REGION: Michoacan

Featuring exceptional mezcales from the under-represented state of Michoacán, Don Mateo is widely seen as a benchmark of the region’s style. Owned and operated by sixth-generation maestro mezcalero Emilio Vieyra, Don Mateo is named for Emilio’s great-grandfather, who founded the vinata in 1840.

Mezonte is a non-governmental organization driven by a mission to promote, protect, and preserve the practices of heritage agave spirits, founded by mezcal luminary Pedro Jimenez. As a brand, it is the house label for the tasting room and bar and an independent bottler of unique agave spirits.

Fourth-generation mezcalero Don Miguel Perez Reséndiz produces deeply traditional Tarasco mezcales—spirits of the Purépecha people—in the idyllic lakeside village of Oponguio, Michoacán, balancing heritage with invention and achieving something wholly idiosyncratic and distinctly delicious.

For over a century, The Pacheco family has produced the finest charanda in Uruapan, Michoacán, Mexico, from fresh-pressed, estate-grown sugarcane cultivated in volcanic, red soil according to the category’s D.O. As one of the last producers of charanda, they have fought to preserve its heritage.