PUNCH: The Best Blanco Tequilas Under $50

After tasting more than 20 expressions, here are five complex, affordable and additive-free bottles for sipping and mixing.

“Can you recommend a good tequila?” This is a simple question that just about anyone who has an interest in agave spirits likely gets asked by friends, colleagues and family members. But when it comes to modern tequila, it demands a follow-up question: Good how?

Nearly eight years ago, when we first compiled a list of blanco tequilas to taste, it was a month after George Clooney’s Casamigos brand became a unicorn, selling to Diageo for a whopping $1 billion. It seemed like the peak before an inevitable downturn of celebrity-backed tequila. Surely the market could bear only so many; surely this was an aberration. But each time we’ve gathered since, another handful of well-publicized celebrity tequilas have entered the market. Each new high-profile release has made that follow-up question—Good how?—as much a mainstream concern as an industry one. It’s no longer a question of transparency around who is actually making the spirit, but also How?, and Who actually benefits?

Luckily, there are not only more celebrity tequila brands on the market, but there’s also a greater selection of tequilas from artisanal brands who have made great farming, fair labor practices and the preservation of traditional methods their mission. What actually ends up in a bottle of tequila has also become more of a consumer concern than ever. (Spoiler: 70 percent of all tequila contains undisclosed additives, often used to alter flavor or mouthfeel.) The words “additive-free” are now increasingly common on labels from producers who proudly eschew these practices. So, yes, for every great bottle of blanco tequila, there are probably a dozen not-so-great ones, but there is still so much to love about this category, and at an affordable price point.

In searching for best-in-class blanco tequilas, we focused on value and bottlings that were singular without breaking from the qualities that have come to define what we love about the category: salinity, minerality, grassiness, earthiness and, above all, purity. For the tasting, Punch editors convened to taste 21 tequilas priced at $50 or less. As in previous tastings, at best the field showed the incredible range that blue Weber agave can express; at worst, there was unevenness in terms of quality, most often manifesting in spirits that were muted, or perhaps delivered on aromatics but struggled to have the kind of textural complexity and completeness of our top picks. But let’s focus on the positives, shall we? 

Without further ado, here are our favorite affordable tequilas for sipping and mixing.

Editor’s note: Because prices vary by market, certain bottles listed below may retail for slightly above $50.

Mi Casa Blanco Tequila

In 2000, Mi Casa, a family-owned operation, set out to be the best agave producers in the world, with no intention of making their own tequila. Five years later, they decided they’d rather control the process from start to finish, and another six years after that, Mi Casa tequila hit U.S. shores. Produced from naturally sugar-rich agave (with 32 percent Brix, compared to the industry standard of 26 to 28 percent) grown in the highlands of Michoacán at 6,500 feet, the resulting blanco tequila, which is rested in stainless steel, found favor with the tasters for its soft, clean and subtle earthiness, with no hint of the artificiality that plagues so many tequilas at this price point. While it can be found for under $50, this bottle does creep up by a few dollars depending on the retailer.

• PRICE: $49 (750 milliliters)

• ABV: 45.5%

Gran Agave Blanco Tequila

Gran Agave also hails from the highlands of Jalisco, and like Tequila Ocho, it’s produced using traditional methods: Hand-harvested blue Weber agave piñas are slow-roasted in brick ovens, fermented with wild yeast and distilled in copper pot stills. Destilería Santa Lucía, where Gran Agave (among other tequilas, including Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand) is made, is a family-owned operation that dates back to the 1940s, with a focus on heritage production. The resulting tequila is a rich, almost milky expression that manages to be both zippy and restrained, with a pleasant temple spice–like note on the nose. At less than $40 per liter, it’s one of the best values on the market.

• PRICE:  $37 (1 liter)

• ABV:  40%

Azul Force Blanco Tequila

This tequila is crafted at Agaves Selectos Corona in the town of Tonaya, Jalisco, a region known for its tequila heritage. What sets it apart is the blend of traditional practices, such as natural fermentation and using estate-grown blue Weber agave, with modern equipment. The agave is cooked in a 40-ton autoclave before resting with the autoclave door open for 24 hours to stabilize the sugars. Fermentation is entirely natural, relying on ambient wild yeast and lasting between three and seven days before the mixture is distilled in a column still. The result is a spirit that balances clean, high-efficiency distillation with rich, terroir-driven character. The tasting panel found this to be mellow, with layers of complexity that feel exceptionally integrated. A tannic finish makes you want another sip. This bottling is not yet on store shelves, but the importer, PM Spirits, expects it will be within the month; it’s worth seeking out as one of the better values on the market.

• PRICE:  $32 (1 liter)

• ABV:  40%

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Vinepair: The 30 Best Rums for 2024

As much as any other spirit, it’s safe to say there’s a style of rum for everyone. Nations across the globe have made it for centuries, with regions and producers offering different interpretations via distinct base ingredients — fresh cane juice, cane syrup, and molasses — as well as varied fermentation and distillation techniques.

Expressions arrive unaged and uncut; matured but with color later stripped away; or following decades in casks old and new. Some bottles are specifically produced for cocktails; others, owing to the price tags that accompany them, demand to be sipped, whether neat, on the rocks, or proofed down to the drinker’s preference. Then there are flavored or spiced releases, which accounted for over 50 percent of the rum sold in the U.S. in 2023.

With all due respect to the fictitious sailors that typically adorn such bottles, we did not consider flavored selections for our annual roundup of the best rums to drink right now. But we did dive deep into the diverse range of examples listed prior, tasting more than 120 bottles from over 20 nations across the globe.

Those samples were sent to VinePair (free of charge) by producers, importers, distributors, and PR firms. We tasted each one non-blind because we recognize that price plays one of the most important roles when you’re shopping at the liquor store or online, and should therefore be considered when evaluating a product.

The final list does not represent the 30 highest-scoring rums from the tasting, and instead aims to showcase the best offerings at every price point and across every interpretation of the category. We’re confident that the final selection offers a solid option for every occasion, budget, and palate. After all, there’s a style of rum for everyone.

