra Mezcal is an artisanal spirit that respects the traditions of Oaxaca, while elevating production methods to include sustainable and responsible practices for the good of the local environment and local economy.
Sombra Mezcal is made from Espadín agave, hand-harvested on the steep slopes of the Oaxacan Sierra. The agave hearts are buried in an earthen pit where they slowly roast over hot rocks. The agave are then crushed by a mechanical limestone tahona, fermented with only native yeast, and expertly distilled. The byproducts of the distillation are then upcycled into adobe bricks to rebuild earthquake damaged homes.
Sombra owns and operates its own Palenque (distillery), which provides consistent quality and eco-friendly production methods. Each step of production, from fermentation to distillation, has been reimagined to reduce its environmental impact.
DEL MAGUEY
Every bottle of Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal tells a story; the union of the agave plant and ancient traditions. Each bottle is an Expression – a story told by the hand of the maker. You may explore Del Maguey mezcal by the village or the expression. Hand-crafted by individual Zapotec and Mixtec farmer-families, Del Maguey introduced artisanal mezcal to the world in 1995 and celebrates the traditions of ancestral villages that give each unique expression its own rich, sweet and smoky character. A taste of place.
FIDENCIO
One of the few mezcals that are both organic and biodynamic. Fidencio Clásico is made using 100% espadín agave from Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca. The agaves are roasted for three days in a traditional method using a stone-lined earthen pit. Fermented using ambient yeast and twice-distilled using an old cognac-style still.
GRACIAS A DIOS
Gracias a Dios mezcal started with a mezcaleria in Queretaro, Mexico in 2010. After two years of touring Oaxaca, they met Oscar Hernandez. Gracias a Dios brand was made and partnered with Oscar, who is a 4th generation maestro mezcalero and magueryo. Born and raised in Matatlan, he began to work in his parent’s factory. His mother taught him how to make mezcal when he was 14 years old. Since then, he sows maguey and produces mezcal.
One of their special edition mezcals is the Mezcal con Mango, espadin. This special mezcal is made with mangos from the Oaxacan coasts. The mango’s pulp is added in the second distillation.
NUESTRA SOLEDAD
Mezcal nuestra soledad is a single village mezcal that showcases the differences between the villages of Santiago Matatlán, La Compañía Ejutla, San Luis del Rio, and San Baltazar Guelavila. The name plays homage to Our Lady the Virgin of Solitude, the patron saint of the city of Oaxaca. Born from an ancient tradition and hand-crafted to conserve and retain the centuries-old methods of cultivating and producing this Elixir of the Gods. Each different expression is made from 100% agave Espadin.
NETA
NETA means the truth, the real deal. NETA works closely with several small, family producers and a cooperative of twelve palenqueros from the southern valleys and hills of Miahuatlan, Oaxaca. Situated at the southern tip of the Central Valleys and the foot of the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains, the area is renowned for the strong character of its people, its diverse landscapes, and the rich agricultural and culinary traditions that have been maintained throughout generations. As such, the region has preserved its reputation for producing some of the finest mezcales and agave spirits anywhere in Mexico.
The recipes and knowledge have been passed down and shared through family and community ties. Some mezcaleros follow their grandfathers’ traditions to the letter, while others experiment to carefully fine-tune the laborious process in accordance with their own tastes, observations, and relationships with the natural world. No two productions can ever be exactly the same as environmental conditions, water, natural yeasts, and soil types all contribute to their nuances just as much as the touch of their maker.
Since 2012, our friendships and working relationships with families in rural communities in Miahuatlán and the Central Valleys of Oaxaca have granted us participation in a world elusive to those not born into it. It is this humbling privilege that allows us to present a carefully curated selection of extraordinary spirits that would otherwise never be found outside of their place of origin. Así es, la mera mera NETA.
PALENQUEROS SIERRA
Mezcal Palenqueros showcases the craft of different maestro distillers (master distillers) from single palenque's (distilleries) across Oaxaca, Mexico in a range of still proof Mezcales. 1st generation, Maestro distiller Baltazar Cruz has blended cultivated Espadin Agave with Sierra Negra, a wild grown sub-varietal of agave from the Americana family which can take up to 25 years to reach full maturity. The Agaves are harvested at an altitude of 955 meters above sea level before being artesenally crafted into this small-batch Espadin Mezcal.
MACHETAZO
Mezcal Machetazo follows a traditional mezcal production process that has been passed down through generations. The brand Machetazo offers different varieties from 3 states in Mexico: Guerrero, Oaxaca and San Luis Potosí.
The name of our mezcal symbolizes a part of the complex and labor intensive process behind the mezcal production. With a swing of the machete or machetazo, our mezcal masters mark the beginning of the adventure behind the making of this mystical spirit.
