Brand
Del Maguey
Del Maguey is a pioneering single‑village mezcal brand that selects and bottles artisanal expressions produced by palenquera families from the Oaxaca and Puebla regions, offering a range based on the concept of “taste of place”.
- Oaxaca; Puebla · Mexico
- Since 1995
- 1 product
The story
Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal was founded by Ron Cooper in 1995 with the goal of bringing artisanal mezcals produced by small indigenous families to the international market. The brand labels origin by village and over time has developed collections such as Vida, Village Tradiciones, Village Varietales and Village Especiales. In 2017 Pernod Ricard acquired a majority stake in Del Maguey, retaining the management team and strengthening global distribution.
Production philosophy
To showcase terroir and traditional knowledge: each bottle tells the work of a palenquera family and the character of a single village. The approach emphasizes the protection of ancestral practices, recognition of local producers and transparency of origin.
Territory
Mexico (artisanal villages in the states of Oaxaca and Puebla)
Awards and recognition
Del Maguey and its expressions have received international recognition (including awards and trophies at IWSC and the International Spirits Challenge as referenced in the group's official communications).
Production method
Artisanal production in family palenques: piñas are traditionally cooked in horno (pit oven), crushed with a tahona or electric mills depending on the expression, fermented by local families and distilled in small stills (copper or, in some cases, clay) often fired with wood. Many expressions are double distilled; some special ones (e.g. Pechuga) undergo a third distillation with added fruits and spices.
Distillation
Artisanal distillation in small copper stills or, in some cases, clay stills; many expressions are double distilled in wood-fired stills; some special expressions (e.g. Pechuga) include a third distillation with added fruit and spices.
Characteristics
- Type
- Brand
- Categories
- mezcal
- artisanal mezcal
- single-village mezcal
- mezcal varietal
- mezcal pechuga
- Raw materials
- agave (varieties: Espadín, Tobalá, Tepextate, Arroqueño, Jabalí, Madrecuixe, Cuixe, Barril, Tobaziche, etc.)
- Representative products
- Del Maguey VIDA Clásico
- Del Maguey Chichicapa
- Del Maguey Tobalá
- Del Maguey Pechuga
- Del Maguey San Luis del Rio
What makes it distinctive
- Pioneer in bringing the single‑village mezcal concept to the international market (founded in 1995).
- Works with Zapotec and Mixtec families in remote villages to preserve ancestral methods.
- Range structured in collections: Vida, Village Tradiciones, Village Varietales, Village Especiales.
- Part of the Pernod Ricard group (majority stake completed in 2017), with a strong international presence.