Independent bottler
Palenque
Palenque (Palenque Spirits / Palenqueros project) is a bottling initiative that collects and markets 'Pure Single Palenque' — artisanal expressions of mezcal produced by palenqueros (mezcal masters) from the state of Oaxaca. The bottles highlight individual producers, are often bottled at natural strength and promote traditional methods and the absence of additives.
- Oaxaca · Mexico
- 7 products
Palenque
Meet the producer
The story
The project originated from an idea promoted by Luca Gargano (Velier/La Maison & Velier) starting in 2018 and materialized in the Palenqueros series, which labels single palenques and features producers' portraits. The first iteration of the series appeared in recent years with collaborations involving entities such as Tradición Chagoya; the series was later relaunched and distributed through LM&V/Velier with selections of Pure Single Palenque from various Oaxaca villages.
Production philosophy
To valorize palenqueros and their traditional knowledge, preserve local artisanal methods, bottle expressions that faithfully reflect the character of a single palenque (terroir, agave variety and technique) and promote additive-free products bottled at natural strength.
Territory
State of Oaxaca, Mexico (various communities/small production villages such as Bramaderos, San Pedro Taviche, San Luis del Río, San Baltázar Guelavila, Santa María La Pila and other palenque centres).
Production method
Traditional Oaxacan production methods: cooking the piñas in ovens/pits (palenque), manual milling or with a tahona, fermentation in wooden vats (with native yeasts) and distillation in pot stills (often copper). Bottles in the Palenqueros series are presented as 'single palenque' expressions and are generally bottled at natural strength without additives.
Distillation
Artisanal pot still distillation (copper batch stills), typically double-distilled; often bottled at natural strength.
Ageing
Generally joven/unaged expressions; some bottles or batches may undergo brief resting in wooden containers depending on the product.
Characteristics
- Type
- Independent bottler
- Categories
- mezcal
- artisanal mezcal
- single palenque
- Oaxaca mezcal
- independent bottler
- Raw materials
- agave (Espadín)
- agave (Tobalá)
- agave (Tepextate)
- agave (Madrecuishe / Cuishe)
- agave (Tobaziche)
- agave (Mexicano)
- agave (Coyote)
- Representative products
- Mezcal Alberto Ortiz Espadin 70cl - Palenque
- Mezcal Alberto Ortiz Tobalá 70cl - Palenque
- Mezcal Baltazar Cruz Tepextate 70cl - Palenque
- Mezcal Gregorio Martinez Espadin 70cl - Palenque
- Mezcal Gregorio Martinez Madrecuishe 70cl - Palenque
- Mezcal Juan Hernandez Tobaziche 70cl - Palenque
- Mezcal Onofre Ortiz Mexicano 70cl - Palenque
- Mezcal Valente Garcia Coyote 70cl - Palenque
What makes it distinctive
- Palenqueros series: bottles dedicated to individual palenqueros with name and portrait on the label.
- Project conceived by Luca Gargano and linked to La Maison & Velier (LM&V) with prior collaborations with local entities.
- Pure Single Palenque expressions bottled at natural strength, without additives.
- Products sourced from various Oaxaca communities and made with local agave varieties.