With its distinctively smoky character and hints of sweet agave, it’s no wonder that mezcal has quite a following. We decided the time was right to bring in our own, and went straight to the source: a distillery in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico that performs every step of the processing, from the growing and harvesting of the agave, to the roasting and fermenting, and even the bottling, on-site. When they’re done, they call it Espada Pequeña Mezcal, the newest addition to our spirits section. To understand this Mezcal’s appeal, it helps to know a little how it’s made. First, our distillery partner takes their estate-grown agave and roasts it in conical, underground pits, a process which both releases the agave nectar from the plant and gives it its signature smoky notes (tequila, which is technically a kind of mezcal, has a similar process, but uses above-ground brick ovens for roasting, which results in far less smoke in the finished product). Then, their head mezcalero, a third-generation mezcal distiller, ferments the nectar using traditional methods passed down through the decades. The result is a sublimely smoky Mezcal, slightly sweet, a little green and savory, and with a satisfyingly citric edge. It’s marvelously full-flavored when served straight up, and brings a tantalizingly smoky earthiness when mixed into cocktails.