Mezcal has thankfully shed its reputation as gut-rotting liquor with a worm in it. Nowadays, it is enjoying enormous popularity, not only as an exciting mixer but the best mezcal brands for sipping allow to enjoy this spirit the traditional way.
What Is Mezcal?
Mezcal is a drink made from roasted, fermented, and distilled agave. It is the parent drink of tequila (which is technically a variety of mezcal that may only be made from blue agave in certain states of Mexico). In contrast, mezcal may be made from any agave.
How Is Mezcal Made?
Mezcal is made by harvesting farmed or wild agave and trimming off the roots and leaves to leave the heart or piña, which contains fermentable sugars.
Also Read: Complete History Of Mezcal
The piñas are roasted in underground pit ovens and then ground into a mash by a horse-drawn stone wheel. The mash ferments and is double distilled in clay or copper stills before bottling.
What Does Mezcal Taste Like?
Mezcal has intense savoury, bitter, and sour qualities and smokiness due to the roasting process. Taste notes include botanical notes such as liquorice and pepper, delicate floral and fruity flavours, plus sometimes a subtle chemical twang of petrol.
Interestingly, artisanal mezcals can have all sorts of subtle flavours. These stem from the type of agave, the terroir (the land they are grown), and the production process.
Best Mezcal Brands For Sipping
Here are ten of the best mezcals for sipping. Most are produced from the espadín variety of agave and are ‘joven mezcals’ (young/unaged); unlike with tequila, joven mezcal is ready to be sipped.
1. QuiQuiRiQui Matatlan Mezcal
Overview
- Brand: QuiQuiRiQui
- ABV: 45% (90 Proof)
- Country: Mexico
- Colour: Clear
Review
QuiQuiRiQui mezcal is handcrafted in Santiago de Matatlán, Oaxaca state.
It is a joven mezcal, produced entirely from lowland-grown espadín agave using double distillation.
Taste Notes
Vegetal sweetness combines with bonfire smoke, earthy elements, apricot notes, and a hint of cracked black pepper. The aftertaste has a touch of dark chocolate and smokiness.
Presentation
QuiQuiRiQui Matatlan is presented in a tall, round-shouldered bottle with an oval black label depicting a funky rooster and chunky lettering saying “QuiQuiRiQui.”
Pricing & Info
You can check the latest pricing, product information, and order online.
2. Dos Hombres Mezcal
Overview
- Brand: Dos Hombres
- ABV: 42% (84 Proof)
- Country: Mexico
- Colour: Clear
Review
Founded by the stars of Breaking Bad, Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, award-winning Dos Hombres is made in San Luis del Rio in Oaxaca.
This joven mezcal is made from espadín agave; Dos Hombres is fermented in wooden tubs, lending it a distinctly woody flavour.
Taste Notes
A smooth and creamy mezcal tasting of citrus, mango, and Mexican zapote fruit, with softwood notes and a discreet, soft smokiness, the smokiness and creaminess linger.
Presentation
Dos Hombres is presented in a clear, square-shouldered bottle, with a white label depicting two burros facing each other, the name Dos Hombres, and the signatures of Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul.
Pricing & Info
You can check the latest pricing, product information, and order online.
3. Dangerous Don Espadin Mezcal
Overview
- Brand: Dangerous Don
- ABV: 44% (90 Proof)
- Country: Mexico
- Colour: Clear
Review
Dangerous Don mezcal was founded in 2015 by Londoner Thea Cumming, and is produced in Oaxaca using traditional methods. It is a joven mezcal produced from 100% espadín agave.
Taste Notes
This mezcal showcases sweet espadín agave and grassy notes wrapped in aromatic smokiness with an aftertaste of citrus.
Presentation
Dangerous Don is presented in a clear, square-shouldered bottle with scribbled text and a pen and ink drawing of an agave field and a mountain.
Pricing & Info
You can check the latest pricing, product information, and order online.
4. Montelobos Joven Mezcal
Overview
- Brand: Montelobos
- ABV: 43.2% (86.4 Proof)
- Country: Mexico
- Colour: Clear
Review
Developed by agave academic Dr. Iván Saldaña, Montelobos comes from agave cultivated in the shadow of Montelobos (Mountain of Wolves) in Oaxaca. It is a joven mezcal made from 100% espadín agave. Pairs well with a crisp Mexican beer.
Taste Notes
Honeyed sweetness and green pepper smokiness blend with a mineral streak and vanilla and black pepper notes. The aftertaste is mildly smoky with hints of bacon and black pepper.
Presentation
Montelobos Joven Mezcal is presented in a chunky, bevelled bottle with a black label depicting a snarling wolf. A chunky black stopper adds to the look.
Pricing & Info
You can check the latest pricing, product information, and order online.
5. Ilegal Joven Mezcal
Overview
- Brand: Ilegal
- ABV: 40% (80 Proof)
- Country: Mexico
- Colour: Clear
Review
In 2004, John Rexer began importing mezcal from various villages in Oaxaca to Antigua, Guatemala, to supply his mezcal bar, Café No Sé, under the name Ilegal.
Ilegal Joven is a joven mezcal produced from espadín agave cooked with mesquite and eucalyptus wood.
Taste Notes
This mezcal showcases mineral and smoky eucalyptus flavours with hints of Corinth raisins, tobacco, citrus, and chiltepin chilli, with a smoky tobacco aftertaste.
