Erstwhile Espadín Capón Mezcal (2018 Limited Edition)

Erstwhile Mezcal is a boutique importer of agave spirits based in Brooklyn, New York. We specialize in artisanal and ancestral mezcal.

Erstwhile is a mission-driven company.  Our mission is to help small, independent, family-operated producers go global and reach international consumers for the first time.  Our core values include: autonomy for and fair trade with partner producers, mezcal education to empower consumers, transparency, and elevating women in Mezcal and the broader Wine & Spirits industry.

This Capón-style mezcal is a special distillation of only 100 liters - made from homegrown Espadín piñas, grown and cared for with love and with pride, on the late master mezcalero Juan Hernández Méndez’s own land.

“Capón” refers to a particular treatment of agave plants prior to harvest.  It can be applied to all agave varietals, including but not limited to Espadín.  After cutting the budding quiote off a mature agave, the plant is intentionally left alone and continues living for a period of time before it is harvested for mezcal production.  Producers do this to ensure extra ripe agaves.  We think of capón as an extra ripe, extra sweet agave – both because the existing sugar content is essentially trapped within the piña after the quiote is cut, and because photosynthesis from that point on continues to produce additional sugar.