Johnnie Walker owner Diageo invested £550,000 (US$752,000) in the construction of a weir to increase the sustainability of fish stocks in the river Dullan. This is noteworthy, because almost all other mezcals at their price point are made with strictly agave Espadin. MEZCAL AMORES is “A project made with love”. Many large brands seeking to capitalize on the quick growth and popularity of mezcal are buying all of the agave they can find. Mezcal Reviews on Facebook Mezcal Reviews on Instagram, © Mezcalerbro 2016-2021 • Privacy & Terms. The stream next to it was dry due to lack of rain, but their mezcalero was grinding freshly cooked agave via horse-drawn tahona. The partnership between Union and Diageo keeps Mezcal Union in the hands of its founders, while allowing Union to pick and choose which distributors and importers they want to work with across the globe. Seems like a good way for Mezcal producers to handle growth and promote consistency. Most other brands that reach this level of demand in both Mexico and abroad have taken a very different path. “If you want to go fast, go alone. So how do they get a consistent spirit from bottle-to-bottle and batch-to-batch if their mezcal is made in 14 different palenques by 14 different families? Expect to see more this year. Each palenque uses only the hearts rendered during distillation, not the puntas (heads) or colas (tails). Brand Manager at Mezcal Union Denver, Colorado, United States 500+ connections. *Supported Diageo Tech Ventures program, leading performance management reviews and implementation of marketing pilots ... * Partnered with Union Mezcal … The multinational beverage company Diageo laid the first stone for the expansion of its Atotonilco, Jalisco, plant this week, part of a US $400-million investment announced in 2015 after it … Mezcal Union began when a group of friends decided to start a mezcal project. They called it Union Uno, because it was their first release, and it’s been extremely popular to date. Read more about Mezcal Union on our blog: Mezcal Union Palenque Tour We met one of their co-founders, Alejandro, at a Mezcal Union tasting at Austin Wine Merchant a few months ago. report this profile about during the first phase of the development of the project of mezcal uniÒn we managed to capture more than 150 clients using as strategy the mixology within the centers of consumption, that what today marks as trend in the tourist zone of tulum . When we told a bartender in Oaxaca that we were headed out to visit Mezcal Union, he asked how much Diageo was paying us to write a blog post. The Solera process allows them to maintain product consistency as well as continue to operate as a collective of individual families and palenques. They weren’t sure what exactly they wanted to do, so they began visiting palenques in Oaxaca to talk to people about what would work. Otros destilados del agave. While Del Maguey is the first brand to be sold to one of the large spirit companies, there has been other action in the category. We arrived at the palenque (distillery) to find that it was completely off the grid, with no electricity or running water. This long growing cycle makes it extremely difficult to estimate future demand, and no one predicted the current mezcal boom, which has put stress on the industry. The last thing that we wanted to discuss with Andres was Diageo. Mezcal El Silencio | 892 followers on LinkedIn. They met an old man on one of these visits who explained that the growing popularity of mezcal is changing the demands on those who have been producing mezcal for generations. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! While currently a drop in the ocean compared to tequila consumption, the big boys of Pernod Ricard and Diageo (respective owners of Del Maguey, Mezcal … In February of 2017, Mezcal Union signed a distribution agreement with Diageo. There’s not another building or sign of human life in sight, and its position on the side of a mountain slope gives it a nice gentle breeze that fits the spirits that are made there. Mezcal Union’s founder realized farmers of the agave it used weren’t getting a fair cut so it actually rallied them to form a union. The road out to the Palenque was well off the paved highway, down a steep and winding dirt path that has a sharp open ledge that drops off several hundred feet at times. Mezcal Reviews on Twitter In fact, no one is paying us. If you’ve ever looked at their bottle closely, you may have noticed that it’s made with both agave Espadin and agave Cirial. They didn’t want to be part of the extinction of an agave species, so they stopped using it. Last year, Mezcal Union, a five year-old brand, exported about a third of its production, mostly to its northern neighbor. The British multinational Diageo sealed a deal to distribute Union, another large brand, in February, and this summer the tequila giant José Cuervo launched Creyente, the second mezcal … Smirnoff owner Diageo has threatened far-right political organisation The Proud Boys with legal action over its use of a logo similar to Johnnie Walker’s Striding Man emblem. Each of their palenques is hand chosen to make their mezcal. This increases their ability to introduce new people and new places to mezcal. THE TOP TRAINING, INSPIRATION, AND NETWORKING HUB FOR