Koch El KOCH El Mezcal Elemental Espadin Artisanal Joven Mezcal 70cl 40% ABV - Single Agave Mexican Spirit from Oaxaca, Smoky Agave Notes, Ideal for Sipping and Cocktails

Mezcal has been made in the hills of Oaxaca for generations, and Koch El Mezcal exists to keep that knowledge in the hands of the families who hold it. The project began in 2009 under Carlos Moreno, whose own family has been tied to mezcal since the early twentieth century, and has since grown into a collective spanning more than fifty producing families across a string of Oaxacan communities. Elemental is the bottle they built as a starting point — the essentials, done properly. The agave is Espadin, cultivated for seven to nine years until the hearts are heavy with sugar. Those hearts are roasted over hot stones in a conical earth oven, crushed under a stone mill, left to ferment naturally in open wooden vats with wild yeast and time, then distilled twice in small copper stills. Nothing is added and nothing is aged. What reaches the glass is the plant, the fire and the fermentation, bottled clear at 40%. Poured neat, it leads with cooked pineapple and warm agave sugar, then opens into green thyme, white pepper and a soft curl of woodsmoke that fades rather than shouts. It is considerably gentler than the campfire-in-a-glass reputation mezcal sometimes carries, which is precisely why bartenders keep a bottle within reach. Try it alongside grilled meats, sharp cheese, citrus or anything with a bit of chilli behind it — or simply pour a small measure and take your time with it, the way it is drunk in Oaxaca. Directions Serve neat at room temperature in a copita, veladora or small clay cup — no ice — and sip slowly rather than shooting it. A slice of orange with a little sal de gusano or chilli salt on the side is the traditional Oaxacan accompaniment. In cocktails it stands up well in a Mezcal Margarita, Paloma, Mezcal Mule or an Oaxacan Old Fashioned, served over a single large cube. Pairs nicely with grilled and smoked meats, mole, aged cheese, ceviche and citrus-led dishes. Manufacturer Contact Information Koch El Mezcal