Del Maguey Vida Mezcal

Del Maguey Vida is a mezcal from Oaxaca, made from espadín agave and bottled at 42% ABV (84 proof). It is an organic, single-village bottling from San Luis del Rio, introduced in 2010. Del Maguey positions it as the brand's mixing mezcal. It also drinks well on its own, because it was made with traditional methods and not engineered to be neutral. Production is the reason it tastes the way it does. The agave is roasted for three to eight days, then wild-fermented for eight to ten days. It is twice distilled in wood-fired copper stills. Those steps leave a recognizable footprint. Expect a gentle, clean smoke from the roasting, cooked-agave sweetness, and a green, vegetal or peppery edge. Mezcals from espadín usually also carry citrus peel and a mineral note. The smoke tends to be moderate and not heavy, which is part of why Vida suits cocktails. The tequila aging categories don't map directly onto this bottle. Blanco or silver is unaged or rested only briefly. Reposado spends two months to a year in oak, añejo one to three years, and extra añejo more than three. Oak adds vanilla, caramel and spice, and it rounds off the sharper agave edges. Vida is an unaged style. Nothing in the details above points to barrel aging, so what you get is the agave and the smoke, not wood. If you usually reach for blanco tequila, this is the nearest comparison. It has the same brightness and bite, with smoke added. Neat, it is best in a small copita or a caballito, or a rocks glass if you prefer more room for aroma. Serve it at room temperature so the agave and smoke come through, and add a single large cube only if the proof feels hot. Traditionally it is paired with orange slices dusted with sal de gusano, which is a salt blended with chile and ground agave worm. Plain sea salt and orange work too. In cocktails, it is a natural fit for a Margarita, where the smoke sits behind the lime and gives the drink more depth than a blanco tequila would. A Paloma works well with grapefruit soda and a salted rim. For Ranch Water, use mezcal, lime and sparkling mineral water over ice in a tall glass for a drier, smokier version of the usual highball. Swap it into a tequila sour or a Negroni if you want smoke without much extra work.