The Best Rums Under $50

Transcontinental Rum Line High Seas

As the saying goes, “what one rum can’t do, three rums can.” Sure, you can craft your own blends, but why bother when the fine folks behind Transcontinental Rum have done it for you with this excellent mix of Panamanian, Jamaican, and Martinique distillates? Expressive and brimming with character, its savory, vegetal, slightly sweet profile offers a solid foundation for world-class cocktails.

The Best Rums Under $100

The Spirit of Haiti Clairin Vaval

Bottled at a precise 53.5 percent ABV, this Clairin is produced by Distillerie Arawaks, owned and operated by Fritz Vaval, whose family has been in the farm distillery business for close to 80 years. Fermented using ambient yeasts and distilled on a proprietary still, the nose of this spirit juxtaposes papaya and mango with salty umami aromas. The palate commits to more fruity and vegetal notes, with an enjoyably abrasive finish that speaks to the hands-on, traditional practices that led to its creation.

Privateer True American Bottled In Bond Rum

Magical things are happening in the rum realm up in Massachusetts, specifically at the premises of Ipswich-based Privateer Rum. Fusing American traditions with Caribbean-style spirits, this molasses-based bottled-in-bond release might seem initially shy on the nose, but that’s only a reflection of its refined, nuanced character. Where aromas of molasses, mocha, and caramel arrive softly, they explode on the palate, landing with a rich, borderline syrupy mouthfeel. Ideal for bourbon drinkers, this is a bona fide sipper.

Papalin 7 Years Old

A blend of two Jamaican pot still rums, this release features spirits distilled and aged at Worthy Park and Hampden Estate. The nose reveals classic Jamaican funk alongside hints of underripe stone fruit and grassy notes. The palate shifts to savory, umami character, with a Band-Aid note emerging on the finish that evokes a touch of peated Scotch. A complex rum that makes for a great sipping experience with or without ice, at 46 percent ABV, most drinkers won’t find the switch in temperature and dilution necessary, but it certainly isn’t unwelcome on a warm summer’s day.

Beenleigh Artisan Distillers 2013 Single Blended Rum

Beenleigh, Australia’s oldest operating distillery, was founded in 1884 in the sugar cane-rich northeastern state of Queensland. Those 140 or so years of experience have translated to a fruity and energetic spirit here, with oak and vanilla aromas raising the curtain, followed by more pronounced notes of tropical fruit and melon. At 10 years old, the palate is similarly lively, with ginger syrup and pomegranate molasses leading the charge. This is an elegant but easygoing sipper.

Hampden Estate HLCF Classic

A flagship expression from one of Jamaica’s most renowned producers, HLCF is shorthand for “Hampden Light Continental Flavoured.” Production features ambient yeasts, extended fermentation periods, 100 percent pot still distillation, and four years aging in tropical climates, which the brand notes is “equivalent” to 11 years in Europe. What does that translate to? Plenty of funk on the nose with added aromas of papaya, tart/savory tropical fruits, and molasses. A classically Jamaican profile on the palate, this rum certainly sips above its modest age statement.

The Best Rums Over $100

Isautier Traditional Rum 16 Year

Another stellar inclusion from the small island of Réunion, this rum was put into barrel in May 2006 and bottled in September 2022. Its producer, seven-generation family-run Maison Isautier, unusually makes both cane-juice- and molasses-based rums. This release falls into the latter camp, arriving at 57 percent ABV — not that you’d guess that from the nose or palate, though. Instead, aromas of dried stone fruits, vanilla, and used oak shine through, while the flavor profile leans mineral-rich, with accents of roasted coffee, dried licorice, and Dmerara syrup.

La Maison & Velier Flag Series 24 Year Old Guyana Rum 1998

La Maison & Velier’s “Flag Series” aims to showcase remarkable bottles from regions where extended aging periods are an option. Guyana rum aged for almost a quarter-century definitely fits that bill, and in this case, the lengthy maturation was only possible because the initially bourbon-barrel-aged spirit was transferred at 2 years old from its tropical home to Europe, where it was then transferred to Port casks. The profile of the final spirit is understandably dense and concentrated and we found that it benefitted from a few minutes to fully open up. At which point, a stunning array of tropical fruit (particularly pineapple husk), oaky sweetness (vanilla), and red berry compote emerge. The palate follows with cacao, salted caramel, and zesty citrus notes, as if to remind us that this fine sipping rum is still remarkably full of life and energy.

Vinepair: The 15 Best Mezcals for 2024

Mezcal enthusiasts, of which there is a growing, occasionally dogmatic rank in the U.S., can reasonably argue that theirs is the ultimate spirit. Mezcal’s mid-aughts adoption in cocktail culture helped breathe new life into familiar cocktails via simple riffs, and gifted drinkers with more than a handful of beloved modern classics.

While those drinks rely on larger brands placed for that very use (like Del Maguey in the Naked & Famous), the category is overwhelmingly made up of small to tiny-scale producers. These artisans employ hands-on, traditional techniques, harnessing the diversity of seemingly endless species of agave to provide stunningly complex sipping spirits.

With much to geek out on, VinePair’s guide to the different types of mezcal, and the different varieties used in production, offers a comprehensive primer. But we’re here to explore brands, expressions, and the best bottles available right now on the U.S. market.

To compile this list, we tasted more than 60 samples submitted to VinePair (gratis) by producers, importers, distributors, and PR firms working on their behalf. Each was tasted non-blind, allowing us to factor price into our conclusion, and ultimately determine whether the bottle was worthy of inclusion on this list — the aim of which is not just to highlight the crème de la crème, but the best offerings across a wide range of price points.

NETA Tequilana Capón

NETA, Tequilana Capón – Wilfrido García Sánchez

Prior to the pandemic, the Tequilana agave (Blue Weber) grown by producer Wilfrido García Sánchez’s uncle Lalo made its way to Jalisco, where it was used to make unidentified tequilas. When those commercial relationships broke down because of shutdowns, Wilfrido and brother Ramón started crafting their uncle’s agave into fine, small-batch sipping spirits. One such example, this is a beautifully expressive release that begins citrusy, fruity, and mineral-rich, with an almost ghee-like quality lingering beneath. The palate is similarly bright and intense, with a finish that lasts an age.

