Mezcal Ancestral, Sierrudo, 'Justina Ruiz Perez', El Jolgorio

• Ancestral mezcal produced at El Platanar in Sola de Vega, Oaxaca
• Maestra Mezcalera Justina Ruiz Perez
• Made from100% Sierrudo (A. americana) harvested in 2023 at 9 years old
• Cooked in small earthen pits
• Milled entirely by hand using wooden mallets
• Fermented in wooden vats (tinas)
• Distilled using a traditional clay pot Filipino still
• 228 bottles produced
• 51.9% ABV

 “Thus far, El Jolgorio has only offered the special edition Ancestral line, launched in 2021, in collaboration with the Ruiz family of Sola de Vega. The palenque itself is truly a marvel, among the most beautiful distilling sites I’ve ever seen. Hidden beneath low-hanging leaves and branches, it looks out over the dense green foliage of the jungle valley below. There is no small mechanical grinder here, nor tahona. Agave is all cooked in some of the smaller earthen pit ovens I’ve seen in my travels and milled entirely by hand using wooden mallets. The clay pots are strung together with delicate love, and every cracked or broken still is repurposed elsewhere at the palenque.” —Justin Lane Briggs, Spirits Portfolio Manager, Mexico