Monte Alban Mezcal, 70cl

Product Information

But since mezcal worms have only appeared in commercially sold bottles since the 1940s and 50s, as mentioned earlier, the second argument isn’t entirely convincing. The investigation of the periods preceding Monte Albán's founding was a major focus in the late 1960s of the Prehistory and Human Ecology Project started by Kent Flannery of the University of Michigan. It is common to use the larva of the maguey worm (caterpillar), which would turn into a rather striking moth (if it was not drowned in alcohol first, the poor thing). On the bright side, I enjoyed it enough that I'll definitely be trying more mezcal, probably looking at the "Illegal reposado" mezcal next as a step up. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below.

As its political power grew, Monte Albán expanded militarily, through cooption, and via outright colonization, into several areas outside the Valley of Oaxaca, including the Cañada de Cuicatlán to the north and the southern Ejutla and Sola de Vega valleys. Over the following two decades, this project documented the development of socio-political complexity in the valley from the earliest Archaic period (c. Agave worms are soaked and pickled in mezcal before they’re bottled, so they definitely pick up an alcoholic bite. Through this diverse approach, Tequila Raiders aims to celebrate not only tequila but the rich tapestry of agave spirits that spans mezcal, raicilla, bacanora, pulque and so much more.BCE – CE 200), Monte Albán had an estimated population of 17,200, [5] :139 making it one of the largest Mesoamerican cities at the time. Whether or not this is a clever marketing gimmick to distinguish it from tequila or an age-old tradition is a highly debated topic. Chances are that anything close to a hallucination is going to be from consuming copious amounts of mezcal, not from a single worm.

The journey wasn’t even 30 minutes, so we still got to Monte Albán long enough before the opening time (which was at 10 AM).We visited both and maybe the reason why we didn’t like Mitla and the rest is that it was with a tour. In reality, they are one of two types of mezcal larvae, either a meocuile (white maguey worm), or a chilocuile (red maguey worm). Back in the day, the people—Jimadors—who harvested the agave on the plantation would often end up with bottles that contained similarly colored liquids. When they ran out of their traditional rum, the battle-scarred fighters looked for something else to celebrate with. The structures are not laid out in a symmetrical fashion, as the distances between the structures vary greatly from building to building.

We also don’t really like being hoarded from one place to another all the time, you can’t hang around a place you enjoy longer, and when the guide sucks… Well, you’re screwed, because you still need to listen to him. We’ll get more into this a little later, but for now, know this: the larvae haven’t been used for centuries. For those who are truly open to tasting and deciphering liquors of all styles and sources, it’s actually sort of an interesting little brew. The archaeological ruins on the nearby Atzompa and El Gallo hills to the north are traditionally considered to be an integral part of the ancient city as well.

Tilcajete might have actively opposed incorporation into the increasingly powerful Monte Albán state. In Scott Hutson's analysis of the relationships between the commoners and the elites in Monte Alban, he notes that the monumental mounds found within the site seemed to be evenly spaced throughout the area. To bring you our insightful drinks reviews, we use a combination of tasting sets, miniatures, full-sized bottles, plus visits and toursof distilleries, breweries and wine tastings, plus bars and pubs worldwide. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page. A recent project directed by Charles Spencer and Elsa Redmond of the American Museum of Natural History in New York has shown that, rather than being abandoned, the site grew significantly in population during the periods Monte Albán Early I and Late I (c.