Distiller Notes
Mal Bien first met Don Isidro in 2017 while exploring the pueblos and vinatas (distilleries) of Michoacán. A new friend in Patzcuaro had suggested making a trip to Río de Parras, and Isidro’s home was the first place they stopped when they got there. He had two batches on hand, an alto and an an alto pechuga made with trout from nearby Lake Cuitzeo. Both were incredibly good, and unlike anything they'd tasted before. The alto was super clean, light, mineral driven with a touch of fruit, and the fish pechuga was surprisingly more delicious and less weird than expected. The October 2019 batch of alto is the first time Isidro’s work has come to the US commercially, and they’ve still got some trout pechuga around the office for special events.
Notes of watermelon rind and clean minerality draw more connections to rosé wine than other agave spirits.
Para todo mal, Mezcal, y para todo bien, también.
"For everything bad, Mezcal, and for everything good as well." Most often consumed straight or with salt, chilis and an orange, lemon, or lime, Mezcal is an agave-based spirit whose production methods vary widely depending on the region, traditions and preferences of the producer. Rather than boiling or steaming the agave, which is done in Tequila production, Mezcal is made by cooking the agave in wood-fired pits before fermentation. Consequently, Mezcal is often characterized by smoky nuances, which are a product of this alternative production method.