Presentation
Ilegal Joven Mezcal is presented in slim bottles with a parchment-style label, and they are sealed with black wax and hand-numbered. On the back, it refers to Café No Sé.
Pricing & Info
You can check the latest pricing, product information, and order online.
6. Monte Alban Mezcal
Overview
- Brand: Sazerac
- ABV: 40% (80 Proof)
- Country: Mexico
- Colour: Clear
Review
Named after the ancient Zapotec hilltop settlement in Oaxaca, Monte Alban was the first mezcal to receive an export contract in 1975 and has stood the test of time.
Monte Alban is a joven mezcal with a pale amber colour produced from 100% agave. Each bottle contains a gusano, or “worm.”
Taste Notes
Flavours of oak and chutney mix with sweet spices and char-grilled peppers. The aftertaste is bitter, with a slight smokiness.
Presentation
Monte Alban is presented in a bottle reminiscent of an olive oil bottle, with a yellow and red label that notes the presence of the ‘tequila worm’.
Pricing & Info
You can check the latest pricing, product information, and order online.
7. Madre Mezcal
Overview
- Brand: Madre Mezcal
- ABV: 45% (90 Proof)
- Country: Mexico
- Colour: Clear
Review
An artisanal mezcal made in the Oaxacan Sierra Madre, Madre Mezcal is made by three families of mezcaleros. It is a joven mezcal made from a blend of espadín and cuishe agaves, giving it different flavors than most mezcals.
Taste Notes
Sweet mint and white floral notes with overtones of grass and smoke and a lingering peppery aftertaste.
Presentation
Madre Mezcal is presented in a 200ml flask with a Grolsch-style swing-top. The white label bears red lettering and a drawing of a woman with a bull.
Pricing & Info
You can check the latest pricing, product information, and order online.
8. Papadiablo Mezcal Especial
Overview
- Brand: Papadiablo
- ABV: 47.7% (95.4 Proof)
- Country: Mexico
- Colour: Clear
Review
Named for the Pope and the devil to symbolize the eternal battle between good and evil, Papadiablo is distilled in Miahuatlan by Don Bet.
This tasty joven mezcal is created from a blend of wild madrecuishe, bichuishe, and mexicana agaves with some espadín.
Taste Notes
vegetal agave, pineapple, and char-grilled pepper notes with gentle saltiness and peatiness. Aftertaste vegetal and flinty.
Presentation
Papadiablo Mezcal Especial is presented in a distinctive bottle that widens from the bottom to the shoulders before abruptly narrowing to the neck, stoppered with natural cork. Below a pebbled section, a slim red band proclaims “Papadiablo.”
Pricing & Info
You can check the latest pricing, product information, and order online.
9. Alipús San Juan Mezcal
Overview
- Brand: Alipús
- ABV: 47.3% (94.6 Proof)
- Country: Mexico
- Colour: Clear
Review
Los Danzantes owns the Alipús brand, which sources mezcals from smaller producers. This one is made in San Juan del Rio in the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca.
It is a joven mezcal made from espadín agave. The iron-rich soil of the Sierra Norte contributes to its flavour.
Taste Notes
Unusual notes of roasted broccoli, crispy bacon, and menthol combined with tar and smokiness. The aftertaste displays lingering tar and smoke with black pepper.
Presentation
Alipús San Juan is presented in a slim, round-shouldered bottle with a small, red label reading “San Juan” and a larger, funky black and white one reading “Alipús.”
Pricing & Info
You can check the latest pricing, product information, and order online.
10. Se Busca Mezcal Añejo
Overview
- Brand: Se Busca
- ABV: 40% (80 Proof)
- Country: Mexico
- Colour: Clear
Review
From the Spanish for “wanted,” the name Se Busca is a tribute to the women who fought in the Mexican Revolution. This mezcal is añejo, or aged, showcasing heavy oak influence and deep golden colour.
Taste Notes
Rich mesquite smoke combines with salted caramel, raisins, and oak notes alongside rich agave. The aftertaste is lingering, vegetal, and spicy.
Presentation
Se Busca Mezcal Añejo is presented in a slope-shouldered bottle with a long neck. It bears a rich black and gold label.
Pricing & Info
You can check the latest pricing, product information, and order online.
Andrew’s Top Pick
Dos Hombres Mezcal
OK, I admit it, the Breaking Bad marketing got to me; That aside, Dos Hombres Mezcal is a smooth and fruity jovan mezcal with a soft woody finish and a moreish touch of smoke.
Conclusion
So, there you have it; 10 of the best Mezcal brands for sipping. When I started my adventure into the rabbit hole of mezcal I must confess I was apprehensive. Stories of worms and scorpions residing in the bottle, plus rumours of it being so strong you could go blind just by looking at it. Also, check out my article on Sotol, a distant cousin of tequila and mezcal.
Also read: Mezcal Rituals & Ceremonies: The Spirit Of The Gods
The good news is that although mezcal is indeed strong and could probably be used to degrease engines, incredible flavours awaiting your delight your tastebuds.
Also Read: 6 Best Mezcals For Margaritas
Further Reading
Below are some additional articles from The Drinks Geek blog. We write articles on several fascinating areas of drinks, including different brands, drink types, cocktail recipes and more.
