Brand

Vago

Explore the spirits, production style and story of Vago.

Vago (Mezcal Vago) is a family-run mezcal brand that produces small-batch releases in the Sierra Sur of Oaxaca, working closely with four master mezcaleros. The project emphasizes authenticity, consumer transparency and environmentally sustainable practices.
mezcal from Oaxaca small-batch artisanal mezcal mezcal produced by single maestro mezcalero mezcal single-producer / producer-labeled
Producer range

Producer range Vago

Spirit categories

mezcal from Oaxaca small-batch artisanal mezcal mezcal produced by single maestro mezcalero mezcal single-producer / producer-labeled

Representative products

Mezcal Arrequeno by Emigdio Jarquin 70cl - Vago Mezcal Blak Label Barren by Emigdio Jarquin 70cl - Vago Mezcal Cuishe by Emigdio Jarquin 70cl - Vago Mezcal Elote by Hijos de Aquilino 70cl - Vago Mezcal Ensamble by Emigdio Jarquin 70cl - Vago Mezcal Ensamble en Barro by Salomon Rey 70cl - Vago Mezcal Espadin by Emigdio Jarquin 70cl - Vago Mezcal Madrecuishe by Emigdio Jarquin 70cl - Vago

Raw materials

agave (e.g. espadín, cuishe, madrecuixe, arroqueño, tobala, jabalí, mexicano) corn (used for the special Elote expression)

Botanicals and ingredients

toasted corn (specific infusion for the Elote)
Distillation and production

Distillation and production

Production method

Small-batch production using traditional methods: cooking the piñas in earthen pit ovens, crushing with a tahona (or ancestral techniques such as manual maceration in canoas), fermenting in wooden vats with local water and generally double distilling in copper pot stills. Some maestros produce ancestral lots by distilling in ollas de barro (clay vessels).

Distillation

Double distillation in copper pot stills (typically refrescadera/refrescadora for some maestros); ancestral expressions use distillation in ollas de barro.

Ageing

Joven (unaged) for most expressions.

Producer history Vago

Mezcal Vago was born from the meeting between co-founder Judah Kuper and a family of mezcaleros in Oaxaca; the project was developed to highlight the work of local mezcaleros and to market small, identifiable lots. The initial range was exported starting in the 2010s; historically the brand was produced by Aquilino García (later succeeded by his sons after his death in 2020) and then expanded to include other maestros such as Tío Rey, Emigdio Jarquín and Joel Barriga. Bottles carry information about the producer, the agave and the lot, and the involved maestros are also stakeholders in the project according to consulted sources.

Production philosophy

Authenticity, transparency toward the consumer and sustainability. Vago aims to link each bottle to the individual maestro mezcalero who produced it, supports agave repopulation practices and seeks to reduce environmental impact (labels made from recycled agave fibre, "bat friendly" initiatives and planting projects).

Territory

Sierra Sur, state of Oaxaca (production locations cited: Candelaria Yegolé, Gulerá Sola de Vega, El Nanche - Miahuatlán, San Isidro Tapanala).

Vago

This producer is a useful reference point for enthusiasts looking for authentic spirits, distinctive production identity and a carefully selected online catalogue.

On this page you can discover the producer, understand its main categories and browse the products currently available for purchase.

Products from

Products from Vago

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