Average price: $190
Rating: 96

Cinco Sentidos Cuishe

Cinco Sentidos, Cuishe – TÍO TELLO & EDUARDO “LALO” PEREZ CORTÉS

Technically sold as an uncertified agave spirit, this mezcal is produced from wild-harvested Cuishe that’s roasted with mesquite firewood and hand-chopped and mashed prior to fermentation. Its profile is lithe and clean, serving bountiful helpings of pineapple, jalapeño, and mineral notes. Smoke is an afterthought, and one that adds just a touch of savory character to the palate and finish, elevating the sipping experience to the next level.

Average price: $125
Rating: 94

Vinepair: Puntas — a High-ABV, Hyper-Traditional Style of Mezcal — Is Going Commercial

It was at the end of a tasting at Eli’s Mezcal Room, an underground mezcal tasting experience located in a local man’s New York apartment, when host “Eli” (not his real name) pulled out one final bottle he thought might interest me: an unlabeled plastic water bottle he had suitcased back from Mexico. It was extraordinarily aromatic and I could smell its vegetal, medicinal notes the second the Poland Spring’s lid was unscrewed. It likewise had a rich, intense, burning flavor — no surprise as it was nearly 70 percent ABV.

When alcohol comes off a still, the distiller cuts it into three parts, each descending in alcohol content, and generally referred to as the heads, the heart, and the tails. The most toxic elements, like methanol, are concentrated in the heads and tails, meaning many distillers across all spirits categories only bottle the hearts to be safe.

But this special mezcal Eli had served me was actually composed of all heads, which, besides methanol, also possess some incredibly aromatic, flavorful compounds like propanol, ethyl lactate, acetic acid, and furfural.

Though formerly the (strictly non-exported) handiwork of hyper-traditional mezcal, of late, puntas offerings are becoming increasingly commercialized and the category has even infiltrated the tequila world.

Puntas on the Palenque

Until recently, most Americans who would have tried puntas (the Spanish word for points, a synonym for heads) probably did so in a similar way to what I did. There aren’t really any commercial examples of it and, quite frankly, bottlings like the one I tasted might not even be legally allowed to be sold in this country for a variety of reasons.

“It’s definitely much more common to find it at the palenque (mezcal distillery),” says Noah Arenstein, who runs the mezcal program at The Cabinet in New York’s East Village. “Because either it’s being used to blend back into the final mezcal and adjust the ABV and flavor … or they’re saving it to drink for themselves.”

If The Cabinet has one of the world’s largest mezcal collections, the bar only has a few commercial examples of puntas. Indeed, Mezcal Reviews, an online database with over 1,800 mezcals listed, has only cataloged 11 puntas bottlings over the years.

La Venenosa, raicilla Puntas

La Venenosa Racilla Puntas is the first example Arenstein recalls seeing on shelves, circa 2016. (While also agave-based, raicilla is not the same as mezcal or tequila.) Cinco Sentidos shipped its first batch of Puntas de Espadín to the U.S. market in 2021. Two years earlier, Mal Bien had started offering Madrecuixe Puntas, which the producer called “the platonic ideal that we imagine spirits to be. Agave, boiled down to its very essence, the plant stripped of everything but its soul.”

“This was always something we would produce at the distillery, ever since we started producing in 2007.”

Cinco Sentidos espadín Puntas

Arenstein finds all the puntas releases have a unique, specific taste. “You get almost a hand sanitizer note,” he says. “You put it on your hand and it evaporates like, you know, a hand sanitizer without lotion would. It has a lightness and kind of effervescence to it.”

If that doesn’t sound too appealing, there’s the somewhat taboo aspect of drinking puntas to consider. Haven’t we long been told that heads are solvent-y in taste and dangerous to drink — not only high in ABV but high in methanol content. And can’t that make you go blind?!

“If I’m pouring puntas for someone I will sometimes preface it with that,” Arenstein says. While a well-cut puntas is certainly safe to drink in small portions, Arenstein admits he has definitely encountered mezcaleros (distillers) with a cloudy-eyed look that has made him wonder, if not concerned.

The Distiller’s Cut

Admittedly, any concerns Arenstein has are not enough to stop him from drinking delicious examples of the style as more and more expressions hit the market. And it’s not just mezcal (and raicilla) producers now sending puntas expressions stateside.

“I think distillation can get really complicated and geeky to the average person,” Estes says, “so we wanted to help people understand what makes this different and unique and special.”

The first release, produced from agave from the La Ladera estate, and distilled at La Alteña, which has been the Camarena family’s distillery since 1937, was cut at 64 percent ABV, though diluted with water to 101 proof. (While a traditional mezcal puntas would never be diluted, tequila can’t legally be bottled in America at higher than 110 proof or 55 percent ABV.)

It quickly became a cult hit, well reviewed on sites like Tequila Matchmaker where it currently scores a crowd-sourced average of 90 among the site’s community. It was also most mainstream tequila drinkers’ first introduction to the old mezcal term puntas. (In Jalisco, distillers use the more literal translation for heads: cabezas.)

“There’s bad borrowing that’s happening from the mezcal world and there’s some good borrowing. And in a way this feels like a good borrowing,” Arenstein says, referring to Ocho’s use of the term. (Estes is quick to note that Camarena’s great-grandfather was making what was known as “vino de mezcal” well before tequila was even a term or category.)

Vinepair: We Asked 12 Bartenders: Which Cognac Offers the Best Bang For Your Buck?

There’s a longstanding visual that’s often associated with drinking Cognac. It involves an old, rich white guy in a smoking jacket sitting by a roaring fireplace, slowly and joylessly swirling the liquid in the broad-based snifter in his palm. Despite the category’s efforts to distance itself from this stuffy stereotype, it persists. This assumption does more than convey pretentiousness — it implies that Cognac is the forbidden fruit of the spirits world, unattainable unless you have deep pockets.

This is untrue: Cognac is for everyone, and for every budget. There are plenty of cost-effective Cognac options to enjoy with friends in your living room, either on its own or in a Sazerac or a Sidecar — you can even swap it in for the gin in a French 75 if you’re feeling saucy. Here, we asked a dozen bartenders to share their thoughts on the Cognacs that punch above their price tags — and punch a hole through its perceived stodginess.

