Real Minero Mezcal Pechuga 750ml

Since 1898, the mining village of Santa Caterina Minas has been distilling some of the most rustic, traditional, and exquisitely expressive mezcales in all of Mexico. Today, the Ángeles Carreño family carries that tradition on with pride and integrity. 

Siblings and fifth generation mezcal producers Edgar and Graciela Ángeles Carreño are icons in the industry and have devoted their lives to protecting, researching, and producing their family’s hand-crafted, traditional distillates. Graciela in particular is among the industry’s pioneering thought leaders, conducting extensive scientific and historic research into agave and mezcal. She employs several botanists who work with the brand to maintain a nursery and laboratory dedicated to protecting, preserving, and studying the plants, vigorously champions social justice and economic and labor issues within the mezcal industry, and funnels a portion of Real Minero’s proceeds into the first library in the rural mining community of Santa Catarina Minas. 

Yet, Real Minero is as deeply rustic and culturally historic as mezcal production can get. Roughly translated as “royal miner”, the brand is exemplary of the “minero” style of mezcal which can only be certified from Santa Catarina Minas specifically. Minero implies a production method otherwise referred to as en barro or en olla; distillation occurs in handmade earthenware pots using a carved, wooden spoon suspended on string to collect condensed distillate. Much of their agave is broken down after cooking by hand-mashing with massive, wooden bats—like a mortar and pestle of overwhelming size. These countryside methods have not changed in hundreds of years; a tremendously laborious technique which yields an impressive, idiosyncratic spirit. Mineral-driven with rich texture and a uniquely aromatic nose which speaks deeply of terroir, these mezcales will linger on mind and palate with consistently epic finishes. Often, certain batches yield only 100 or 200 liters, and many ensambles (blends) are 

This one of-a-kind release represents a unique intergenerational collaboration.  Before he passed away, the family maestro, Don Lorenzo, completed two of three distillations of what would be the last of his legendary Pechuga. With his tragic passing in 2016 the process stalled, but not before he imparted the family recipe to his daughter Graciela.  Now, years later, Graciela and her brother Edgar have completed this final batch of Pechuga, distilling the agave a third time with the addition of fruits (such as banana, apricot, raisin, apple and pineapple) and spices (including cinnamon, almond and anise) and the raw breast of chicken.

This is the first Pechuga from the family in many years, a posthumous work of art which blurs the boundaries of time, heredity and even mortality. Pechuga mezcales were historically thought of as a deeply spiritual mezcal, and there can be no better example of that tradition than this release from Real Minero. We are honored to share it. 47.04% ABVunique.