who owns mezcal union

The group owns and operates everything from Arts District Brewing Company to Cole’s/The Varnish and the gorgeous Imperial Western at Union Station. It is admittedly difficult to see the union between this rustic operation—a dusty herd of goats literally made its way over the hill near sunset—and the urban bars a world away that employ the spirit in bespoke, 13 Easy Ingredient Swaps for Healthier Cooking, Easy Low Sugar Breakfast Recipes to Start Your Day Off Right, Keep Your Gut Healthy with These Probiotic-Heavy Foods, The Most Comprehensive Guide to Yogurt You'll Find on the Internet, 9 Baking Mistakes That Ruin Your Cakes, Cookies, Brownies & Bread, How to Clean Your Dingy Baking Sheets So They Look Like New Again, A Guide to Essential Baking Tools Everyone Should Own, How to Host the Perfect Galentine’s Day Bash, How to Prepare a Hands-On Valentine's Day Finger Food Dinner, How to Throw a Beautiful Valentine's Day Party, The Most Romantic Valentine’s Day Cocktail Ingredients. Agave de Cortes is the house mezcal made by the Cortes family who owns the company. There’s a parallel between Champion and Hernández in the salesmen nature of what they wanted to accomplish. The old man perhaps meant a union between all of the small farmers and producers who make mezcal, but Champion et al saw an additional link: creating a union between those who make it, along with those equipped to market it, and also with those around the world who would drink it, providing long-term sustainability for Oaxaca’s indigenous families in artisanal mezcal production for generations to come. Which means it’s not always fair to all parties involved. And finally, many agave farms within Oaxaca, and specifically in the region of San Juan del Rio, are built on a system of communal property. The establishment of trust with the indigenous people was the most important piece, before Champion could continue door-to-door to bars and distributors in Mexico City and beyond with a finished product. As one of America's oldest family-owned spirits companies, we pride ourselves on our independent spirit and our commitment to innovation, quality and … But it’s an industry. But this is precisely the union that Champion hoped to create; not only a union of those who would produce mezcal, but a union between the producers and the bars and nightclubs that are the disciples of the product. “What we know how to do is market,” says Champion. Since 1912, Phillips Distilling Company has been producing high-quality spirits and popular brands. View Michigan State Climatologist's Office map of Michigan historical climatological summary tables, climate watch maps for 7, 30 and 90 days, precipitation data, and real-time weather data. As our name implies, we offer a suite of expert guides on a wide range of topics, including fashion, food, drink, travel, and grooming. #MEZCALesUNIÓN, A post shared by Mezcal Unión (@mezcalunion) on Jun 22, 2017 at 8:21pm PDT. Beyond their commitment to Mezcal Unión, the distillers and farmers can still make their own mezcal and bottle it themselves, or sell it to other producers, even Mezcal Unión’s competitors. “Brands are built when the founder gets a backpack and goes door to door,” says Champion, whose moniker befits his purpose, a lesson he learned from being a Vitamin Water representative in his native Mexico. We like to associate it with festive occasions, beach-y sunsets, and stylish barkeeps slinging drinks in even more stylish bars. El Mezcal. Naturally a tale of gods and lightning is involved, where a struck piña revealed an intoxicating honeyed nectar, leaving the native people to figure that intentionally roasting this thing might just be a very good idea. Which means it’s not always fair to all parties involved. Founder, Mezcal Enthusiast Lane Harlan was born in the Province of Pampanga, Philippines and raised all over the US, settling in Baltimore at the age of 17. locations 1492 union ave - memphis, tn 38104 (901)274-4264 402 Perkins ext, suite a - memphis, tn 38117 (901)761-7710 694 germantown pkwy, suite 48 - memphis, tn 38108 ... Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates. Mezcal UNIÓN NW Brand Ambassador at Mezcal Union Portland, Oregon Area 3 connections. Los jugos fermentados del agave se depositan en alambiques de cobre, donde se hierven para evaporar las moléculas de alcohol. “Restaurants and bars are the gasoline,” says Champion. I’d been on enough. Just fill in your name and email, or give us a call at 707-996-8463 and we'll get back to you. Global Mezcal Market to Reach $1. Need some recipe ideas? The Official Whitepages. Whitepages is the authority in people search, established in 1997. Without these key ingredients, the thing crumbles like a house of cards. Jose Garcia Morales and his family, have maintained their Zapotec tradition of Mezcal production, crafting artisanal spirits in small batches, … For Champion, the sales pitch was about the vision of a collective, delivered to people like Hernández whose small, artisanal mezcal operations he wanted to recruit for Mezcal Unión. We … The fermented agave juice is transferred into a copper pot. Mezcal Unión Uno Bottling Note The Mezcal Unión brand was founded with a respect to mezcal's artisan and traditional production, as well as with a drive to provide social development and economic sustainability for the families producing the spirit itself - all worthy efforts. Este vapor viajará a través de un tubo sumergido en agua fría donde se condensará. To understand the scope of what Champion and company wanted to accomplish, it’s important to understand the built-in challenges in Oaxaca’s mezcal production, beginning with its source, This noble plant, to put it mildly, doesn’t exactly look like it wants to be cultivated and consumed, with its armor of protective fronds and bulbous piñas that seem more like something you’d launch at an opponent in the Super Mario universe. Mezcal Unión Uno uses farm-grown Espadin agave and wild Cirial agave. “This notion became our inspiration.”