Mezcalistas

06/25/2026

As mezcal drinkers, we here at Mezcalistas are not only accustomed to high proof alcohol, in many cases were prefer it. For a while, it was hard to find tequila equivalents in the market but those days are no more.

Tess Rose Lampert took the tough job of exploring high proof tequilas in the market and put together this list of nine that make for some great sipping, and that work well in cocktails.

Says Tess, "There is no technical definition of high-proof tequila. In my book, anything over 45% ABV qualifies. Crisp blancos that have the volume turned up on their agave flavor are my go-tos for summery drinks like frozen Margaritas, long drinks with a bubbly element like Palomas, and herbal concoctions that rely on just-picked garden flavors–like a tomato and thyme Tequila Martini. High ABV blancos tend to stand up nicely and impart agave flavor in cocktails, while also ensuring that drinks with a lot of volume still pack a good punch of alcohol."

So who is she sipping on this summer? Link in Bio to News, or here for the complete rundown: https://www.mezcalistas.com/9-of-the-best-high-proof-tequilas-for-cocktails-and-summer-sipping/

What high proof agave spirit are you turning to this summer?

06/19/2026

It's Tasting Note Friday and this week we look at and their classic blanco.

El Tequileño is a family owned brand, founded in 1959 by Don Jorge Salles Cuervo and now made by the third generation family member Don Jorge Antonio Salles.

Read the complete tasting note, link in bio to Tasting Notes or here: https://www.mezcalistas.com/el-tequileno-platinum-tasting-notes/

06/19/2026

A growing cadre of exciting Mexican liqueurs are appearing on bars, and we’re on board with this trend.

We’ve been looking beyond the horizons of mezcal to the wider world of Mexican craft spirits because the landscape is truly exciting! And what we’ll be drinking this summer reflects that. From bitter liqueur with soda to a bright and friendly sotol, here are our recommendations for building an ideal summer bar. We start with some exciting liqueurs, followed by the Mexican rum, gin, and sotol we’ll be drinking this summer.

Check out our latest summer sipping list, link in bio to News or here: https://www.mezcalistas.com/beyond-agave-9-mexican-spirits-well-be-sipping-this-summer/

Also let us know what you are sipping on!

06/17/2026

To understand why so much mezcal is exported to markets outside of Mexico, one need look no further than the arcane alcohol tax system that is taxing people out of their own culture. To help us understand, Joahna Hernandez breaks the current system down, reporting:

"Industrial beer accounts for approximately 95% of all alcohol consumed in Mexico. Everything else — mezcal, tequila, raicilla, pulque, sotol, bacanora, wine, whiskey — is the remaining 5%. That 5% generates more than 40% of all IEPS alcohol revenue. It’s the kind of architecture you get when beer was the only industry in the room when the rules were written, and nobody has rewritten them since.

Industrial beer doesn’t require a marbete, the tax stamp that distilled spirits producers must obtain and affix to every bottle. The 4.5% final-sale tax on spirits applies in 18 Mexican states but explicitly excludes beer. At 53% ad valorem, a 900-peso artisanal mezcal generates far more IEPS per bottle than a 30-peso industrial lager — a palenquero making 500 liters a year and a multinational brewery moving billions, taxed by the same percentage."

But there is a move afoot to change the structure that is taxing people out of their own culture and create a far more level playing field. Meet Monetiza IEPS, the organization working to change that. Joahna had an opportunity to speak with the organization's leader and looks at why they believe it is so imperative to change the system. It might just work.

Link in bio to News for the complete piece or here: https://www.mezcalistas.com/taxed-out-of-their-own-culture/

06/13/2026

This Friday's Tasting Notes are all about Raicilla, specifically which was one of the first raicillas available in the US market. It's a great collection of different expressions of raicilla that highlight different producers, regions,production processes and flavors.

Check out the complete tasting notes, link in bio to Tasting Notes or here: https://www.mezcalistas.com/?s=la+venenosa+tasting+notes

06/12/2026

About that burgeoning Indian agave spirits market...

Agave plants grow wild in India and new distillers are using them to create a spirits industry.

06/12/2026

While some of us may have needed a stiff drink to chase away the winter blues or kill the chill, summer drinking is another affair–the promise of lazy afternoons on the water, the smell of grill smoke, the clink of ice on a hot night. Looking for some good mezcal and tequila recommendations for a day at the river or a summer evening under the stars? We got you. Here are 10 bottles we’ll definitely be drinking this summer.

Link in bio to News for the complete list or here: https://www.mezcalistas.com/10-agave-spirits-well-be-sipping-this-summer/

06/10/2026

Whelp, the 2025 Mezcal production numbers from are in and we had a chance to dig through them. If you've been following our newsletters and commentary (link in bio to sign up), they won't exactly be a surprise. The devil of course is in the details.

"From conversations with mezcal producers we knew that there was a slowdown in production because orders had slowed in 2025 and there was already a lot of mezcal sitting on the ground. But that steep decline of almost 40% was a bit of a shock, even when comparing to 2019 (a decline of 2.8%), what we refer to as the last “normal” year. This is not a sky is falling comment, but it does speak to just how much of an impact general economics, decline in alcohol consumption, and the overall market dynamics (distribution issues, challenged on-premise market, etc) are having on mezcal sales. And while it might not seem like much, it’s interesting to note the near 100% growth in production in Puebla, San Luis Potosi, and Guerrero."

So what does it all mean? Check out the complete piece, link in bio to News or here: https://www.mezcalistas.com/2025-mezcal-production-numbers/

06/10/2026

On the surface, the story of Puntiagudo sounds like something you have heard before: a person returns to their roots and wants to start a mezcal brand. But in the case of César Garcia, founder of .destilados that's just part of a much larger and frankly, more interesting story.

While born in Oaxaca, opportunity took him to Puebla for school and then to Germany for an internship that set him on a career with Volkswagon. As author Anna Bruce writes, "He quickly rose up the ranks, taking on more and more responsibility. César loved the job. However, he thinks it was the ceaseless pressure of this highpower career which led to a crippling heart attack, putting him in hospital for over a week. The sterile silence of this recovery room inspired him to make a major life change. “Inside my room, everything was aluminum, stainless steel. Perfectly clean. But it was dark and cold.” Through the window, he could see palm trees, and the sun rising. Below, he saw people rushing to work. Watching this scene, he reflected: “There is a huge difference between being inside this window, this room, where everything is dark, silent, and dead. And I don’t want to be here. I want to be outside.”

And so he joined his uncle in Oaxaca and together they farmed agave, never even thinking about making mezcal. But a conversation with mezcalero Rolando Angeles changed everything again for César. This is a great story that touches on so many issues in the world of mezcal--a legacy of alcoholism, immigration, reinvention and new beginnings.

Link in bio to News or here: https://www.mezcalistas.com/engineering-a-better-option-the-puntiagudo-story/

Pictured above:
➡ César Garcia and his wife Holly
➡ Mezcalero Rolando Angeles
➡ Inside the palenque in Santa Catarina Minas

📷 by .photos

06/06/2026

If you read our piece this week about visit to this week you would have gotten a sneak peak at her tasting note for the new Patron 100 release.

For you mezcal drinkers out there, this release is a complete affirmation of what we already know--high proof agave spirits are absolutely delicious and are nothing to be scared of. To you tequila drinkers, we say welcome to our world.

Be sure to check out the complete note and read more about how this expression came to be. Link in bio to Tasting Notes or here: https://www.mezcalistas.com/patron-100-tasting-notes/