Distiller magazine

The second [distillation] is done with a small Filipino still, in which a bottom chamber contains a clay-enclosed copper pot, with the top chamber made from a hollowed-out white fig tree trunk. Each batch consumes 5–6 metric tons (2,200 lbs) of agaves, resulting in about 660 bottles. fall 2020 | 83 the culture will be maintained and not shift to what the market may demand," Suro says. Mexicat is a London-based partnership of bar owner Chris Peel, Ana Gomez and Jorge Alvarez who, at age 19, arrived in Los Angeles from his Guadalajara home to study, then backpack around Europe. "I knew tequi- las then were poorly packaged and marketed," Peel says. After interning at the Consejo Regulador del Tequila he worked at a cooperative distillery when he first tasted raicilla and visited many producers to find one whose work could have broader appeal. "Half of production is now with a double distillation, though people in the denominated 14 villages still single distill because it reflects the traditional preferences for higher alco- hol and bigger flavors." e partners launched their Mexicat lines of agave spirits September 2016, later bringing on sotol. Las Perlas is distilled by fifth-generation raicillero Santiago Diaz Ramos from agaves angustifolia and rho- dacantha harvested wild and semi-wild in the lush hills near the pueblo of Las Guásimos, above the Pacific coast south of Puerto Vallarta. Diaz uses a cylindrical below- ground clay oven, introducing water on the second day to add steam to the roasting process. Wood materials are used for the milling, and then a slow 3-week fer- mentation is by wild yeasts in a large rectangular vat. e first distillation is done in a 400 L pot still. e second is done with a small Filipino still, in which a bottom chamber contains a clay-enclosed copper pot, with the top chamber made from a hollowed-out white fig tree trunk. Each batch consumes 5–6 metric tons (2,200 lbs) of agaves, resulting in about 660 bottles. Brian Rossi, owner of Denver's Adelitas Cocina y Cantina, came to raicilla through his appreciation of La Venenosa's Costa bottling, eventually traveling with its Esteban Morales to learn of his suppliers, and later forging a partnership to launch his 2019 Bonete brand, with his Sierra Occidental bottling crafted at La Estancia, his Costa at El Tuito. "I sell most raicillas at Adelitas as a neat pour in its truest form so all its nuances can be tasted, but many people drink it with a splash of grapefruit soda." END Charlois Cooperage, USA 1285 S Foothill Blvd - Cloverdale, CA 95425 Ph. 707-944-1330 | Fax 707-944-1370 www.charloiscooperageusa.com Handmade, high-quality craft barrels Made in Sonoma, California Expertise, quality and sustainable development are combined to create local products handmade, charred and customizable. THE_SPIRIT_MAGAZINE_PAGE_0220.indd 1 THE_SPIRIT_MAGAZINE_PAGE_0220.indd 1 07/07/2020 11:23 07/07/2020 11:23

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