Ilegal Mezcal

Region: Mexico

HISTORY
Around 2004, Ilegal’s founder John Rexer began bringing mezcal down from Oaxaca to Antigua to supply his bar, Café No Sé. The mezcal became popular very quickly. At the time, he was bringing down unbranded mezcal from a variety of villages in Oaxaca that included: Tlacolula, San Lorenzo, Sola De Vega, Santa Catarina Minas, Hierve el Agua, Santiago Matatlan and a few others.

In 2006, John created the brand Ilegal, originally just to supply his bar in Guatemala. On the back of each bottle of Ilegal you will find it says “Originally produced for: Café No Sé, Mezcal Bar.”

OUR LIQUID
Certified as Artisinal by the CRM, made in Oaxaca, agave forward, with a hint of smoke. Approachable and versatile. Rough-luxe. Can be served neat or in cocktails. We only use espadin agave becasue it is cultivated and sustainable.

• Simple Portfolio: Joven, Reposado & Añejo
• One of the few brands that has aged mezcals
• We pride ourselves on our aged mezcals as well as our Joven

THE GIST OF IT

Ilegal is the leading artisanal mezcal in the U.S. It is from Oaxaca, Mexico and made with sustainable espadin agave. It is smooth and approachable, and perfect for drinking neat or in cocktails. It’s an ultra-premium spirit. The flavor profile is a mouthful of sweet agave with a hint of smoke. It comes in Joven, Reposado, and Añejo. It’s called Ilegal because the owner used to smuggle it out of Mexico to Guatemala when he first started the brand. There are some pretty crazy stories.