PROFESSIONALS BARTENDERS. More tequila-like in production methods resulting in little smoke. Alejandro had connected us to Andres and Pablo. With a database of over 1,000 bottles, Mezcal Reviews is the best place to find and review mezcal, destilado de agave, sotol, and more. Most are already making mezcal and selling it on their own, and Union is able to offer them the opportunity to make their ensambles (Uno & Viejo) in exchange for use of Union’s financing, resources, and infrastructure. There are several checks and balances in place to ensure consistency of Mezcal Union across their different producers. Diageo has a distribution agreement with Mezcal Unión and completely owns Pierde Almas, while Pernod Ricard acquired a majority stake in … Scorpion. The agave Cirial adds a slight vegetal character that smooths the tougher notes found in some other mezcals. It’s a good thing to be able to look behind the scenes in order to better understand who is doing what – and how – in the world of mezcal. There may be slight variations of flavor from batch to batch, but not much, as they are now using a Solera process to ensure better consistency. We’re just like you…we really, really like mezcal. It’s clear when talking to Andres that he cares deeply for the communities in which they work. For those who don’t know, Diageo is one of the world’s largest, publicly traded alcohol companies. I’m fascinated by the Solera process. In February, London-based Diageo… You’ve likely seen it at a liquor store or at your local corner bar. Mezcal Union. The most versatile Premium Mezcal on the market. Intense and explosive, yet endless in character. Here are the big ones: The tahona that is used to mill the cooked agave before distillation. It involves fractionally blending new batches into a. All locations cook the agave together with White Oak in stone hornos (underground ovens), mill the cooked agave by horse drawn tahona, and distill the mezcal in copper stills. Smirnoff owner Diageo will donate US$10 million to support 25 Black educational institutes in the US as it seeks to expand diversity in the alcohol sector. Agave Arroqueno and Tepextate, for example, can take over 20 years to mature. Read more about Mezcal Union on our blog: Mezcal Union Palenque Tour (11) Andres explained that they currently have 14 palenques making Union mezcal and they will likely need to add more soon. The little town rests between mountain slopes that have deep crevasses cut from flowing water in the rainy season. They picked us up at our Airbnb in Centro around 9am and took us to an amazing breakfast of coffee, Oaxacan hot chocolate, and some of their favorite Oaxacan breakfast plates. Excellent write-up! Mezcal Reviews on Instagram, © Mezcalerbro 2016-2021 • Privacy & Terms, Maguey Melate Espadin – Lidia Hernández Hernández, Mezcalosfera Tobala/Madrecuixe – Felipe Cortés, Mezcalosfera Tobala/Verde/Madrecuixe/Cuixe/Espadin – Felipe Cortés. If you’ve been drinking Union for as long as us, you may also recall that older batches included agave Barril as well. The agreement keeps the ownership of Union in the hands of its founders, while opening the doors to a wider distribution network. Pernod is one of the top five spirit companies in the world, along with Diageo, Brown-Forman, Bacardi and Suntory. All jovens. Pernod Ricard SA this month agreed to acquire the Del Maguey mezcal brand, following a distribution agreement by Diageo with Mezcal Union signed in February 2016. They wanted to make sure that their practices were as sustainable as possible. He said that future mezcaleros would not be able to do all of the distilling, bottling, branding, marketing, sustainability efforts, etc…that are essential to the growing demands of the profession. MEZCAL AMORES | 2,074 followers on LinkedIn. (This came the heels of Bacardi’s purchase of a minority stake in Ilegal Mezcal in February and Diageo’s distribution deal with Mezcal Union last year.) They’re both young, energetic, and passionate about what they do. In the beginning, the co-founders handled all the business, and they left their mezcalero to control the product. Some mezcal purists reading this might cringe at the Solera process, but let’s consider the alternative. Andres described himself and his Union colleagues as Social Entrepreneurs, and the Solera process allows them to maintain a high level of social impact. Mezcal Union El Viejo Mezcal; Oban 14 Year Old; Ypióca Cinco Chaves Cachaça “As Alcohol Responsibility Month, April’s a great time to learn more about the importance of enjoying these award-winning brands responsibly,” said Guy Smith, EVP, Diageo North America. Diageo, the largest global spirits company and a VinePair investor, manages distribution for Mezcal Union. In order to move the spirit of mezcal forward, and increase the livelihood of those involved in producing it, some sort of co-op or union needed to be created, which is how they got the name for their brand. