Cucharillo 375 mL – Everardo

Some mezcal is made in copper. This one is made in earth.

High in the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca, at 1,650 meters above sea level, sits Santa Catarina Albarradas — a village of roughly 500 people so remote that the road leading in is still unpaved. It's not a place tourists stumble into. It's a place mezcal seekers make a pilgrimage to, because Albarradas is one of the last strongholds of clay pot distillation — a pre-Hispanic method that's been kept alive here for more than three generations.

Why Clay Changes Everything

Unlike copper, which smooths and refines a spirit, clay pots impart something rawer and more mineral — a direct link to the earth the agave grew in. It's a fragile, labor-intensive method few producers still use, largely because clay pots crack and need constant replacing. Everardo continues the tradition anyway, distilling small batches the way his village always has.

What to Expect in the Glass

True to Albarradas' reputation, expect an earthy, resinous character — pine, bark, and a bright citrus edge, with the distinct minerality that only clay pot distillation delivers. It's a rougher, more elemental drinking experience than a copper-distilled mezcal — in the best way.

Why This Bottle Matters

Clay pot mezcal is a dying art. Every generation, fewer producers are willing to take on the extra labor and cost clay demands over copper. This bottle isn't just a mezcal from a remote village — it's a taste of one of Oaxaca's oldest surviving production methods, made by someone still willing to do it the hard way.

Best sipped slow, neat, and with full attention — this one has a story in every drop.