Our Mezcals

Mezcal is a spirit which has been growing in popularity in recent years. Like Tequila, it is made from the agave plant, but while tequila is made only with one agave type, the Blue Agave or Agave Tequilana, mezcal can be made with all other different varieties of agave. Since 2005, mezcal has been under the protection of the Designation of Origin that determines that agave spirit may only be labeled mezcal if it is made within a certain region of Mexico that comprises 9 different states.

Agave (pronounced “ah-gah-vay”), which is also called maguey (“mah-gay”) in Spanish, is sometimes referred to as a “century plant” in English because it can grow to be very large and has a long life-span (not really a century, more like 25 to 30 years).

The agave is usually harvested when it is seven or eight years old. After the agave is harvested, the spines of the plant are cut off and the remaining heart, called the piña (which means pineapple, because of its resemblance to the fruit), can weigh up to 100 kg (220 pounds) for the Agave Salmiana variety.

1. Cultivation: Agave is Planted
2. Harvest: Jimadores harvest the mature Agave (Piña or Core of the agave from which liquid is extracted)
3. Steamed or Cooked: Piña or Agaves Core are cooked and  softened with vapor in stone ovens. Mezcal Jaral de Berrio is smoke-free in order to keep the fresh notes of our agaves.
4. Grinding Process with a stone wheel Tahona
5. Fermentation in open containers
6. Distillation in copper (alambique) double

Mezcal Designation of Origin is defined by the Mezcal Regulatory Council (C.R.M. Consejo Regulador del Mezcal) and includes territories within 9 different States in Mexico. In which the State of Guanajuato, and the borough of San Felipe, where Mezcal Jaral is produced, are included.

Tequila should only ever be made from the blue agave. On the other hand, mezcal can be made from seven of the types of agave that grow in Mexico, each of which has its own flavours and character.

Mezcal is meant to be kissed—you’re supposed to sip it very slowly, allowing a connection with it. Mezcal should be something you share and drink with somebody else, not something you rush through.

Mezcal also mixes great in cocktails, as great bartenders and mixologist around the world had showed us.

Providing you’re buying authentic mezcal (look for the Consejo Regulador del Mezcal CRM distinctive signs like NOM – G33T ).

The family of Jaral de Berrio uses agave Salmiana, which is traditional from the region where it is produced.

For some reason everyone calls mezcal smoky, but the non-smoked mezcales of the family of Jaral de Berrio Mezcals maintain the original flavor from our agaves, specially agave Salmiana which is another of Mezcal Jaral de Berrio distinctives.

Years ago mezcal included also a worm in the bottle; both, the worm or the smoky flavor are each time being less part of a good and fine mezcal.

The Maestro Mezcalero or Mezcal Master, is the Alchemist of mezcal, is someone who has learned from generation to generation the production process of this mystical drink.