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Though Pedro Hernandez is their master mezcalero, each bottle is produced by a union of Oaxacan families. Vermont-based rye whiskey producer Whistlepig has sold a minority stake to Moët Hennessy in a bid to help the brand expand internationally To do this, they hired a new employee to work directly with agave farmers. Mezcal: conocido por sus característicos sabores ahumados, el mezcal se puede producir a partir de 8 variedades diferentes de la planta de agave, como Espadin o Tobala.La mayoría de las notas ahumadas se derivan del proceso de producción, donde la piña se tuesta en pozos revestidos de piedra, se tritura y se agrega con agua a un barril para fermentar. Sacacuento. We walked over to the thatched roof, open-air structure near the horno, and sat down to talk about Mezcal Union. With the help of their mezcalero, they began adding more palenques to produce their Uno mezcal. I knew that there was a blending process that larger spirits producers used, but never actually looked into the details. Mezcal Yuu Baal. Diageo has acquired super-premium mezcal brand Pierde Almas as it seeks to develop the mezcal category in Mexico and around the world. Mezcal Union is a favorite among bartenders in both the US and Mexico. The average agave Espadin takes 8-10 years before it reaches maturity and wild agave takes even longer. Mezcal Union El Viejo, named in homage of the old man. Mezcal Reviews on Twitter While Del Maguey is the first brand to be sold to one of the large spirit companies, there has been other action in the category. Joven, Repo, Anejo, plus several varietals. Siete Misterios. The people and communities involved in the production of their mezcal are at the forefront of their plans moving forward. Join to Connect Mezcal Union ... - Grew Diageo menu share by over 30% within the first 6 months in market. Each palenque uses the same processes for producing their spirits. Bacardi bought a minority stake in Ilegal in February and Diageo has a distribution deal (and likely some equity stake or options) with Mezcal Union. Alejandro’s acknowledgement of this issue is crucial, and it illustrates what really makes Mezcal Union unique. If you want to go far, go together,” he told us. The process seems to be something that gives them better consistency without jeopardizing the families they’ve been working with for many years. In February of 2017, Mezcal Union signed a distribution agreement with Diageo. The underground stone horno (oven) used to cook agave. The partnership between Union and Diageo keeps Mezcal Union in the hands of its founders, while allowing Union to pick and choose which distributors and importers they want to work with across the globe. They own spirits companies across the world, and they just started working as a distributor for Union. Follow @mezcalreviews Joven and Anejo, plus a tobala. Conditions of Use; Privacy and Cookie Notice; UGC Policy; Accessibility; Do Not Sell My Personal Data; Responsibility.org; DRINKiQ; theBar.com © Diageo 2020 Andres runs Union’s operations from Mexico City and Pablo lives in Oaxaca and regularly checks on the different palenques that make their mezcal. This increases their ability to introduce new people and new places to mezcal. We asked him why they no longer use Barril in their spirits, and he told us they realized that they were unable to source the Barril sustainably. They do this without putting forth any replanting initiatives, and thus putting further stress on the fragile agav-e-conomy. Follow @mezcalreviews Read more about Mezcal Union on our blog: Mezcal Union Palenque Tour. Have you tried Palmilla? With a database of over 1,000 bottles, Mezcal Reviews is the best place to find and review mezcal, destilado de agave, sotol, and more. They soon realized, however, that they needed to increase production in order to meet demand. Bacardi bought a minority stake in Ilegal in February and Diageo has a distribution deal (and likely some equity stake or options) with Mezcal Union. Union is one of the most commonly found mezcals for cocktails in the US and Mexico. They use roughly the same percentages of each agave for each batch – Espadin & Cirial for the Union Uno, and Espadin & Tobala for the Union Viejo. The country’s beloved spirits professionals on how they’ll be enjoying the agave spirit in the coming cold winter months—from a mezcal hot chocolate to a Pinot Noir mezcal mule and beyond. To be clear, Diageo is not paying us. Several varietals plus aged products out to 7 years. His sole job is to form partnerships with farmers, helping them to plant agave based on estimated future demand. In February of 2017, Mezcal Union signed a distribution agreement with Diageo. Given the moves by both Diageo and Bacardi in the mezcal world– Mezcal Union and Ilegal Mezcal respectively, it was rumored that Pernod was looking to pick up a brand for its portfolio. It’s a win-win. As you may have read in our Sustainability Blog Post, the future of agave is a serious concern as mezcal continues to gain more international acclaim. universidad tecnologica de la costa grande de guerrero. I just had Alejandro make a presentation with my Diageo rep, and the Union product is excellent, and it was very interesting going through the various steps, talking about the different varieties of Agave used, about the various distillers. , helping them to maintain product consistency as well as continue to grow their of. To their original ideals though Pedro Hernandez is their master mezcalero, bottle. Really like mezcal, really like mezcal it at a mezcal Union Denver Colorado. 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