Wild Common Cuishe Mezcal
Wild Common Cuishe Mezcal is a 46% ABV (92 proof), 750mL artesanal mezcal joven — 100% Cuishe agave (Agave karwinskii), made in the high desert of San Luis Amatlán, Oaxaca, by Maestro Mezcalero Gregorio García and his son Luis (NOM O363X). It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 46% (92 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Agave: 100% Cuishe (Agave karwinskii)
- Class: Mezcal artesanal, joven (unaged)
- Maestros Mezcaleros: Gregorio García and his son Luis
- Production: Earthen pit roast; traditional stone tahona extraction; natural open-air fermentation in pine vats; double distilled in small copper pot stills
- NOM: O363X
- Origin: San Luis Amatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico
High-Desert Cuishe, Father and Son
Maestro Mezcalero Gregorio García and his son Luis hail from the high desert of San Luis Amatlán, Oaxaca, and this artesanal mezcal reflects the terroir of their family property. Cuishe — a tall, stalky member of the karwinskii family — is one of mezcal's most distinctive agaves, and in García hands it pours bright, green and mineral rather than dark and smoky: the agave is pit-roasted, crushed by stone tahona, fermented open-air and double distilled in small copper pot stills. Wild Common, founded by National Geographic photographer and athlete Andy Bardon to champion transparent, sustainably made spirits, bottles the result unaged and exactly as the family made it. Browse the Wild Common collection, more tequila and mezcal, and the wider spirits shelves at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
Bright vegetal and fruit flavors run through it — green in aroma and taste, with hints of celery, cilantro, green apples and minerality. Fresh, clean and vibrant from first sip to finish.
How to Enjoy
Sip it neat to catch the green, herbal register that makes Cuishe unlike any other agave — it is a mezcal for white-wine and gin drinkers as much as for mezcal lovers. A copita and time are all it asks; keep food simple and let the minerality lead.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cuishe? Cuishe is a variety of Agave karwinskii — tall and stalky, it gives mezcal a distinctly green, vegetal and mineral profile, very different from the fruit-and-smoke character of Espadín.
Who makes Wild Common Cuishe? Maestro Mezcalero Gregorio García and his son Luis, on their family property in the high desert of San Luis Amatlán, Oaxaca (NOM O363X).
How is it made? Artesanal method: earthen pit roasting, stone tahona crushing, natural open-air fermentation in pine vats, and double distillation in small copper pot stills.
What is the alcohol content? 46% ABV (92 proof), in a 750mL bottle.
The green heart of the karwinskii family — pick up Wild Common Cuishe Mezcal at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.