Casa Amarás | From Seed to Sip

According to legend, mezcal first came about when a lightning bolt struck an agave plant in the Oaxacan desert, splitting it open and pouring out mezcal. The word mezcal means roasted agave.

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Mezcal has been referred to as tequila’s smoky cousin as they are both made from agave. There are nearly 200 types of agave, and mezcal can be made from more than 40 of them.

Tequila can only come from blue agave and is made in Jalisco in western Mexico while 90 percent of Mezcal is made in Oaxaca in southern Mexico. The agave for tequila is steamed in ovens that are above ground, and mezcal producers use in-ground firepits filled with wood and charcoal. In addition to its charred flavor, mezcal may have floral, fruity or earthy notes based on the agave plant. Enter Casa Amarás.

A name that is making a splash right now is Mezcal Amarás, producing ancestral and artisanal mezcals. Ancestral mezcal is distilled in clay pots and artisanal mezcal is distilled in copper stills.

Sustainability is an integral part of Mezcal Amarás’ business with a “seed to sip” philosophy. The brand demonstrates this in several ways.

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Courtesy of Casa Amarás

• On average, they plant seven agaves for every agave harvested since 2014 out of 10 different species in previously deforested land using organic compost from their distillery.

• They focus on maintaining the biodiversity of wild agaves by handpicking and selecting the strongest and healthiest mother agaves, waiting for them to reproduce in a lifecycle of 7 to 35 years and select the best seeds. Mezcal Amarás has planted more than 150,000 seeds of 18 types of agaves for its Casa Amarás.

• They work with the World Wildlife Fund to develop initiatives in favor of forests, soil conservation and water care.

• Mezcal Amaras produced the first carbon-neutral mezcal, offsetting carbon emissions through the purchase of bonds that finance projects for the use and generation of sustainable energy.

• They support Maestros Mezcaleros, who carry on the long-standing tradition of mezcal production, paying a fair price and providing them with educational courses and business training.

Carlye Klick

“Since the beginning, we understood we needed to be involved from seed to sip keeping traditions, process and the environment as a priority,” said Luis Niño de Rivera, co-founder and CEO of Mezcal Amaras.

“There is a saying that ‘there is no mezcal without agave.’ Our love of the land, the agave and the Maestros Mezcaleros and the willingness to do things differently pushed us to improve our holistic model to nourish the economic, social and environmental aspects of mezcal.”

Mezcal, like CasaAmarás can be enjoyed straight to relish the smooth, smoky flavor. It also works well in cocktails like an Old Fashioned, Mezcal Mule and Negroni.

Mezcal Amarás offers several varieties ideal for classic and creative cocktails. Espadín Reposado is made from an eight-year-old agave plant from Oaxaca and rested for a minimum of three months in French and American oak with light notes of vanilla and roasted hazelnut on the palate.

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Courtesy of Casa Amarás

Mezcal Amarás offers several varieties ideal for classic and creative cocktails. Espadín Reposado is made from an eight-year-old agave plant from Oaxaca and rested for a minimum of three months in French and American oak with light notes of vanilla and roasted hazelnut on the palate.

Mezcal Amarás Cupreata is made from a 13-year-old wild agave plant from Guerrero that is grown 4,000 to 6,000 feet above sea level with notes of pumpkin seeds, leather and cacao complemented by herbaceous flavors of bell pepper and spice with a bright finish.

“Consumers are looking for more authentic and natural products. Mezcal had been trying for more than 20 years to get to the consumer,” said Rivera.

“When trends, timing and availability came together, small neighborhoods in Mexico City started offering mezcal. In the U.S. the trendsetters were and still are the bartenders and mixologists with the substitution of mezcal in classic cocktails and the creation of new cocktails. Bartenders became immersed in the meaning, culture and mysticism of mezcal.”

And we hope you will be, too. Here are some recipes to enjoy Casa Amarás at su casa.