The best bang-for-buck Cognacs, according to bartenders:

• Hennessy VS

• Frapin 1270

• Ansac VS

• Monnet Cognac VS

• Pierre Ferrand 1840

• Martell VSOP

• Remy Martin VSOP

• Remy Martin 1738 Accord Royal

• Cognac Park “Carte Blanche”

“I’d never been a fan of Cognac until one of my trusted liquor reps insisted I try Cognac Frapin 1270. It was life-changing; I immediately fell in love with it. The delicate yet well-rounded flavors of vanilla, dried fruits, and nuts have such a smooth finish. It makes it almost impossible for me to not want to enjoy a nice cigar and conversation while sipping it slowly to savor every taste.” —Ravin Buzzell, general manager & bar director, Argyle Restaurant, Ponte Verda Beach, Fla.

Vinepair: The 7 Best Mezcals to Gift This Holiday (2023)

Mezcal has been riding shotgun with tequila on its soaring stateside rise, and new expressions are debuting on the U.S. market left and right. But unlike tequila, which can only be produced in Jalisco using Blue Weber agave, mezcal can be distilled in nine different Mexican municipalities with roughly 40 different strains of the agave plant, making it a diverse and terroir-driven spirit. And although mezcal is rarely aged, it’s a spirit built on patience: It requires an involved, multi-day cooking process during which agave hearts are crushed and roasted in underground pits prior to fermentation. Even the agave itself can take up to 25 years to mature, making the mezcal it produces a treat that should be savored in good company.

To help you decide which one to purchase for the agave enthusiast in your life, we’ve put together this list of the best mezcals to gift this holiday season. Check out our list below for recommendations ranging from affordable, entry-level Espadín mezcals all the way to small-batch expressions from the nooks and crannies of the Oaxacan mountains.

Best Mezcal for Geeks

Ixcateco Papalome

If you already have a few Espadín mezcals on your back bar, take this chance to explore the rare Papalomé (meaning “butterfly” in Nahuatl) variety. It’s a wild-harvested agave and often compared to Tobalá, which is smaller and more compact than most varieties. This particular expression is made with traditional, rustic production methods, including fermentation in rawhide and distillation in clay pots that lend themselves to a funky, intriguing palate. Wafts of leather and earthy minerality are prominent on the nose, followed by a sweet-and-savory palate starring fire-roasted corn.

Best Limited-Edition Mezcal

NETA Tequilana Ramón and Wilfrido García Sánchez

We’re unabashed fans of NETA here at VinePair, and you’ll see why if you get your hands on this home-run release. This one is made from Tequilana (a.k.a. Blue Weber agave), the agave used in tequila production. Produced in Oaxaca by the talented mezcaleros and brothers Ramón and Wilfrido García Sánchez, this rare expression dishes up a plume of tropical fruit, minerality, celery, and peppers. On the palate, the fruit character shines even brighter with a hint of diesel-like funk on the finish. Only a little over 400 bottles of this spirit were produced, but it’s worth the hunt, and should definitely be savored over time. Drink this one on its own or with a side of birria tacos, and you’re in for a treat.

Vinepair: Boutique Cognac Producers Are Betting on Transparency and Innovation to Shake Up the Status Quo

There’s no dichotomy in spirits like Cognac. With a history dating back hundreds of years, the famed French brandy is led by gigantic legacy brands owned by multinational conglomerates. These companies source most of their eau-de-vie from thousands of growers within the Cognac AOC, maturing and eventually blending it into a portfolio of products that start with entry-level V.S. and often extend to limited-edition Hors d’Age (“beyond age”) offerings that can run thousands of dollars a bottle.

Almost all discussion of the category is driven by these leading houses, which tightly control the information they share and work closely with Cognac’s trade group, the BNIC (Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac). Yet they’re curiously reticent about speaking to the press; of four major brands that were approached for this story, only one, Courvoisier, was willing to make someone available for an interview. Nicolas Palazzi, owner of PM Spirits, which imports boutique brand Frapin Cognac among others, calls the industry a “black box” of secrecy.

“There has been a lack of information and a lack of transparency from Cognac in general because it’s easier for business,” he says, explaining that baked-in ambiguity — part of the regulations governing Cognac production — allows blenders to incorporate a variety of liquids into their products without disclosing their ages, or if they use additives. “The less things are transparent, the more a brand can play around to meet the demand. There’s a reason why there’s no vintages on bottles—why no one tells you [the age].”

Though they dominate sales, the big houses aren’t the only players in Cognac. There are also estate distilleries, small-scale négoçiants (independent bottlers), and growers who hold back some of their distillate to sell under their own name. The volumes they produce are but a drop in the barrel, and many operate under the same veil of silence as the rest of the industry — no doubt because they rely on the success of the leaders to buoy the region’s fortunes as well as their own.

But the little guys are becoming an increasingly important factor in the equation of U.S. market sales. The spirits boom of the last two decades has yielded a crop of knowledgeable consumers who are curious, engaged, and on the lookout for unique products. They’re asking questions, demanding transparency, and searching for what’s authentic. Is the Cognac industry prepared to give them what they want?

The New Cognac Consumer

Cognac has been on a tear in the U.S. market over the past two decades, selling 9.28 million cases in 2022, compared to 4.15 million in 2012, and just 3.7 million in 2002, according to the BNIC. The bulk of that growth has come from a handful of brands: Hennessy, Rémy Martin, Courvoisier, Martell, and, more recently, D’Ussé. Luxury positioning, sophisticated marketing, and celebrity affiliations have contributed to this runaway success, as has the sheer volume that these big companies are able to execute as demand ramps up.

Alongside this growth has been an expanding base of engaged, curious consumers. “Knowledge [about Cognac] is much more democratized, distributed — all over the internet,” says Max von Olfers, co-founder of cognac-expert.com, an e-commerce site dedicated to brandy. When he and his sister, Sophie, started the website in 2009, “the big trend was what we would call ‘influencer Cognac’”—brands with celebrity partnerships, like Ludacris with Conjure Cognac or Jay-Z with D’Ussé. “Today’s trends were very far away — not even visible,” Olfers says, mentioning vintages, high proof, organic production methods, and single barrels as some of the buzziest topics his customers are now seeking out and discussing. “This connoisseur-ization of the Cognac world is really what changed in recent years.”

