mexican imports

Slow Desert Agave Spirit (Mezcal), Collaboration between Dry Point Distillers and Apaluz Distillery, durango, mX

Slow Desert Agave Spirit is made directly from Agave Durangensis, a wild harvested agave plant found in remote areas of the Sierra Nevada mountains of Western Mexico.

Beginning with the actual plant rather than agave syrup like some other Agave Spirits, this Spirit is a true mezcal in every way except that it is bottled in New Mexico rather than in Mexico. Imported in bulk directly from the distillery, we respect the expert Jimadores (harvesters) and the master distillers craft and do not alter the product before bottling.

Each agave plant is selected for harvest by multigenerational Jimadores, carried on the backs of mules out of the mountains, roasted for 3 days over volcanic rock, fermented with local spring water and double distilled in copper pot stills.

This Agave Spirt produced by Apaluz Distillery in Durango, Mexico was hand picked by Dry Point Distillers for its unique flavor and rich history. Hints of cinnamon, pine, cut grass, and smoke linger if sipped in a neat glass, while blending perfectly with citrus in classic agave-based cocktails.

Desert Sotol, collaboration between Dry point Distillers and Vinata Casa Ruales in Aldama, Chihuahua, MX

Sotol is a spirit distilled from the fermentation of one of 5 varieties of the Sotol plant native to the Chihuahuan Desert. Commonly used as a ornamental plant in xeriscaped yards of the southwest today, it has been used by desert peoples for food and fiber for hundreds of years.  Beginning over 800 years ago the sotol plant was fermented into a beer like drink by the Jumano Pueblos, Lipan Apache and Raramuri Indians among others, with the Spanish introducing distillation techniques to the beverage in the 16th century.

Sotol production is carried out today much as it has been for generations past. Each plant is wild harvested after reaching maturity through 10-15 years of growth, the leaves and stem are cut off leaving the pina to be pit roasted, shredded and fermented in open tanks. The sotol plant refuses to be commercially cultivated so each vinata, or sotol distillery, requires a large area to harvest sotol as each plant yields only around 1 bottle of finished spirit. 

For much of the 20th century Sotol was illegal to produce in Mexico, forcing Sotoleros underground and into the deep desert and mountains. Reasons for its ban vary; from the Mexican government’s attempt at outlawing DIY distillation, to the Mafia stifling competition of its own corn whiskey during prohibition, to a general opinion that Sotol was only enjoyed by drunkards,scoundrels and the poor. During this period of illegality, Sotoleros were hunted down and imprisoned or killed and their vinatas were destroyed.  Despite the risk, Sotoleros continued the cultural tradition of producing Sotol, selling and enjoying their distilled spirit while hiding their excess inventory from government officials by burying it in the ground. 

After a long campaign, Sotoleros were able to lift the ban on Sotol production in 1994 and in 2002 Sotol was awarded an Appellation of Origin, designating the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Durango and Coahuila as the official home of Sotol. Now over 120 countries around the world recognize Sotol as a specifically Mexican spirit, however the USA is not one.

Sotol is a very unique spirit. The flavors of each batch tell the story of the area in which it was harvested. Desert harvested sotol offers flavors of earthy soil and vegetal notes while mountain harvested sotol offers flavors of the forest with moss, pine, eucalyptus and menthol. 

Dry Point Distillers is honored to partner with Vinata Casa Ruales in Aldama, Chihuahua, MX to bring you this Desert Sotol. The Sotoleros at Casa Ruales wild harvest Dasylirion Wheeleri and produce Stolo much like their ancestors did for generations. In keeping with the tradition of burying Sotol to protect it from Mexican officials, Casa Ruales preforms an Entierro Sotolero by burying a portion of each years batch in the soil of their vinata, to sit hidden underground until it can be dug up and enjoyed like so many bottles of Sotol had in the past. This desert Sotol was hand selected by Dry Point Distillers for its deep complexity, unique flavors and rich history and we are proud to share it with our community while honoring the complex history of this amazing spirit.