It is a spirit distilled in the heart of the Oaxacan land, where each sip is a journey of authentic flavors and the agave becomes liquid art.
OUR PROCESS
The agave harvester (Jimador) is the person in charge of selecting, cutting and preparing the agave hearts (piñas). This work requires a deep knowledge of the life cycle of the agave having skills that have been transmitted over generations.
His task is to select the agave that is at its optimal point of maturity and remove the leaves to reach the heart of the agave and separate it from the trunk.
An underground oven made of volcanic stones is used. The first step is to heat the stones with wood until the stones reach a high temperature. Afterwards, the agave hearts are placed in the oven on top of the stones and covered with a layer of earth and vegetation.
This process can take between 3 and 5 days, allowing the sugars to caramelize and develop complex flavors
The cooked agave is then transported to a mechanical mill, where the juices from the cocked agave are extracted. The objective is to break the fibers of the agave and release the sweet juice, also known as mosto, that will then be fermented.
Mechanical milling offers several advantages such as efficiency, consistency, quality control and above all sustainability and animal welfare.
The extracted juice is mixed with the remaining pulp to create the fermented wort which is placed in a pine wood barrel to carry out the fermentation process, which occurs naturally thanks to the yeasts present in the environment.
This process can last around 7 to 15 days depending on temperature and other factors.
The fermented wort is heated in the copper still and the vapor condenses, turning into liquid.
Thanks to the second distillation, a much more refined mezcal is obtained and impurities that may affect the quality of the mezcal are eliminated.
Finally, the mezcal is filtered to eliminate any impurities before bottling.
The mezcal is bottled in glass and labeled manually to give it that unique touch.
Our Mezcals
The intention of Mezcal María Dolores is to open the doors to the adventurer who wants to enter the world of Mezcal.
– Master Mezcal –
OUR COMMITMENT
We are committed to offering you a high quality handcrafted product at a fair price.
Fair Payment – We ensure that all workers, from the maguey harvest to the María Dolores sale, are fairly remunerated.
Women's inclusion – All María Dolores bottles are bottled and packaged exclusively by women.
Sustainability – The lands where the agaves we use to produce María Dolores mezcal grow are free of pesticides and fertilizers. All of our mezcals are planted for the purpose of Mezcal production, which means that we do not use wild agaves in the process, thus taking care of the fragile nature of the Oaxaca highlands.
Water – Our Mezcal Master has a rainwater collection system. The water collected is enough to be used to cool the stills that produce our Mezcal.
Zapotec – The Zapotec culture is one of the most important and ancient in Mesoamerica. The Zapotecs have a tradition of trade, they developed innovative practices to increase the efficiency of agriculture and to increase trade with other peoples.
Santiago de Matatlán has a large Zapotec population, which maintains its ancestral traditions to this day. One of the most important parts of Zapotec culture is respecting the environment and sharing the riches that the earth gives us with friends and strangers. This tradition can be seen reflected in the guelaguetza. Derived from the Zapotec word guendalezaa, which means “offering, present or fulfillment.”
The true meaning is to help each other in times of need that the individual cannot face alone; for example, guelaguetza is the help that relatives, compadres, neighbors and friends give each other in times of work commitments, farming or death. This tradition is transferred both to the land that is worked and to the collaborators with whom the mezcal is produced. Respecting these ancient traditions, Mezcal María Dolores, like a mother, is fair in every aspect of its process.
THE ABUSE IN THE CONSUMPTION OF THIS PRODUCT IS HARMFUL TO YOUR HEALTH
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