Pensador creates Espadín mezcal for cocktails

Mezcal brand Pensador has debuted its second expression, a bottling developed for mixing that is made with 100% espadín agave.

Pensador Espadín is produced by father-and-son mezcaleros Atenógenes and Jose García for the Pensador brand.

The new expression uses espadín agave grown exclusively in Miahuatlán in Oaxaca, Mexico. It is made according to mezcal artesanal specifications, and is double distilled in a 300-litre copper pot still.

Its ‘approachable’ flavour profile is described as earthy, with herbaceous notes of rosemary, thyme and juniper, plus a floral finish with camomile and honeysuckle. The 48% ABV liquid was developed with cocktails in mind, though it is also recommended as a sipping spirit.

To highlight the mezcal’s mixable nature, Pensador tapped bartender Rich Hunt, previously of Mint Gun Club in London, to design riffs on three classic serves: the Margarita, Negroni and Paloma.

The expression is priced at £33, and is available to purchase on pensadormezcal.com. 10% of the proceeds from each bottle sold will be donated to the community of Miahuatlán through Sacred, a non-profit supporting the rural Mexican communities that produce agave spirits.

Pensador was founded by Ben Schroder in 2018, and aims to highlight the terroir of different regions in Mexico. Its first expression, Ensamble, is made with both Espadín and Madrecuishe agave.

According to recent figures from the Consejo Regulador del Mezcal, the mezcal category grew by 18% in value in 2020.