The trend was already underway when the pandemic began in March 2020. For the first few months, spirits purchase patterns tended to favor more established brands as people sought familiarity. But eventually consumers adjusted to virtual tastings and online shopping, and were back to exploring new-to-them brands and products. “Consumers were way more open-minded to spending money on new items in 2020 and 2021, and we definitely benefited from that,” says Guillaume Lamy, managing director for the U.S. arm of Ferrand Cognac, a brand whose releases, which include unique cask finishes and other atypical characteristics, tend to showcase an outsize level of creativity for the category.

During the early days of the pandemic, when people were reluctant to shop in person, retailers like Baytowne Wine & Spirits, in the Rochester suburb of Webster, N.Y., turned to the phone and social media to walk customers through their options. General manager James Pellingra says that the “new normal” allowed him and his staff to highlight the boutique and artisanal offerings the store stocks. “Because we were able to communicate in such a detailed way … you see some of the smaller producers that are extremely historic in the European market start to take over a little bit in the American market,” Pellingra says, citing Fanny Fougerat and Jacky Navarre as two top sellers.

The process was accelerated when Hennessy, which is far and away the largest Cognac brand in the world, fell victim to supply chain trouble and began to temporarily disappear from shelves. Pellingra says that at first Hennessy customers switched to D’Ussé; then, when D’Ussé began experiencing out-of-stocks, they looked to the store’s artisanal offerings.

It was a lucky break for the little guys. “We were able to fill the shelves of some retailers who were used to having the big four or five Cognacs but were not able to get them,” says Christine Cooney, co-owner of Massachusetts-based Heavenly Spirits, which brings in several small Cognac brands including Monnet and Jean Fillioux. “Sometimes the hardest part of us selling smaller producers is to get on the shelf.”

And now that they’re there, Cooney says, her brands are selling well enough to maintain their spot. “They usually stay on the shelf because once people discover how good our small producers are, then the product is being reordered.”

The Push for Transparency

The reasons for this sustained success aren’t hard to spot. Boutique Cognac brands are high quality and, for marques above VSOP, they’re often priced competitively, if not well below mainstream offerings. Plus, they’re willing to share information that the big guys tend to keep under wraps. “I’ve found the littler producers are more open to talking about process,” says David Othenin-Girard, spirits buyer at California retailer K&L Wine Merchants, whose Cognac selection focuses on small-production brands such as Dudognon and Jean Grosperrin. The small brands that Cooney represents often participate in video tastings; education, she says, is a keystone of the company’s strategy.

Though most people drinking Cognac are still seeking the mainstream brands, Baytowne’s Pellingra says that the value proposition of smaller producers is a big draw for retailers. Plus, he adds, “They’re more transparent about where their fruit comes from, the process in which they’re distilling, how they’re aging, rather than some of the bigger brands where everything is kept secret.” That’s a big win with customers. “We want to know where our product comes from, how it’s made, and how it gets to us,” Pellingra says.

Much of that desire for transparency is being driven by whiskey drinkers who are exploring Cognac for the first time, and bringing their expectations and biases with them. Olfers, while including rum drinkers as well, calls them a “new wave,” adding: “This group is a small but very loud group. They are mixing up the Cognac world.” He sees their influence in the growing cadre of private bottlers offering unique barrels and bottlings.

“The story has gotten out: The big houses source from hundreds of growers and producers,” says writer Jason Wilson, who covers Cognac regularly in his newsletter “Everyday Drinking.” “But you’re starting to hear this story that the smaller producers keep a few of the very best barrels for themselves over the years, and now you have these smaller négoçiants that are going out and sourcing barrels from these old-timers,” he says. “That’s what the real spirits enthusiasts want.”

Pellingra’s experience at Baytowne bears this out; customers snap up whatever single-barrel brandies he can bring in — not just Cognac, but Armagnac and Calvados, too. “The American market has finally realized they can buy 20-plus-year-old brandy for a much more reasonable price than 20-plus-year-old whiskey,” Pellingra says. “And it’s much more readily available. … If you go in looking for a bottle of bourbon [at that age] — I mean, most places are going to laugh you out of the store at this point, unfortunately.”

Cooney has seen the same trend in Heavenly Spirits’ portfolio. “We have sold a few Cognac [single] casks at full-proof,” she says. “That kind of Cognac is a draw for whiskey drinkers” because of the high proof — unusual for Cognac, which is almost always bottled at or near 40 percent ABV. For these customers, Cooney says, “the higher, the better.”

Untapped Potential

Let’s be very clear: Small Cognac brands are never going to make up more than a tiny fraction of the massive, and massively successful, Cognac industry. The top five brands make up more than 96 percent of the market, according to Impact Databank, with Hennessy alone accounting for more than 55 percent. These volume leaders may not notice or care that a niche subset of spirits buyers are pursuing boutique offerings, since their success has historically been driven by a different kind of drinker — one who’s often brand-loyal above all else. Still, there are signs that some big brands are trying to reach more hardcore spirits enthusiasts. Courvoisier, for example, released a mizunara cask-aged offering in 2022 that was partly made by Japanese master whisky blender Shinji Fukuyo, clearly targeting whiskey connoisseurs.

But outside of the leading five houses, Cognac producers looking to make a mark in the U.S. would be wise to pay attention to what consumers say they want. “The potential of the category for producers and drinkers has not even begun to be scratched,” says Nima Ansari, spirits buyer at New York’s Astor Wine & Spirits. “A lot of the things that are exciting people in other categories already exist in spades in Cognac, too.”

If they’re going to make a go of it, boutique producers should be prepared to work hard. “The small guy has to do it hardcore,” Palazzi says, meaning: find the right importer and wholesaler partners, put in the time and effort to do consumer and trade tastings, and tell the story constantly. “That stuff is extremely hard. It’s a labor of love. There’s zero money in it.”

But, he says, “if they find a megaphone in the U.S. market, then they can express this and distance themselves from the big guys.” For small Cognac producers trading on their authenticity and transparency, that just might be the best way forward.

