Mezcal Unión Joven Tequila

Mezcal Unión Joven — the bottling the house calls Uno — is Unión's original mezcal: 40% ABV (80 proof), 750mL, an unaged joven of Espadín and wild Cirial agave from San Baltazar, Oaxaca, pit-cooked and double-distilled in copper. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.

• ABV: 40% (80 proof)
• Size: 750mL
• Agave: Espadín + wild Cirial (Agave karwinskii), 8–14 years
• Style: Joven — unaged
• Production: Pit-cooked, double-distilled in copper
• Origin: San Baltazar, Oaxaca, Mexico (Mezcal Unión)

The Cooperative's First Bottle

Unión began with a simple idea: build a mezcal house that works with Oaxaca's small palenquero families instead of over them, and Uno is where the project started. The recipe pairs workhorse Espadín with wild Cirial, the tall karwinskii agave that contributes the bottling's herbal, earthy edge — piñas pit-cooked, fermented, and run twice through copper. Nothing is aged and nothing is adjusted: what the pit and the still made is what is in the bottle. It is the reference pour in our mezcal collection, and the rest of the house is on the Mezcal Unión vendor page.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Pear and green apple over wood smoke. Palate: Wet earth and fresh herbs with the Cirial's green snap under the Espadín fruit. Finish: Clean smoke and agave sweetness.

How to Enjoy

Neat with sal de gusano and an orange slice for the traditional serve, or as the mezcal in a Oaxaca Old Fashioned or a Naked and Famous — the herbal character holds its place in a stirred drink.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mezcal Unión Joven a tequila? No — despite the word in some listings, it is a mezcal: distilled from Espadín and Cirial agave in Oaxaca, not from blue Weber agave in the tequila regions. Tequila and mezcal are sibling spirits with different rules, regions and flavours.

What does "joven" mean? Young — the mezcal is bottled unaged, so the flavour is the agave, the roast and the still, with no barrel in between.

What is Cirial agave? The local name for Agave karwinskii, a tall wild agave whose piñas give mezcal a distinctive herbal, green and mineral character alongside Espadín's fruit.

Start Unión where Unión started — order Mezcal Unión Joven online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.