Mezcal lovers: 3 actions to take when someone offers you a shot of George Clooney’s mezcal.

George Clooney with his brand Casamigos is the new player in the mezcal business. The statistics regarding mezcal say that the demand will increase but the artisanal process and the cultural traditions around the beverage are in risk. 

In Agavache we promote artisanal mezcal of small batches from small producers, whom care about the quality, respect the environment and honor the ancient mexican traditions; thus we are concerned about the future of the drink and the impact that big companies or new players like George Clooney have in the industry. 

picture from Casamigos

Casamigos tequila brand was co-founded by George Clonney in 2013 and last year was bought by Diageo for $1 billion dollars.  Diageo has big plans to continue to grow the brand internationally by adding to Casamigos tequila , the upcoming release Casamigos mezcal. Information that was disclosed byRachel Artur, via Beverage daily.com 

After the success of their tequila, Clooney and his partners Rande Gerber (Cindy Crawford's husband) and real estate developer Mike Meldman, have launched mezcal, another high-end mexican spirit, but with the main difference that it is made in traditional artisanal way by families rather than in big industrial settings for tequila. Tomé Mossissy Swan, in Telegraph UK  interviewed Gomez Resendiz, from tequila Tequila & mezcal fest and he described Clooney's entry into the mezcal world like a double-edged sword because “It's great to have the power of a global celebrity behind a product” but also “it could encourage a surge of inferior quality industrial mezcals, with people jumping on the bandwagon of the Clooney effect. It will be amazing if more people are introduced to mezcal," he told the Telegraph.

“I hope they will respect the Mexican traditions and look after the families involved on the production because one of the biggest factors about mezcal is the hand of the maker." 

Now, if you are a bartender or a mezcal lover and someone offers you a shot, you should take 3 actions:

• Taste it, but not like shot; taste it in sips: mezcal is a handcraft beverage with complex flavours from the agave, terroir and process, so you should drink it like wine or whiskey.

• Buy one, if you like it: because at this moment, the product is handmade using the traditional process, but in the future, with high popularity and big distribution demands, it can be industrialized with the same methods from his partner brand, Casamigos tequila.

• Search and try other brands: without the Hollywood influence, but with the same (or superior) quality and a fair trade and environmental program, for example the Bat Friendly certificate. 

Take these actions and tell us about your experience with this new Hollywood mezcal.

Mabi Cuishe

tw: @MabiCuishe

twitter: @agavache / facebook: Agavache / instagram: Agavache

With an industrial design and marketing background, I decided to found Agavache with my partner Alejandro, to promote mezcal from a cultural identity and socially responsible perspective. It’s not just about selling it, it’s about making each sip transcend into a consciousness educated by the magic, traditions and work that goes into making the elixir.