The Agave Social Club: PM Spirits and Nicolas Palazzi

I speak with PM Spirits founder Nicolas Palazzi about his journey into bringing incredible spirits to the market. We discuss and taste their super small batch PM Spirits Tequila Blanco as well as talk about some of the other brands they are working with. To learn more about PM Spirits, you can go to https://www.pmspirits.com

Vinepair: The 30 Best Rum Brands (2023)

Despite its eternal status as the “next big thing” in drinks, rum sales still lag behind multiple other spirits in the U.S., including whiskey, vodka, tequila, and Cognac. Still, there are signs that perceptions of rum are definitively shifting.

Of the almost $2.5 billion U.S. drinkers spent on rum in 2021 — the most recent data available — $229 million went toward “super premium” bottles, the most expensive price segment. Though still a fraction of total sales, this figure is more than 10 times greater than the amount spent on top- shelf rum 15 years ago, proving that folks aren’t only reaching for rum to mix Mojitos and Piña Coladas.

Impressive though that growth is, numbers and spreadsheets do little to capture the depth of the category. With rum brands operating in multiple continents, using two starkly different base ingredients — molasses and fresh cane juice — the main consideration when buying rum is not how much to spend but how you’re looking to enjoy the spirit. The category’s vast range of styles and ever-improving quality ensures that, whether it’s cocktail hour or time for a nightcap, there’s a bottle for every occasion and price point.

This list captures every aspect of that impressive landscape, from single-varietal agricole to transcontinentally aged and blended bottlings. Here are 30 of the best rums to buy right now.

Alambique Serrano Single Blend #1

Alambique Serrano Single Blend #1

Another stunning Oaxacan cane rum, this blend combines Cognac-cask-aged column still distillate with French-oak-aged pot still rum. The duo comes together in perfect harmony, serving up a captivating mix of fruit and umami notes on the nose. The palate then takes a pretty abrupt, but no-less enjoyable, turn, heading in a green, vegetal, earthy direction. This bottle provides further proof that Oaxaca is a serious player in the rum landscape.

The Great Mezcal Heist

For centuries, Indigenous Mexicans have been distilling agave as mezcal, but strict modern certification requirements are pushing more and more ancestral producers to ditch the term to preserve their culture  

by Emma Janzen Feb 15, 2022, 9:00am EST
Photography by Juan de Dios Garza Vela

In the small Oaxacan village of Santa María Ixcatlán, Amando Alvarado Álvarez makes mezcal by channeling the secrets of seven generations of family members that came before him.

Situated on a hilly natural reserve in the northern part of the Cañada region, just three and a half hours northwest of Oaxaca City, Ixcatlán has a population of fewer than 600 people, who call themselves Xuani or Xula in their native language. The village maintains two deep-rooted customs: palm weaving and distilling mezcal (which they call ixcateco) from the hearts of papalome and espadilla agaves. Both traditions serve as a means of keeping Ixcatlán’s cultural heartbeat alive while generating income for the village. Sometimes the two practices intertwine. “Mezcal from Ixcatlán always has a bit of the flavor of the palm,” Alvarado Álvarez explains, because the papery, fan-like fronds are used as a tool during multiple stages of the mezcal-making process.

Underneath the palm-thatched roof of his family palenque, or distillery, which dates back to the early 1900s but was relocated by his grandparents to its current location in 1992, 30-year-old Alvarado Álvarez creates spirits the same way the Xuani people have for centuries. He learned from his father, who learned from his father: harvest the papalome agaves during the dry season when the plants have the right sugar content; shave the spiky leaves off, then cook the hearts of the plant (piña) for several days in an earthen pit over smoldering coals; chop the cooked agave with a machete and then pound it into a pulp with a hand-carved wooden mallet; ferment in bull leather, twisted over a quartet of posts so it cradles the agave fibers and water as they transform into alcohol; then distill twice in fragile clay pot stills that sit over an open flame.

Diversity in agave species, distilling technique, and terroir lead to each mezcal’s unique fingerprint.

Alvarado Álvarez sells his mezcal mostly to members of his community, and his label Ixcateco made its stateside debut earlier this year. (He also previously sent small one-off batches to brands like Cinco Sentidos and Balancan to distribute under their own labels). His process generates only about 1,200 liters every year, a drop in the bucket compared with what some of the larger brands churn out. The orchestration demands around-the-clock care, arduous physical labor, and a reliance on intuition and muscle memory instead of hi-tech machinery — think of it as the Slow Food of the spirits world. But when you’ve been making mezcal the way your father has since you were 15, the methodologies come as second nature. And as a result, Alvarado Álvarez creates mezcal that tastes singular to his family’s style — profoundly savory, with hints of bitter cacao and sweet wet clay.

Many other mezcaleros take a similar path to making agave spirits in Mexico, tapping into veins of heirloom knowledge to create unique expressions that communicate everything from the flavor of the agave varieties that grow in the area, to the materials used to ferment and distill, to the sentiments and quirks of the spirit’s makers. This is one of the reasons Oaxacan mezcal from the village of Ejutla tastes different from one made to the northeast, in San Cristóbal Lachirioag, or to the southwest, in Sola de Vega, for example. And why mezcal from Oaxaca will bear a different personality from mezcal made in the state of Puebla. This diversity is part of what makes the mezcal category an endless wellspring of distinctive and beautiful discoveries.

Yet in many cases, according to Mexican law, these producers cannot always legally sell their distillates using the name “mezcal.” To call it mezcal, distilleries are required to meet specific criteria that the Mexican government established in 1994 as part of the official denominación de origen (DO) for the spirit — that is, a protected geographical status with requirements that dictate virtually every element of where and how it is made. Any liquid that does not meet these standards is often packaged and shipped to the United States under the label “spirit distilled from agave,” or “destilados de agave.”

Machetes are used to chop the spines from the piña of the agave plants.

This situation is not uncommon. In fact, a growing number of producers are embracing the liminal space of “spirits distilled from agave,” exporting liquor to the U.S. that is mezcal in essence but not in name. Several prominent brands, including NETA, Cinco Sentidos, Mezcalosfera, Melate, Mezonte, Rezpiral, and Pal’alma, have never certified their mezcal for the market. In Santa Catarina Minas, industry leaders Real Minero and Lalocura both recently opted to abandon the certification process altogether. And still others, like Mezcal Vago, plan to straddle the line with future releases, sending most batches through as mezcal, peppered with the occasional uncertified batch.

