The spirits world is rarely at rest, from barrel finishes to intensive aging to a flurry of luxury spirits releases by the week (or the day, even). But Paquera Mezcal is challenging even those lofty aims with a unique mezcal that’s distilled with high-end Wagyu beef.
Paquera has already challenged mezcal norms and taken home hardware to prove it, including a Double Gold showing at last year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Its latest release is its most compelling yet though, crafted under the watchful eye of Head Mezcalero Valentin Orozco Lopez. How does Paquera push the envelope with its new ancestral mezcal? Along the way, Paquera uses open-range Tajima Wagyu from Arrington Ranch in Twin Bridges, Montana, wrapping the beef in twine and suspending it in clay pots during the early stages of distillation.
“The Wagyu flavors slowly drip into the clay pot during this mezcal production process, creating an amazing buttery finish,” Paquera Mezcal said. The new Mezcal Ancestral with Wagyu also heralds the arrival of another new expression, a seasonal, artisanal mezcal made with two different types of mangoes from Amatengo Ejutia.
And yet, it’s the “wagyu mezcal” that might prove most intriguing or groundbreaking, with flavor sure to stun even the most ardent lover of smoky, rich mezcal. Of its innovative new release (available today online via Paquera Mezcal), the company said it “harmonizes the spirit of Oaxaca with the opulent and tender grace of Yellowstone Wagyu.”
It’s enough to make one want to clear some extra bar cart space for one (or both) new expressions, and it heralds bigger things to come from Paquera, who noted that its goal is to “help grow deep tradition” in the burgeoning mezcal industry. Both spirits, accordingly, are rather accessible in terms of price: A bottle of Mezcal Ancestral with Wagyu can be found online at Paquera for $230, while Ancestral Mezcal with Mango retails for $109.