Destilado de Agave, Cupreata con Zacate Limon, 'Erika Meneses'

• Destilado de Agave produced in Atempa, Guerrero
• Maestra Mezcalera Erika Meneses
• 100% Papalote (A. cupreata) harvested with 2 years capón
• Cooked in a rock-lined conical earthen oven, with Encino amarillo, white oak, and tepehuaje (leadtree); milled using a small mechanical shredder
• Fermented 6 days in white pine (ayacahuite) tanks with spring water
• Distilled twice in traditional copper pot stills
• Rested 1 year 2 months in glass before bottling
• Beyond the obvious powerhouse kick of lemongrass and citrus “pledge” up front, there are deeper ripples of satsuma oranges, salted caramel, Szechuan peppercorn, coriander, fennel seed, and even a bittersweet vegetal note akin to dandelion leaf.
• 117 liters produced
• 50.2% ABV

The young acolyte of the Aguerrido collective, Doña Erika Meneses came to her craft first by marriage, then by years of dedication. After her mediero (sharecropper) and mezcalero husband, Don Melquiades, passed away in 2019, Erika created this release as a tribute to the joy and flavors they’d shared. Made with Agave cupreata harvested after 2 years capón and distilled with zacate limón—lemongrass—this mezcal is bold and beautiful, impossible to ignore, and delightful to pair.

Tasting Notes

The young acolyte of the Aguerrido collective, Doña Erika Meneses came to her craft first by marriage, then by years of dedication. Her husband, Don Melquiades Tlacotempa, was an agave sharecropper (mediero) and a production manager at Sanzekan; Erika and Melquiades worked closely together for 13 years, eventually traveling to Mexico City to represent the brand at trade events. It was here, at one such event, that they encountered a maestro mezcalero who had flavored his mezcal of Agave americana with zacate limón—lemongrass. The couple enjoyed it so much, they brought the idea home to Guerrero, hoping to encourage their friends to produce it using local Agave cupreata. No one took them up on it, and tragically Don Melquiades suffered a stroke and passed away not long after, in late 2019.

In May 2020, Erika determined to make the lemongrass mezcal herself as a tribute to the joy she had shared with her husband. Her first batches were a runaway success, and today she continues to produce this special spirit, using agave harvested after 2 years capón, and with ABVs ranging from as low as 45% to an assertive 63%. She is also developing other expressions of her Guerrero mezcal, and in addition, she helped found Aguerrido and continues to manage all of the brand’s administration and advocacy.

Resources