Del Maguey Press

Forbes Life, April 15, 2013

The EYE: Mezcal, Hold the Worm

By Richard Nalley, Forbes Staff

Del Maguey was born in 1995 when artist Ron Cooper raised $120,000 by selling half shares in bottlings from four tiny distilleries he had discovered in the backwaters of Oaxaca. What followed was “18 years of hard work converting one person at a time.” It was also 18 years that sucked in fees from his artwork, proceeds from the sale of his Taos trading post and the reinvestment of any revenue the brand generated– he estimates about $800,000 all in. Thanks to Vida, a new lower priced bottling (about $35 versus $60 plus ) and a modest U.S. mezcal groundswell, “We actually started making money in 2011.” His reaction: Invest in a new “Vino de Mezcal” series of supermicrosize lots from the deep boondocks. Explains Cooper : “That’s how I get to continue my adventure.”

bonappetit.com, February 27, 2013

Excerpt…

Until just a few years ago, the negroni was an insiders’ secret. The classic Italian cocktail–equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth, allegedly invented in 1919 and named for Count Camillo Negroni–was a secret handshake, a sign to bartenders that you knew what you liked, and how to order it.

These days, American bartenders are adding Domain de Canton ginger liqueur or Gran Classico bitter instead of Campari, swapping in mezcal for gin, adding blood-orange juice for a dash of citrusy sweetness. Young has even started bottling versions of the drink at Saxon + Parole, while the head barkeep at another New York bar is barrel-conditioning his twist on the negroni.

Tobala Negroni

Jacques Bezuidenhout, Fifth Floor, San Francisco

1.25 oz. Del Maguey Tobala mezcal

1 oz. Campari

1 oz. Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass or old-fashioned glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

Embibe, March, 2013

Oaxaca Mule

The Esquire Tavern

Food&Wine.com, December 2012

2013 Cocktail Trends

Next Mainstream Spirit: Mezcal

The year 2012 was the year of Negronis, barrel-aged cocktails and gin. But with cocktail culture flourishing in the US, and innovative bartenders coming up with new, spectacular drinks every day, those trends may soon be out of date. To find out what 2013 holds for the world of cocktails, bars and spirits, F&W interviewed bartenders from across the country, who predict a world of restrained and sophisticated low-alcohol cocktails, tequila at brunch and tableside drink service. Here, the top 15 trends in cocktails for the coming year.

—Justine Sterling

“Ron Cooper has really paved the path for other mezcals to hit the US market and wow, there are a lot of amazing ones out there.”

—Jaymee Mandeville; Drago Centro, Los Angeles

“Mezcal is going to make the next leap in people’s consciousness. Look for Santa Catarina Minas’s very rare Arroqueño and Santo Domingo Albarradas made from the espadín variety of maguey (agave).”

—Jackson Cannon; The Hawthorne, Boston

Wine & Spirits, Buying Guide 2013

Los Angeles Times, October 12, 2012

THE INSIDE SCOOP ON FOOD IN LOS ANGELES

My current cocktail obsession: Hometown Hero from Jaleo

My version of Hometown Hero, a cocktail from José Andrés’ Jaleo that includes mezcal, Cocchi Americano vermouth and a grapefruit- and cinnamon-infused simple syrup.

By S. Irene Virbila

When I was in Washington, D.C., recently, I got turned around and took the wrong bus. When I got off, I realized I must be very close to Jaleo, the first restaurant of Spanish chef José Andrés (The Bazaar). It had just been redone and I wanted to check it out. All quiet on a Saturday afternoon. We took two seats at the bar and ordered a glass of Albariño and the cocktail a new friend had enthusiastically recommended: Hometown Hero. I loved the cocktail’s tart sweetness, the almost smoky taste of the mezcal and the bitter herbs of Cocchi Americano vermouth with a high note of cinnamon.

The first time I made this cocktail, I had only tequila in the house. It was good but just didn’t have the requisite kick. I went out and bought a bottle of mescal without having a clue which to buy, choosing something that turned out to be far too strong. So I did what I should have done in the first place: called the bar at Jaleo to find out what they used in Hometown Hero. It’s Vida de San Luis del Rio from Del Maguey. Wally’s has it, as do a number of other places around town. What a difference.

Hometown Hero from José Andrés’ Jaleo

1 1/2 ounces mezcal

1 ounce Cocchi Americano (white vermouth)

1 ounce grapefruit cinnamon syrup (see below)

Lemon or lime juice as needed

To make syrup: Take one grapefruit. Peel with a sharp paring knife or vegetable peeler. Throw the peel into a saucepan. Squeeze the grapefruit juice into a measuring cup. Then add one part sugar, one part water to one part grapefruit juice. (The Oroblanco grapefruit I used yields about 1/2 cup.) Pour everything into the saucepan, add two cinnamon sticks and cook until the sugar dissolves and the liquid boils, then turn off and let cool.

Note: When making the cocktail, adjust the sweetness by adding a little lemon or lime juice.
Serve on the rocks with a garnish of lemon or lime peel.

Beverage Media, September 2012

Mezcal Steps Up: Meet Tequilas Crazy Agave Kin

By Jack Robertiello

Of all the effects wrought on the spirit world by the 21st century cocktail revolution, none was as unpredictable and as fascinating as the emergence of mezcal as a quality ingredient.

Even when tequila shed its rambunctious reputation, its crazy uncle (see sidebar on mezcal facts) could unnerve even the most seasoned drinker with its rustic tang and smoky assault. If tequila was Robert Downey Jr., a bad boy gone good, then mezcal was Charlie Sheen—unrepentant, unregenerate and bad down to the bone.

That was the image, anyway, and it was hard to erase, though a few voices continued to cry out in the wilderness. One man in particular, Ron Cooper of Del Maguey, persisted, developing great respect for the varieties of single-village mezcals he’s brought here since 1995.

Bars and restaurants featuring Mexican spirits have done their part, and cocktail bars as well, notably led by NYC’s Mayhuel, where barman Phil Ward’s Oaxacan Old-Fashioned caught attention and has been frequently copied. Restaurateur José Andrés celebrated the spirit at his annual Mexican festival in March at Las Vegas’s China Poblano; the celebration included the Oaxacan Swizzle (Del Maguey Vida, ruby port, fresh pressed apples, lime, ginger and housemade orange bitters).

Rick Bayless & Frontera News Tweet, June 15, 2012
Aspen Food & Wine Classic

Tweeted from chef José Andrés event, “Casa José Spanish Barbecue”.

Wine & Spirits, June 2012