. She is also a certified sommelier, voiceover artist, and an avid lover of all things pickled or fermented. While a particular family might have been farming the land for generations, there’s no guarantee that they will be there to reap what they sow. 5 Billion by 2027. To understand the scope of what Champion and company wanted to accomplish, it’s important to understand the built-in challenges in Oaxaca’s mezcal production, beginning with its source, agave. There it will boil and alcohol molecules will evaporate. Like wine, it has its own geographical indications, which reflect the state and region it’s grown and produced in. Madre Mezcal is an artisanal Mezcal, made by hand in the hills of San Dionisio, Oaxaca. This agave is cut and roasted for four days. Enter Mezcal Unión: a collective born of a mission to support and unite the tiny, multi-generation farms and producers who are the heart of Oaxaca’s mezcal operation, with a business that could get the fruits of these labors into the urban bars and clubs that prize it, not only in the larger cities of Mexico, but far beyond. In the tiny village of San Miguel Ejutla in the central valley of Oaxaca, a co-operative comprised of 36+ families (Unión Productores de Agropecuarios del Distrito de Ejutla de Crespo (UPADEC)) is committed to sustainable, fair trade mezcal production the same way it’s been done by their ancestors for nearly two centuries. This is the story of how one Oaxacan mezcal … It’s a decidedly gentler approach than the more popular and capitalistic technique of simply buying and clearing the land, which pushes locals out and tends to squeeze farmers financially due to a typically massive production scale. Union uses a collection of different producer-families in the region to produce their bottles. Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest tips, tricks, recipes and more, sent twice a week. Mezcal is a distilled alcoholic beverage that has recently experience a huge surge in popularity. In that sense, it can be argued that its range of flavors and styles is a little more far-reaching. |, How to Stick to Healthy Eating Resolutions for the New Year, The Best Places to Buy Baking Ingredients Online, Easy Shortcuts To a (Mostly) Homemade Valentine's Day Dinner, Even the bustling town of Oaxaca City, with its fashionable, Mezcal Unión was born in 2009 with Champion and a group of young entrepreneurs from, The old man perhaps meant a union between all of the small farmers and producers who make mezcal, but Champion et al saw an additional link: creating a union between those who make it, along with those equipped to market it, and also with those around the world who would drink it, providing long-term. One piece of mythology suggests that it was the result of a lightning bolt striking the sacred agave plant, releasing the elixir of the gods. Mezcal Unión was born in 2009 with Champion and a group of young entrepreneurs from Mexico City who wanted to know more about those people and processes that made the increasingly popular spirit. Oaxaca is home to most mezcal production, though it’s made in many places throughout the country. In a tale that reads like a parable and was born to be a mission statement, it was an old man on a hillside on a visit to the agave farms of Oaxaca, sharing his homemade mezcal with the group, who told them that “the future of mezcal would be based on a union.”. It is available in the U.S., and will likely become even more so in the years to come. Have a question or concern? This is the story of how one Oaxacan mezcal company is on a mission to support and unite small-scale agave farmers and traditional mezcal distillers, while bringing the fruits of their labors to the wider world. I did a lot of reading on my own and also attended weekly educational classes while working there. Nuestros ensambles de agaves espadín y cirial para Mezcal Unión Joven y espadín y tobalá para Mezcal Unión El Viejo, son producidos de manera 100% artesanal en colaboración con productores de Oaxaca #MEZCALesUNION, A post shared by Mezcal Unión (@mezcalunion) on Jan 20, 2020 at 6:37pm PST. Few exported mezcal brands are owned by … #MEZCALesUNIÓN Three words that mean a lot. Consistency for each of the products is maintained through ratios; mezcal is collected from 55 families utilizing three different types of agave—espadín, cirial, and tobalá—and then each product is assembled with specific ratios of each of the types. At the moment, the unemployment rate in Mexico stands at a staggering 44%. “Every sip of mezcal is a taste of our soil and culture,” Champion says. Because the stuff is old, adored, and drenched in folklore, mezcal touts some great stories. With comprehensive contact information, including cell phone numbers, for over 275 million people nationwide, and Whitepages SmartCheck, the fast, comprehensive background check compiled from criminal and other records from all 50 states.. Landlords use Whitepages … Mezcal + Tequila takes a modern and playful twist on authentic Mexican food using only the freshest local ingredients. “Who are we to limit their opportunities?” says Champion. By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. Furthermore, even the most robust agave plants take upwards of seven years to mature, 15 for certain prized varieties, a slow gamble for those who would farm it. Diageo has a distribution agreement with Mezcal Unión and completely owns Pierde Almas, while Pernod Ricard … Growing the supply requires added means of production and an expanding distribution chain. When you buy something through our retail links, we may receive a commission. There are an increasing number of Tequila and mezcal brands entering the market. The University of Michigan Credit Union Board of Directors is comprised of fellow member owners