#1. Ilegal Mezcal Añejo
Looking to sample an aged mezcal? Go for this Ilegal Añejo. And if you’re curious about the brand’s name, there’s a good story. The founder of Ilegal, John Rexer, used to smuggle mezcal from Mexico to his Bar, Café No Sé, in Antigua. After realizing how good the stuff was, Rexer went legit with the foundation of Ilegal in 2006.
“The idea with Bar Ilegal is to bring a lifestyle to mezcal fans in the U.S.,” says Gilbert Marquez, Ilegal’s Global Brand Ambassador and a first-generation Mexican-American (and former bartender, punk rock musician and current part-time hatmaker). “We pop up at local venues in 13 U.S. cities and bring a taste of Ilegal through inventive cocktails, live music, on-site tattoo artists and more — it’s a way to experience the birthplace of Ilegal and create a memorable time for consumers with varying levels of mezcal knowledge.”
Which might be the smartest way to introduce a mezcal to the masses — associate it with good times. There’s a reason Ilegal touts itself as the “no. 1 most recognized mezcal,” as it’s probably one of only a handful of brands that casual drinkers could name.
Less visibly, Marquez and Ilegal also host several trade events for bartenders and other drinks professionals — having respected mixologists tout mezcal and use it creatively is certainly a tried and true way to bring recognition to a category.
Still, even with solid growth, the Ilegal team doesn’t have grand visions of mezcal becoming a dominating force in the drinks world — their production methods won’t allow it.
When to use mezcal or tequila? Since mezcal and tequila are both made from agave, they work well in similar drinks. [Ilegal Global Brand Ambassador Gilbert] Marquez uses the mantra, “if it grows together, it goes together.”
“For me, flavors that are endemic to Mexico will always pair well with mezcal or tequila,” he says. Flavors like citrus, agave nectar, and peppers pair well with both liquors. You also can’t go wrong with salt and lime.
Since mezcal has a smokier flavor, it can add depth to cocktails typically associated with tequila, like a margarita or paloma.
The Paste Studio on the Road goes international this week, streaming live from Café No Sé in the beautiful city of Antigua, Guatemala, thanks to our friends at Ilegal Mezcal. We’ll be at the legendary mezcal bar and intimate music venue in the heart of the historic district on Thursday, Dec. 16, with performances from Gaby Moreno, El David Aguilar, Silvana Estrada, Lau Noah and SUSU.
“Until 2020 I had never been one to care much about which, if any, liquor I have at home. But needless to say, this year is different, and a well-stocked liquor cabinet has become a big priority. As a devoted mezcal drinker, one of my number one go-to bottles to always keep around is Ilegal Mezcal Joven. Perfectly smooth and lightly smokey, this mezcal is excellent for drinking on-the-rocks but also makes for a great cocktail. A personal favorite is using it in place of tequila in a Margarita, both classic and frozen, or in this Mezcal Negroni.” — Elsa Säätelä, senior producer
The Bronx Brewery and Ilegal Mezcal announced a limited-release, mezcal margarita-inspired collab that brings the two NYC-based brands together to create a new kind of hard seltzer – Side Hustle Seltzerita, a 7% ABV hard seltzer bursts with grapefruit, lime and bravo hops, with bright mezcal flavor from aging with Ilegal oak staves.
The seltzer officially launches on May 7, with a joint event in The Bronx Brewery’s Backyard. Paying homage to both brands’ spiritual centers, the night will combine the unique experience from both The Backyard and Ilegal’s Café No Sé, in Guatemala. The musical lineup will feature DJ Mickey Perez, Jeremy Bosch Sextet and DJ Rich Kidd, along with special guests, food and drink activations and more.
“We have always been fans of Bronx Brewery at Ilegal, so we were immediately excited when they approached us about the collaboration,” said Kaylan Rexer, Chief Marketing Officer at Ilegal Mezcal. “There are so many crossovers in how both brands value music, art, and community. The can itself is a beautiful piece of artwork that represents the sharing of cultures. Plus, the product tastes delicious!”
“People are looking for quality products with authentic stories and transparency in brand values,” says Kaylan Rexer, the chief marketing officer at Ilegal Mezcal. “You don’t get a more hand-crafted, quality product than artisanal mezcal.”
As 2021 progresses, Rexer predicts a bright future for the mezcal category. “We see consumer interest in mezcal and in premium agave spirits continuing to grow in the coming years,” she says. “We are forecasting growth not just in our major markets but across the country. Mezcal will be a staple on every cocktail menu and off-premise retail shelf.”
Part of this will be integrating the spirit into classic, mezcal-friendly cocktails like the margarita and Paloma. To help propel the trend and encourage at-home engagement with the spirit, Ilegal recently introduced margarita kits for retail and e-commerce sales, and launched a direct-to-consumer website.
Brian Cox, Dewar’s VP of Marketing: “Ilegal Smooth is the first of its kind in terms of a mezcal finished blended Scotch whisky, and we wanted to use that moment to reflect the category’s progressive, new face while also inviting new whisky appreciators to discover this partnership.
It also showcased the commonalities between the founders of Ilegal Mezcal and Dewar’s Scotch whisky: having this passion for creating something new on an ambitious scale while delivering the very best ultra-premium smooth spirit. And Ilegal Mezcal is unique and special amongst Mezcals – a great product and wonderful brand too.”
“Oaxaca is known for mezcal—but it’s also known for chocolate, and they play wonderfully together. Hot chocolate is so comforting in the colder months, especially this holiday season when socially distanced gatherings are outside. Spicing it up with mezcal gives it a slight peppery and earthy element, which balances the richness and subtle sweetness of Organic Mixology’s dark chocolate and sea salt liqueur. Mr. Black’s single-origin coffee liqueur adds a little bitterness and a caffeine kick, while the orange bitters offers a dash of citrus to round out the cocktail. Twenty-twenty has been a rough year and I think everyone could use a hug.” —Claire Mallett, bartender at Catch One, Los Angeles
“This is a fun twist on classic michelada—with a touch yuzu and black pepper, it gives the drink a nice citrus and smoky note. It’s easy to make and also very easy to drink.” — GN Chan, founder at Double Chicken Please, New York City
Follow the link to see these recipes and more!
When Herminio Torres, a senior marketing manager for Ilegal Mezcal, heard that staff at the Bronx’s Lincoln Medical Center was surviving 20-hour shifts on peanut butter and jelly, he teamed up with his brother Alejandro, owner of Brooklyn’s El Gallo Taqueria, and delivered burritos to the medics. Thus was born HospUnited. In three months, Torres dropped off 25,000 meals (mostly donated by restaurants) to workers at seven New York medical facilities. Ilegal Mezcal helped fund and market the effort as well.
In June, with the ebb of New York City’s coronavirus curve, Torres morphed HospUnited into a new organization, Humans4, partnering with the non-profit Mixteca Organization to feed Brooklyn’s undocumented Latinx population. It’s work informed by his own background. “I’m a first-generation Mexican-American. My parents immigrated here in the late 1980s. We knew what struggle was like,” says Torres. “I have a job. I am not struggling, and I feel a moral obligation to do something.”