Del Amigo Mezcal

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Country of Origin: Mexico
Location: Santiago Matatlán
People: Enrique Jiménez, Owner & Mezcalero

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Del Amigo is the family-owned brand of Maestro Mezcalero Enrique Jiménez of Fidencio Mezcal. For this expression, Enrique uses a unique approach cooking half the estate grown agave using radiant heat for neutral flavor, while pit roasting the other half, offering extraordinary taste for an exceptional value.

Fabrica de Mezcal del Amigo
Fabrica de Mezcal del Amigo is the distillery that produces Fidencio Mezcal. Fidencio Jiménez, the namesake of Fidencio Mezcal, began making mezcal over 100 years ago after moving to Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca. His journey as a mezcalero was one of trial and error, learning from peers and his mistakes. In those early days, equipment was crafted from the land: clay pots were used for fermentation, distillation, and storage, while river reeds served as tubing. Fidencio worked closely with his son, Enrique, to perfect their craft and pass their knowledge to the next generation.

When Fidencio's grandson, Isaac Jiménez, became the mezcalero, several technological advancements were adopted. In the 1930s, the introduction of copper stills greatly improved both the efficiency and safety of production. In 1943, the Pan-American Highway reached Oaxaca, revolutionizing the region by making transportation faster and cheaper. Around this time, oak barrels replaced clay pots for storage, which led to an unexpected development: aging. A batch of mezcal, often transported town by town, sometimes took months to sell. During this time in the oak barrels, the mezcal absorbed additional, complex flavors.

By the 1950s, business was thriving, and profits were reinvested to purchase land and expand the agave fields, giving the family complete control over quality and production. By the 1980s, the Jiménez family was aging, bottling, and exporting their mezcal. The torch was passed to the fourth generation of Jiménez mezcaleros: brothers Octavio and Enrique. While Enrique learned the craft during his youth, he left to attend university in Oaxaca, where he earned a degree in industrial chemical engineering. Unable to resist the call of his roots, Enrique returned to the family business, bringing fresh ideas. In 1993, Octavio and Enrique began bottling under their brand Mezcal del Maestro.

Always an innovator, Enrique dreamed of creating a mezcal that was the purest expression of Espadín. In 2006, Enrique branched out on his own to build a new distillery: Fabrica de Mezcal del Amigo. Designed entirely by Enrique, this distillery retained traditional features while incorporating a revolutionary radiant heat oven, inspired by tequila distilleries. The first of its kind in Oaxaca, this oven became the cornerstone of Fidencio Unico (Sin Humo). Today, Enrique brings generations of tradition to Fidencio Mezcal and his own label, Del Amigo. Under his leadership, the family also biodynamically farms much of their agave, with 100% of the Espadín estate-grown for their mezcal production.