Quiquiriqui Ensamble 47

Quiquiriqui Ensamble 47 is a blend of three agave mezcals from three different parts of Oaxaca.

An ensamble means the components are distilled separately and then married, and here the three are used in equal measure. Espadin comes from Carlos Méndez in Santiago Matatlán. The wild Cuishe is the work of mezcalera Isabel Rios at El Sitio del Palmar, and the Tepeztate comes from Orlando Altamirano in Zoquitlán. All three follow the same traditional path: agave roasted in underground pits, then crushed, fermented and distilled to the same specification before the master distiller brings the batches together to the house recipe. The blend then rests a fortnight before bottling, which lets the three spirits settle into one another.

Layered and balanced, with roasted agave and earth from the Espadin, green herbal snap from the Cuishe and floral, mineral lift from the Tepeztate. Serve neat at room temperature in a copita, with a little water on the side. It also holds its shape in a Negroni built with mezcal.