The journey into the extraordinary begins in the remote mountains of Southern Oaxaca, venturing approximately 3 hours in each of 4 different directions from Oaxaca City. The drives, although long and bumpy, take you through winding roads and lush valleys, crossing over rivers and through small towns. Each of these roads has its own adventure with unique flora and fauna influencing its terroir.
It is here where we seek out small-batch mezcaleros, who for generations have been perfecting their craft – a craft that is steeped in local cultural traditions, both artisanal and ancestral in nature. Together, four maestros mezcaleros and their families are the soul of Mezcal Vago, for family is at the heart of everything we do.
Four different maestros mezcaleros with four independent styles is what makes each expression a unique journey into Oaxaca’s rich cultural history. Rooted in authenticity and nuanced by the hand of these master craftsmen, Mezcal Vago is a cherished gift of culture, labor and incredible flavor coming straight from the families who make them.
This is connoisseur mezcal. We aim to empower both the master craftsman with a celebration of his art, and also the drinker by giving them the knowledge they need to find a great mezcal.
A rugged 3-hour drive from Oaxaca City, winding mountain roads and narrow valleys will take you up to the remote town of Candelaria Yegolé, the small village and home of Temo and Mateo García. They are the sons of the late Aquilino García, a maestro mezcalero and founder of Mezcal Vago. Together, they represent the next generation of mezcaleros for the García family. Distilling artisanal mezcal for at least five generations, the García family thrives off traditional methods and experimentation at the hand of the mezcalero, imparting their own family signature into every batch. Most famously known for Mezcal Vago Elote, the García family pays homage to two of Mexico’s most important crops, corn and agave, to create a truly celebratory mezcal.
Deep in the remote mountains of Sola de Vega, a 2.5 hours south of Oaxaca City, you will find the palenque and agave fields of Salomón Rey Rodriguez, or “Tío Rey” as he is known. It is here in the small village of Gulerá where Tío Rey and his family have dedicated their craft to making ancestral mezcal in the same manner taught by those generations before and for generations to come. Tío Rey’s lineage of mezcaleros could arguably be traced back thousands of years, first appearing in Miahuatlán.
Just like other mezcaleros in this region, Tío Rey is known for distilling exclusively in ‘ollas de barro’ (clay pots), a tradition that is kept alive thanks to the tireless work of families like his who use their physical strength and extensive knowledge of ancient practices to distill mezcal.
High above the plateaus of the Sierra Sur in Tapanala, you will come across an oasis amongst the arid desert and tall mountain peaks. Built upon the ruins of an ex-hacienda, this is where Don Joel Barriga lives, works, and harvests agave. As a third-generation distiller, he mastered this traditional craft as passed down by his father and his father before him. Now, Don Joel keeps his family’s artisanal craft alive by distilling with his sons, Adan and Joelito using their land as a resource. Working primarily with Agave Espadín, his expressions are known for their bright, fruit-forward taste imparted by the land’s terroir and the natural spring water above the palenque.
To reach Don Emigdio’s palenque, we travel about 2.5 hours directly south from Oaxaca City into the El Nanche area of Miahuatlán, a historically important town in mezcal production. As the only mezcalero producing for Vago in this region, we are able to extend the conversation of mezcal history and tradition even further back in time. Situated amongst rolling hills and shallow streams, his palenque has easy access to this fertile valley, providing some of the best agave growing conditions in Oaxaca. With decades of distillation experience and more than three generations of mezcaleros in his family, Don Emigdio works closely with his sons to honor their artisanal craft. Thanks to his unique practices and terroir of the valley, his mezcal is known for its balance and minerality.
