NETA Coyote Capòn + Espadin Capòn - Prizefighter Exclusive Batch

50% ABV

We are delighted to offer our first exclusive batch of Mezcal from our dear friends at NETA. It is a 50/50 blend of capòn Espadin (Agave Angustifolia) and capòn Coyote (Agave Iyobaa) from Maestro Ramòn Garcìa Sànchez in the village of Logoche, Miahuatlàn, Oaxaca. This Coyote is a rare local hybrid that is now cultivated on their family land. Capòn is the process of cutting the sprouting seed stalk when the plant is at full maturity, and leaving the agave in the ground for a further 6-12 months for additional "aging" in the field. 

The fully mature Capòn agaves were roasted in an earthen pit for 3 days and mashed with machetes and a mechanical shredder that is similar to a wood chipper. The agaves were co-fermented with rain water (the label has a misprint that says well water) and native, ambient yeasts in Montezuma cypress wood tanks. It was double distilled in copper pots and adjusted with puntas y colas, or the heads and tails of the distillation. 

On the nose, there are notes of tamarind, roasty agave and marigolds. A truly inviting and delightful aroma. On the palate, it is complex and moreish with flavors of sweetcorn, a soft acidity, and a character that we can only describe as "Miahuateco" or expressive of the Mezcales from this area of the Miahuatlan region. 

About NETA Spirits:

We have always felt a special connection to NETA because we were the first bar to ever purchase and pour their spirits way back in 2012. Founder Max Rosenstock was introduced to us through a regular customer of ours and he brought us some of the fabulous spirits that would eventually become his brand to taste and see what we thought. It was love at first sight. We have proudly poured his stuff ever since.

NETA works closely with over twenty small, family producers from the southern valleys and hills of Miahuatlán, Oaxaca, many of whom are members of the cooperative Grupo Productor Logoche. Situated at the southern tip of the Central Valleys and the foot of the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains, the area is renowned for the strong character of its people, its diverse landscapes, and the rich agricultural and culinary traditions that have been maintained throughout generations. As such, the region has preserved its reputation for producing some of the finest spirits in Mexico.

The recipes and knowledge have been passed down and shared through family and community ties. Some mezcaleros follow their grandfathers’ traditions to the letter, while others experiment to carefully fine-tune the laborious process in accordance with their own tastes, observations, and relationships with the natural world. No two productions can ever be exactly the same as environmental conditions, water, natural yeasts, and soil types all contribute to their nuances just as much as the touch of their maker.

Since 2012, our friendships and working relationships with families in rural communities across Miahuatlán have granted us participation in a world elusive to those not born into it. It is this humbling privilege that allows us to present a carefully curated selection of extraordinary spirits that would otherwise never be found outside of their place of origin. Así es, la mera mera NETA.

Traditional single-batch agave spirits

NETA exclusively commercializes single-batch agave spirits from producers in Miahuatlán and almost entirely from the 110-person village of Logoche. When talking about "single batches" we are referring to lots produced from a single oven or harvest of agave. The process of crafting these batches begins with the harvest of mature en guía or capón plants, often of various species or types of agave around the time of the full moon, that are then cooked together in a conical earthen pit. The roasted agave hearts or piñas are then either separated and designated for multiple smaller batches, or macerated and fermented together in their entirety to make a single batch. In accordance with traditional practices, the spirits produced from different ovens are not blended, homogenized, or standardized to a particular ABV. Each production is unique and bottled at still-strength by members and family members of the co-op and the quantity produced is relative to the number of agave cooked in an oven and their respective yield. Agave spirits are agricultural products, and the quantities of production should reasonably reflect the availability of local resources.