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VinePair published a guide to 10 bottles made in Mexico that show the range of the country’s drinking culture beyond tequila and mezcal. The selection includes gin, orange liqueur, aperitivo, sake, charanda, whiskey, rum and sotol; it is a drinks recommendation list, not an announcement of new releases.
VinePair has published a guide to 10 bottles made in Mexico that look beyond tequila and mezcal, bringing attention to drinks ranging from Mexico City gin and orange liqueur to Sinaloa-brewed sake and northern Mexican sotol. The list, based on the publication’s reporting and recommendations from bar and restaurant professionals, presents a snapshot of a wider drinks culture rather than a set of newly announced products.
The selection spans different ingredients, methods and regions. Condesa Clásica Gin, made in Mexico City, features botanicals including palo santo, sage, myrrh and jasmine alongside juniper and coriander. Evan Flynn, bar manager at Death & Co Denver, told VinePair that he uses it in drinks such as Gimlets, Negronis and Martinis. Yucatán ingredients feature in Alma Finca Orange Liqueur, which blends bitter and sweet oranges with citrus leaves, allspice and achiote.
Mexico City aperitivo producer Primo combines grapefruit, hibiscus, guajillo chile and cacao with bitter roots, herbs and other botanicals. “I love that it isn’t too sweet,” Gabe Ford, bar director at Austin’s Modern Bar, told VinePair, describing it as versatile for cocktails. The list also includes NAMI Tokubetsu Junmai, a premium sake made in Culiacán using Yamada-nishiki rice. The brewery’s team learned the traditional process from a Japanese master sake brewer, according to VinePair’s report.
Other entries draw on Mexican crops and regional production. Uruapan Charanda Blanco is made in Michoacán from sugarcane juice and molasses; the charanda category has a Denomination of Origin, according to the source. Maíz Nation Blanco Whiskey is distilled from four native corn varieties sourced from small farmers. In Oaxaca, Alambique Serrano Cartier 30 is made with organic Java sugarcane and fresh cane juice, and is bottled at 70.3% ABV. The guide also features Parejo Bienvenido Fernández Sotol Cedrosanum, made from Dasylirion, a desert plant—not agave.
A Wider View of Mexican Drinks
The list matters as a guide to regional variety in a market where tequila and mezcal often stand in for Mexican spirits as a whole. These bottles point to other ingredients and production traditions, including sugarcane distillates, native corn, local botanicals and sake brewing. The recommendations also give readers concrete options for exploring those categories, whether they are shopping for a bottle or looking for cocktail ingredients.
The examples have different uses and strengths. Flynn recommends Condesa gin in familiar mixed drinks, while chef Johnny Curiel told VinePair he pairs NAMI sake with crudo. Cartier 30’s reported 70.3% alcohol by volume is a reminder that the bottles are not interchangeable in strength or style. The list broadens the conversation, but it does not establish how widely available any specific bottle is.
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Beyond Tequila and Mezcal
VinePair frames the 10 bottles as part of a larger Mexican drinks landscape that includes pulque, tepache, bacanora, raicilla, sotol and pox, among other traditions and categories. Some are fermented beverages, while others are distilled spirits; the list itself also includes gin, liqueur, aperitivo and sake. Grouping them together reflects the article’s broad focus on Mexican-made drinks, not a claim that they share the same history or production method.
The report relies in part on recommendations and comments from industry professionals, including Ford, Flynn, Curiel and Alexandra Purcaru, co-founder and beverage director at Selva Bar in Oaxaca. It identifies specific production details—for example, the Krassel family’s history of distilling aguardiente in Oaxaca dates to the 1930s—but does not provide a complete account of every producer or category.
““Mexico has some of the most incredible distilling traditions, ingredients, and producers in the world.””
— Gabe Ford, bar director at Austin’s Modern Bar, quoted by VinePair
Availability and List Scope
The supplied report does not state the publication date, prices or retail availability of the 10 bottles, and it does not say whether they can be found nationwide or outside Mexico. It also does not provide a formal ranking or explain that these are the only bottles worth trying; the article presents selected recommendations. Some descriptions and evaluations, such as a spirit’s flavor or versatility, are attributed opinions from drinks professionals rather than independently measured findings.
The source excerpt ends during its discussion of sotol and does not include the complete entries for all 10 bottles. The listed products above are therefore limited to the names and details supplied in the source material; the remaining recommendations and their descriptions cannot be verified from that excerpt.
Check Bottles and Local Stock
For readers interested in the recommendations, the next step is to check the full VinePair article for its complete 10-bottle list and consult local retailers, bars or producers for current stock and product details. Availability, pricing and distribution can vary by location, and the source does not give a timeline for changes to the selection.
Key Questions
What is the report about?
VinePair recommends Mexican-made bottles beyond tequila and mezcal, spanning categories such as gin, liqueur, aperitivo, sake, charanda, whiskey, rum and sotol.
Which bottle is made from native Mexican corn?
Maíz Nation Blanco Whiskey is distilled from four native corn varieties sourced directly from small farmers, according to the report.
Is sotol made from agave?
No. The report says sotol is distilled from Dasylirion, a desert plant native to northern Mexico, and is often mistaken for an agave spirit.
What is the alcohol strength of Cartier 30?
VinePair reports that Alambique Serrano Cartier 30 is bottled at 70.3% ABV. That is a high alcohol concentration; follow the bottle’s serving guidance and drink responsibly.
Source: rss
