Barril / Tobasiche - Familia Hernandez

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THE MAESTRO

Gregorio Hernández

Gregorio Hernández tells us that he began making mezcal at the age of 12. He learned the craft from his grandfather, Félix Hernández Álvarez, who had once been in service to the Jesuit hacienda La Compañía de Jesús in Ejutla — the same place that gave its name to the community where “Don Goyo” lives today. The land had once belonged to the Spanish who settled in the Ejutla valley. Although his grandfather was the master distiller in the area, workers on the hacienda were not allowed to drink mezcal. Don Goyo’s journey began in the fields, crushing maguey by hand and working the land where corn and sugarcane grew. Later, he would ride his donkey or horse through nearby villages, selling mezcal door-to-door. Since the 1960s, he’s kept his family’s tradition alive.

Traditional Mezcalero

Ejutla, Oaxaca

Family Legacy Since 1960s

THE BATCH

Ensamble of Barril and Tobasiche (agave karwinskii) which can take 9-11 years to reach full maturity, comes from Don Goyo’s own land, a parcel called El Plan.

The process begins with roasting the maguey in an earth and stone pit oven. After roasting, it is chopped by machete then crushed using a mechanical shredder. The crushed fibers are then fermented in wooden vats for about six to eight days, using deep well water and wild yeast in a process of natural fermentation. Once fermentation is complete, it is distilled only once in a copper pot still with a refrescadera top, a unique distillation technique that creates a bold, rustic flavor. It is an expression true to the land.

Cooking: Earth and stone pit oven
Milling: Shredder
Fermentation: Wooden vats
Water: Deep well
Distillation: Refrescadera
Origin: La Compania

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