Del Maguey Vida is the flagship entry-level expression from Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal an artisanal, certified organic Espadin mezcal from the village of San Luis Del Rio in the Sierra Sur mountains of Oaxaca, twice distilled very slowly in small wood-fired copper pot stills, designed to bridge traditional Oaxacan mezcal craftsmanship with the needs of the modern cocktail bar and the curious drinker entering the category for the first time.

Del Maguey was founded by Ron Cooper in 1995 as the first importer to bring single village mezcals to the United States market a concept that did not exist before Cooper identified and began working with individual palenqueros in the remote villages of Oaxaca. Vida was launched in 2010 as the brand’s accessible, higher-availability expression: the same traditional production methods as the rarer village expressions earth pit roasting, horse-drawn tahona or mallet milling, open-air fermentation with ambient microbes, copper pot still distillation at a broader production scale that makes it the natural introduction to Del Maguey’s philosophy and to traditionally made mezcal as a category.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Fruit aromatics, honey, vanilla, and roasted agave with the signature smoke of earth-pit production
• Palate: Ginger, cinnamon, burnt sandalwood, banana, and tangerine versatile and expressive
• Finish: Long and soft with lingering fruit and smoke

Specs

• Producer: Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal, Oaxaca, Mexico
• Village: San Luis Del Rio, Sierra Sur, Oaxaca
• Agave: Espadin (Agave angustifolia)
• Roasting: Earth pit over hot rocks
• Distillation: Twice distilled, small copper pot stills, wood-fired
• Certification: Certified organic
• ABV: 42% (84 Proof)
• Size: 750ml

Browse all mezcal at Wooden Cork.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Del Maguey Vida different from most mezcals?

Del Maguey Vida uses entirely traditional artisanal production methods earth pit roasting, open-air ambient fermentation, and copper pot still distillation without the industrial shortcuts that most mass-market mezcal producers use. It is also certified organic. The result is a mezcal with genuine complexity and terroir character at an accessible price point, rather than the simplified, artificially smoky character of industrially produced mezcal.

Is Del Maguey Vida good for cocktails?

Yes it was designed specifically for cocktail versatility. The soft finish, fruit-forward palate, and accessible smoke profile make it one of the most widely used mezcals in cocktail programs. It substitutes beautifully for tequila in Margaritas, Palomas, and Tommy’s Margarita, and is the backbone of most mezcal cocktail recipes.

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