The terminology that ends up on a bottle label might seem like an insignificant detail for the casual enthusiast — it’s all distilled agave — but for the people who have a historic connection to this spirit, what is at stake runs much deeper and is far more complicated than simple nomenclature. The decision about whether to certify is oftentimes muddled by the murky intersection of tradition, economics, and politics. That’s why, as notable mezcaleros and brands start to speak up against the DO, all sides of the industry are starting to ask: Who gets to tell mezcal producers what to call their spirit when their practices are inextricable from their heritage?

Ancestral mezcal utilizes ancient tools like stone wheels pulled by horses or mules.

Today the world has come to know this beverage as mezcal, but the precise language used to describe the spirit in Mexico has shifted over time. Scholars such as Ana G. Valenzuela-Zapata and Gary Paul Nabhan have explained that the modern word mezcal is a Hispanicized version of the name the Aztecs used for chewed agave fibers: “mexcalli,” a combination of “metl” and “ixcalli,” which, when combined, means “oven-cooked agave.” By the mid-17th century, these agave spirits were known colloquially as vinos de mezcal, made by families in villages all over Mexico for community celebrations like funerals, births, and marriages. “Mezcal wine” is an apt descriptor for the agave spirits that proliferated during this time — just as tempranillo and pinot noir taste radically different from each other, no two mezcals made in an artisanal manner will ever taste exactly alike because every area has a different climate and terroir, different agave varieties, and different ancestral traditions.

This dynamic landscape of vinos de mezcal endured until the 20th century, when legal protections started to emerge to distinguish regional styles from one another. The first spirit to formalize in Mexico was vinos de mezcal de tequila, which received a denomination of origin (notably the first outside of Europe to do so) in 1974. As Tequila snowballed into a full-fledged category with international recognition, it brought great economic wealth back to Mexico, a success that prompted the government to build similar parameters for mezcal two decades later.

“The only thing clear to us today is that the denomination of origin has hijacked the word mezcal from the people who produce it.”

By 1997, a certification body called the El Consejo Mexicano Regulador de la Calidad del Mezcal, A.C. (COMERCAM — formerly known as the Consejo Regulador del Mezcal, or CRM) was formed to oversee, interpret, and enforce the regulations, which are called the Norma Oficial Mexicana, or NOM. According to the regulations, mezcal must be made from 100 percent agave in one of 10 states (Oaxaca, Durango, Guerrero, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Puebla, Zacatecas, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, or Sinaloa). It is categorized in one of three classes based on how it’s made — ancestral, artisanal, or mezcal (which is usually an indication of industrial processes) — and the liquid must meet chemical levels the Mexican government has deemed safe for consumption. Namely, it must clock in between 35 percent and 55 percent alcohol by volume (abv), with 30 parts per million to 300 parts per million (ppm) of methanol, among other scientific details.

The first goal of this standardization of the spirit was to alchemize mezcal’s somewhat dodgy reputation (a lingering effect of Prohibition) so the world would know it as a respectable liquor that is unique to Mexico. Like prosciutto di Parma, Gruyere, or cognac, with a unified boilerplate for production, mezcal would once again be considered a spirit of reliable quality and character on the global stage. The regulations also would ensure that mezcal’s name would always be tied to Mexico and not to other countries where agave is grown and distilled, like Venezuela, South Africa, or Australia. “Anyone could produce a drink very similar to Champagne anywhere in the world, but they could not call it Champagne, even if it tasted identical. The same goes for mezcal,” says Alberto Esteban Marina, the former director general of the NOMs. “The international treaty that protects DOs aims to safeguard and give a distinctive status to products, culture, processes, traditions, and, of course, to guarantee these characteristics to consumers.”

The NOM also cements a baseline for traceability and transparency regarding the processes used to create mezcal, an important point considering how mezcal’s bad rap in the ’90s in part also stemmed from sketchy producers selling adulterated liquid throughout Oaxaca. “Nowadays the most important thing about the certification is that you have someone who is checking that the product is actually what you are selling,” says Oaxacan-born chemist Karina Abad Rojas, who is now the head of production and master distiller at Los Danzantes (called Las Nahuales in the U.S. due to trademark issues), and also works with the brand Alipus, both of which export certified mezcal. “There are a lot of honest producers out there, but the market is also full of people who lie, producers who say there are no chemicals or sugars added, when if you were to make a proper lab analysis of what they are making, you will see there is a difference in what they are saying and what is in the liquid.”

Before the DO came along, making a living as a mezcalero — producing only small batches primarily for local consumption — was not lucrative. That prompted many producers to diversify sources of income with other jobs like farming or construction, or leave the country altogether to find more viable economic opportunities. So for Abad Rojas, who also served as one of the first certifying agents for the CRM in the early aughts, another primary benefit to certification is economic. “I wanted producers to become certified because they could then have more opportunities to sell their mezcal on the commercial market. They could sell in bigger cities like Mexico City and Guadalajara, and be available to export,” she says.

Lupita Leyva, a former member of the then CRM (now COMERCAM) who is now working for El Clúster Mezcal de Oaxaca, emphasizes that certification also keeps those jobs and economic opportunities in Mexico. “Sometimes the agave distillates are being bought from small producers and being sent out of Mexico, not even being bottled here. They just pay for the liquid and take those jobs away from the people here. They are skipping our law,” she says. “You cannot go to Champagne and buy bulk Champagne and bottle in Mexico for a reason. We at the CRM, our purpose was to protect those jobs.”

For the first few decades after the DO was established, many brands were eager and willing to adhere to the laws set for certification, which kick-started an infrastructure robust enough to bring expats back to Mexico to reignite the family mezcal business. By the numbers, Mexico produced 1 million liters of mezcal in 2011 — nine years later that figure reached almost 8 million liters, with more than half that volume sent to the international market. While the commercial figures haven’t quite caught up to the impact of tequila yet (in 2021, the tequila industry generated more than 500 million liters), the mezcal category is still well on the path to stardom, thanks in large part to the creation of the denomination of origin.

