When it comes to world-class spirits, Mexico makes the best tequilas and mezcals one could ever hope to tipple. But it has rarely been counted among nations that produce quality whiskey–the United States, Ireland, Scotland and Japan chief among them. Abasolo is hoping to change that with a new Ancestral Corn spirit that’s being billed as the first-ever 100% Mexican corn whiskey.
The unique Mexican spirit–which exudes a sweetly satisfying flavor profile of toasted corn, caramel, honey and vanilla–is made through a process called nixtamalization, an ancient cooking technique in which the kernels are soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution (usually limewater), then washed and hulled.
The painstaking method dates back more than 4,000 years and is often used before grain is turned into masa for tortillas. The whiskey is then double-distilled in copper pot stills and aged in toasted oak casks in its namesake town of Jilotepec de Abasolo, Mexico.
Abasolo comes in an eye-catching square bottle that retails for $40. And buying this Mexican corn whiskey also serves as a contribution to a truly worthy cause. Through August 1, Abasolo is donating proceeds from bottle sales to Another Round, Another Rally, an American nonprofit that provides financial relief to bar and restaurant workers who lost their jobs due to the Coronavirus pandemic.