DERRUMBES
Derrumbes takes us on a journey of flavor through the heart of Mexico. Being the most biodiverse Appellation of Origin in the world, every mezcal producing region offers its unique stamp into the tapestry. We delight in offering an abundant expression of the rich soils and climates as well as the exuberant diversity of agave species and production techniques that constitute this magnificent ancestral spirit.
Each bottle of Derrumbes represents a single state and each was chosen to highlight the traditions, the Terroir and organoleptic style of the region where it was made, creating together a mind grabbing experience of variety and nuances.
EL JOLGORIO
El Jolgorio Mexicano smells of roasted agave and maple. It is made maguey Mexicano (also known as Dobadaan in other communities), which grows to be quite large. This Mezcal is straightforward and right down the middle with hints of light smoke, citrus, and peppers.
El Jolgorio translates to “the revelry”. Jolgorios are small festivals that occur in remote, mountain villages throughout Oaxaca, Mexico. They celebrate births, deaths, weddings and Saint’s days. For centuries, the lifeblood of these celebrations has been traditional mezcal. In 2010, the Cortés family began building a collective of top mezcal distillers from around Oaxaca. As of 2019, El Jolgorio represents sixteen different families, working in ten different regions of Oaxaca, Mexico, each with its own special story. Every bottle is hand-marked with the specific details of each batch, to truly connect the drinker with the family behind the expression.
In 2017, the team behind the brand realized that certain varieties of agave would be extremely limited and they would only be able to make them available once per year (if at all). They began packaging these rare editions in black bottles to set them apart from the other releases.
The artwork on the first 8 releases was created by Alejandro Peña (Espadin, Pechuga, Tobala, Cuixe, Madrecuixe, Tepeztate, Barril and Mexicano). The next 5 labels were created by Asis Cortes (Arroqueno, Jabalin, Coyote, Tobaxiche, and Cenizo) and the Sierrudo artwork was created by Alberto Almánza.
VAGO
Each of VAGO’s unique mezcals is naturally made in a traditional palenque with no additives. On the front label of each of VAGO bottles, all the information is there about who made it (the maestro’s), what pueblo, what agave, details in the process, size of batch and more.
This is connoisseur mezcal. We aim to empower both the master craftsmen with a celebration of his art, and also the consumer by giving them the knowledge they need to find a great mezcal. All of our mezcals are joven (young) and clear, exactly as our mezcaleros have been crafting them for generations.
YUU BAAL
Yuu Baal Espadin is good for all occasions, as an appetizer or even as a complement for some of the most diverse regional foods. It is made from farm grown agave Espadin, and it exhibits a nice, soft flavor followed by a refreshing but vigorous intensity that reflects the first years of the maguey plant. This mezcal is made by mezcalero Isaias Martinez Juan in San Juan del Rio.
Mezcal Yuu Baal is a social enterprise that highlights the traditions of the native Oaxacan producers of mezcal. They pay close attention to detail on the complete process of production to ensure the mystical, the exotic, and the absolutely delightful taste is in every majestic drink. Grupo Yuu Baal is made up of producers in San Juan del Rio, San Luis del Rio Tlacolula and Miahuatlan, Oaxaca.
The quality of the maguey begins in the earth. This means that the complete cycle of production, including planting, cutting, and distillation are done manually, and all with absolute respect for the environment.
KOCH
Mezcal KOCH is founded by Carlos Moreno. He believes that mezcal heals the soul, it also accompanies you in your sorrows and if you want it helps you forget them, when a child is born, you drink mezcal. It is inherent to our region, it comes in our worldview. We drink mezcal to be sentimental, to exploit creativity and feelings, so that we are less worried about mockery. It is not about suffering but about getting emotional. Enjoy. When you're from Oaxaca, it doesn't matter if you know how it's made or not, that they give you mezcal, they give it to you, and that you drink it, you drink it.
"We conceive mezcal as a living entity, which from its preparation to its consumption is constantly evolving in flavor, aroma and texture, which allows us to evoke the terroir alluding to the region, agave and the hands that intervene in its creation."
CASAMIGOS
Casamigos Mezcal Joven is made with agave Espadin in Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca. According to co-founder Rande Gerber, the “mezcal was brought to [them] by a family that has made it for five generations. It’s extremely smooth, small-batch, with the perfect smokiness and easy to drink.” He later stated, “When we found our mezcal of choice, we worked closely with [the family] to perfect it.” Casamigos Mezcal launched in United States, Australia, the U.K., and Canada on April 1, 2018.
Casamigos Mezcal is the new spinoff of Casamigos Tequila. The brand is most noted for its founders, George Clooney, Rande Gerber, and Mike Meldman.