who serve on a volunteer basis. © 2021 CHOWHOUND, A RED VENTURES COMPANY. Facebook. Here Are the Down and Dirty Basics, The Best Rums for Mixing to Turn Any Night Into Island Night, The Best Instant Ramen Noodles You Should Try, Instant Pot Down to Cheapest-Ever Price in Time for the Super Bowl, The Best Beverage Coolers for Beer, Wine, and Soda, The Best Decaf Coffee Beans to Buy in 2021, How to Cook Steak in the Oven Perfectly Every Time. When the link between consumers and producers is made, it provides a financial stimulus and security for people like Pedro Hernández who operates such a palenque. Exclusivity with Mezcal Unión is never asked of anyone, a critical detail in preserving the artisanal, and nearly sacred element of mezcal production for these families. It is admittedly difficult to see the union between this rustic operation—a dusty herd of goats literally made its way over the hill near sunset—and the urban bars a world away that employ the spirit in bespoke cocktails with pithy names, where a very different herd awaits. Because of the artisanal process, and the assemblage nature of the product, elements of seasonality and of terroir do express themselves in ways uncommon for distilled spirits, and slight variations exist from bottle to bottle. This results in money up front and at the end of the process for farmers and distillers. Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Mezcal estimated at US$496. Under her leadership, that means expanding access to affordable healthcare, improving education and skills training, respecting working families, cleaning up Michigan’s drinking water, and of course, fixing the roads. Today, new independent spirits brand, Lobos 1707, launches their full tequila and mezcal trademark in Mexico and the U.S. All rights reserved. The folks at the Union are offering not only work, but a stake in the land and a share in the profits. Bacardi bought a minority stake in Ilegal in February and Diageo has a distribution deal (and likely some equity stake or options) with Mezcal Union. Grapefruit, pineapple, corn, chiles, … Traditionally, mezcal has been considered a smokier cousin to tequila, but there are many types of mezcal and mezcal brands to explore, all of them with their own unique spin on the great spirit. Take any notion you think you have of “distillery” and chuck it. Take any notion you think you have of “distillery” and chuck it. They needed a story to tell, so they went looking for one. Flavor-wise, mezcal is to tequila as scotch is to whisky. The process that takes agave to mezcal, for the independent operators, relies entirely on a system of human, equine, and fire power. The result of this union, according to Alejandro Champion, one of the brand’s co-founders is, “an artisanal product with a good price and a good story.”. Cuervo also has their own brand Creyente in the U.S. market, which they claim is made in an artisanal way, though I cannot say it tastes like an artisanal mezcal (I am … Formally, mezcal has carried an appellation of origin since 1994. Fortunately, there are beverage endeavors that truly look after the people they depend on. Related Reading: What Is the Difference Between Tequila and Mezcal? The Mexico City outfit is specifically targeting the greatly unemployed agave-growing states of Chiapas, Guerrero, Verra Cruz, and the most famous, Oaxaca. The great distance between Oaxaca and Williamsburg is metaphorical as well as actual. The Best Spirits for Spiked Hot Cocoa, According to Bartenders, The 10 Best Spirits For Old Fashioneds, According To Bartenders, 5 of the Most Expensive Tequilas in the World, 20 Valentine’s Day Cocktail Recipes That Say ‘I Love You’, Vermouth Guide: What To Know About One of the Most Versatile Spirits, How Oregon’s First Black Female Winery Owner Is Giving Back To the Community, What Is the Keto Diet? Related Reading: Why You Should Be Using Bug Salt With Your Mezcal, ¿Sabes cómo funciona la destilación? All featured products are curated independently by our editors. Este es el momento en que se obtienen las primeras gotas de Mezcal. That’s when we get the first drops of Mezcal. Of the 55 different families involved in the brand, there are those who farm and produce only for Mezcal Unión, those who work for Mezcal Unión and also have their own brand, and those who produce for Mezcal Unión as well as other commercial brands. “(It) doesn’t require more than having a great product and feet on the ground,” continues Champion, but certainly it doesn’t hurt if you have a vision about the product that starts with an ideal, not only about the product itself, but about the people and processes that create it. A post shared by Mezcal Unión (@mezcalunion) on Jun 17, 2017 at 6:18pm PDT. Or, it becomes completely automated, which is a separate story with its own inherent issues. They’ve helped plant more than 250,000 agave plants in places like this over the last three years. This noble plant, to put it mildly, doesn’t exactly look like it wants to be cultivated and consumed, with its armor of protective fronds and bulbous piñas that seem more like something you’d launch at an opponent in the Super Mario universe. In Mexico, where mezcal is enjoying a deserved share of the spirits limelight, a group of locals is looking to stimulate a limping economy. Mezcal Union is a favorite among bartenders in both the US and Mexico. She is the founder and Creative Director of W.C. Harlan, Clavel, Fadensonnen , … Hernández, speaking through a translator, described his own door-to-door approach before he was a producer for Mezcal Unión, trying to sell his small-batch spirit to local taverns and bars like his father and grandfather before him. From. From cider to wine, and most things in between, the industry is evolving in its woke-ness. Mezcal Unión currently works with twenty distilleries spanning eight villages. 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