In the village of Santa Catarina Minas, one of the hallmarks of the native mezcal culture is distillation in clay pot stills, called olla de barro. Typically “glued” together with mud and clay, these hand-built stills crack easily and must be replaced often. The mezcal often bears a delectable mineral quality from its time spent in contact with the clay. This custom has been carried down through the generations at most palenques in the area, including at Real Minero, where Graciela Angeles Carreño and her family have been making mezcal since the 1800s and started making certified mezcal under the label Real Minero in 2004.

“We decided to certify in the beginning because we didn’t want to repeat the history of our grandparents and their grandparents — during their lives as producers, they had to sell mezcal on the sly because production was illegal in Mexico. We decided to abide by the rules so we could legally sell what the family produced,” she explains.

But in the last few years, a series of interactions with COMERCAM left Angeles Carreño feeling as though they were unjustly harassing the brand, which drove her to denounce certification. The last straw came about in May 2018 via a disagreement regarding the use of regional names for agave varieties. In many parts of Mexico, local names differ by village, so when the COMERCAM told Real Minero that the plant they have always called Cuishe had to be labeled as Mexicano and that they could not use the name Coyota anymore — despite that the certification body had previously authorized use of that vernacular — Angeles Carreño believed the organization had reached too far outside its normal purview: “The only thing clear to us today is that the denomination of origin has hijacked the word mezcal from the people who produce it. We cannot use the word, and we cannot freely express our opinions.”

“Real Minero leaving the DO is a bellwether,” says educator and Experience Agave founder Clayton Szczech. “The CRM [now COMERCAM] was not allowing them to put the traditional names of their magueys on their label, so you have this regulatory body telling the practitioners and guardians of their culture that they are wrong about their culture.” He adds, “These authorities are actually becoming gatekeepers toward standardization or a particular idea of what is going to sell rather than being the facilitators they are supposed to be for these special products.”

In many cases, the difference between making mezcal that qualifies for certification or not can lie within a few degrees of proof, or a few parts per million of methanol or acidity. Seemingly small details, but ones that would force mezcaleros to change their customs in favor of creating a more homogenized version of mezcal. For example, the spirits made by Amando Alvarado Álvarez in Ixcatlán sometimes register a few degrees above the methanol cap of 300 ppm. “If we want to hit that parameter, we would have to make our cuts at a higher proof and then bring them down with water,” he explains. “For those of us who live to make mezcal in Ixcatlán, it is a sin to add water. It is against our tradition, which is why I won’t adjust to the parameters.”

On a more practical level, much of the debate around certification also comes down to money: Most rural producers who make spirits using time-intensive, pre-industrial methods simply cannot afford the cost, which some say in the past have ranged anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000. The exact expenses today fluctuate depending on which state the mezcal is produced in and which certification body oversees the process, but in many cases the brand owners take on the financial burden — the majority of mezcal brands sold in the U.S. today are not mezcalero-owned — baking the figure into the cost of the final bottle. When funds are not available for that, the responsibility lands on the mezcaleros, many of whom don’t have paved floors or electricity, let alone the money to certify their spirits.

Producers and brand owners from both certified and uncertified brands alike agree that the rigid parameters of the DO could use an overhaul to better protect the soul of the category. Max Rosenstock of NETA, another uncertified brand now available in the States, puts a global perspective on the matter. “Mexico is one of the most biodiverse places in the world, and Oaxaca is in the center of all that. The idea that there’s just one denomination covering all of this is just absurd. In Italy there are over 300 DOs for their wine varietals, so what are we doing here in Mexico with one denomination of origin for the entire country? It doesn’t protect, it doesn’t regulate.”

“Regardless of whether or not we use the word mezcal, the process, the tradition, in the production of our drink is still the same as our grandparents used.”

There is also the issue of the way certification is conducted. With the COMERCAM as the primary organization in charge of interpreting and enforcing the NOM for many years, some of the COMERCAM’s behaviors have prompted concern and stoked resentment among producers. In late 2020, the secretary of economy for Mexico fined the regulatory body for deceptive and abusive practices. Last spring, allegations of misconduct surfaced against then-president Hipócrates Nolasco Cancino, with reports ranging from intimidation to allegations that he’d demanded sexual favors in exchange for certification. Shortly after, internal struggles over leadership led to the division of the COMERCAM into several new entities, which are currently sorting out how to move ahead into the future.

For the average fan, certification might seem inconsequential because it has no real bearing on the inherent quality of the mezcal itself. “There are fantastic products on both sides,” says spirits importer Nicholas Palazzi, who works with brands including Cinco Sentidos, NETA, and Ixcateco, which will make its stateside debut this year. “To me, it has to do with what the producer wants to make. If the producer is doing things that check the boxes of the denomination to be certified as cognac or mezcal, if it’s doable and the producer can afford it, and he or she doesn’t have to adapt to what they have been doing for seven generations to get a piece of paper being put together by people in a suit working out of a conference room in Mexico City, that’s cool! Let’s certify the stuff.” But even then, he adds, “I don’t see the point in changing the way that something has been made for generations just to check boxes.”

When you talk to brand owners, distributors, importers, and other industry types, tucked into the folds of this narrative lies an instinct to assign value to one camp versus the other. Pro-certification people shout: Certified agave spirits are more trustworthy than uncertified ones! Anti-certification proponents stand by the idea that the destilados de agave route better preserves the spirit of the spirit. Regardless of which side you’re on, it will be interesting to see how the chasm between the two evolves, especially as the industry navigates a new world led by multiple regulatory agencies instead of a single unified organization.

At the end of the day, for mezcaleros and legacy producers like Graciela Angeles Carreño, the issue is ultimately about agency. About who can currently use the name mezcal and who should be able to use the name mezcal. “Agave distillates are produced throughout the national territory, so there should not have to be authorization for a person to make use of the word mezcal,” she says. “That is a situation that, seen from our perspective, is a way of stripping the producers of something that is our property, because it is our culture.”

She says that many people have questioned her decision to stop certifying Real Minero as mezcal, but she does not feel any regret. “Regardless of whether or not we use the word mezcal, the process, the tradition, in the production of our drink is still the same as our grandparents used; the certainty that we give you is that we still have the records, the traceability in our process, and we have a respect for tradition,” she says. “Mezcal belongs to all Mexicans, and as long as there are producers that respect and preserve our distillate and are willing to defend the origin of our drink, the world will continue to taste great agave spirits.”