Real Minero de Carne Mezcal

This is mezcal with dirt under its fingernails, in the best way. It comes from Santa Catarina Minas in Oaxaca, a village whose mezcaleros work in clay pots rather than copper, and the Espadín here tastes like the place it grew: earthy, savory, unmistakably agave.

Roasted agave sits right at the center, sweet and fibrous, with a wash of umami underneath that gives the spirit real weight on the tongue. Pit-roasting leaves its mark as smoke, though it stays woven into the earth and mineral rather than sitting on top. Pepper builds late and lingers.

Additive free, so what you taste is agave, fire, and water and nothing added to smooth the edges. Drink it neat at room temperature in a small cup, in sips, the way it is drunk in Oaxaca. The 750 mL bottle keeps well once opened.