They gambled everything. Now they have awards to show for it. Two friends quit their jobs and cashed out their 401(k) accounts to start importing mezcal, a liquor with a suddenly booming U.S. market.
Show captionMezcal Carreño is produced by hand at a"palenque," or"distillery," about an hour south of Oaxaca City. The Carreño family has been producing mezcal since the early 1900s.11:51 am UTC Mar.
Along the way, the group from Arizona would see a process few outsiders ever witness – how agaves, called"maguey" in Mexico, are cut, roasted, crushed, fermented and distilled by hand. Mezcal Carreño: How this artisanal mezcal is made in Mexico For the grand finale, they would witness the alchemy of distillation. Fermented liquid is poured into wood-fired copper stills and – after hours of anticipation – trickles out of a tube at the other end as a crystal clear alcoholic spirit that resembles liquid silver.
But the growing interest in mezcal has also raised many questions, including concerns over sustainability and environmental impact as well as apprehension over cultural appropriation by the arrival of outside corporate and celebrity investors into the artisanal mezcal industry.A cocktail that seemed to glow sparks an idea
Since 2019, Carreño and Arriaga have built their clientele one bar, one liquor store and one person at a time.As two Mexican Americans in an industry dominated by non-Latinos, they bring an air of authenticity to the United States' growing mezcal market. Arriaga was born in Phoenix and is of Mexican descent. His grandfather was from the state of Guanajuato. Arriaga graduated in 2008 with a degree in business management focusing on global marketing from Arizona State University.
During a trip to Cancun in August 2017, Carreño and Arriaga dined at Macambo, a restaurant with a spectacular view overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. They licensed Compa Spirits in 2018 and sold their first bottle of Mezcal Carreño on Feb. 21, 2019, toMezcal Carreño received top marks at the 2020 World Spirits Competition.Launching their own mezcal import business has not been easy. With zero experience in the liquor industry, Carreño and Arriaga have had to learn everything about importing mezcal on the fly.
They now have more than 450 accounts in Arizona. They also are expanding to other states, with six accounts in Southern California and three in Miami."I'm looking forward to paying off that second mortgage and not living off credit cards," Carreño said. Tequila, Carreño is happy to explain, is actually a type of mezcal produced from only one variety of agave, the blue Weber. Mezcal is produced from more than 40 different agave plants endemic to Mexico.
Another difference from tequila: Most mezcal comes from distilleries that only produce small batches at palenques, as the rustic distilleries are called.For a couple of years now, Carreño and Arriaga have been guiding trips to Oaxaca to visit the Carreño family palenque. Traveling with the group was Colton Brock, 39, a longtime agave spirits enthusiast, experienced Mexico traveler and co-owner ofBrock, whose arms and neck are adorned with colorful tattoos, including several of agave plants, is the Arizona brand ambassador for IlegalFrom left, Caleb West, a bartender at Wilderness Brewery in Phoenix; Iván Carreño; Anthony Munoz, a bar manager at Rendezvous Bar in Flagstaff; and Colton Brock, co-owner of Baby Boy in Phoenix, drink mezcal at Mal de Amor...
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