MezcalSearch
All brands
mezcal brand

Vago Mezcal

Batch-numbered Oaxacan mezcal built around three named mezcalero families.

62
Bottles
—
Avg rating
8
Producers
Visit website
Region
Oaxaca
Country
Mexico
Agaves
Espadin, Mexicano, Tepextate, Tobala, Arroqueño, Barril, Sierra Negra, Blanco
ABV range
43% – 52.6%
Styles
Joven, Pechuga, Ensamble, ["Ensamble", "Joven"], ["Joven", "Pechuga"], Blend
Spirits
Mezcal, Unknown
NOM
NOM-O188X

Mezcal Vago began as a personal project between Judah Kuper and the family of his father-in-law, Aquilino García López, in Candelaria Yegolé. Rather than build a house style, the label bottles each mezcalero separately and prints the batch, the agave, the still and the ABV on every label — so what you buy is a specific distillation, not a repeatable product.

Three producers anchor the range. Aquilino García works in Candelaria Yegolé with copper stills; Emigdio Jarquín distills in clay in Miahuatlán; Salomón Rey Rodríguez makes the label's Sierra Negra and mixed ensambles. Their bottles taste materially different from each other, which is exactly the point.

Elote — espadín re-distilled with toasted corn — is the label's calling card and one of the most recognised mezcals in the US market. Beyond it, the Espadín, Ensamble, Cuixe, Tobalá and Madrecuixe releases rotate with each harvest, so batch numbers matter more than the name on the front.

What Mezcal Vago is known for

Radical label transparency and single-mezcalero batches. Every bottle names the maker, the village, the agave, the oven and the still, and each batch is small enough that flavour genuinely shifts between releases.

Where to start in the range

Elote if you want the signature — toasted corn, sweet smoke, hugely cocktail-friendly. Espadín from Aquilino for the classic house expression, Ensamble en Barro for clay-pot texture, and Cuixe or Madrecuixe when you want the mineral, vegetal side of wild agave.

Who makes Vago Mezcal

Bottles from Vago Mezcal

More expressions on record

Documented in our producer records — photos and tasting notes coming soon.

  • Mezcal Vago EloteElote · 43% · Espadín
  • Mezcal Vago Espadín by EmigdioEspadín by Emigdio · Espadín
  • Mezcal Vago Espadín by JoelEspadín by Joel · Espadín
  • Vago Arroqueño – Emigdio JarquínJoven · 50.7% · Arroqueño
  • Vago Cuixe – Emigdio Jarquin RamirezJoven · 50% · Cuishe
  • Vago Ensamble – Aquilino Garcia LopezEnsamble · 50.9% · Cuishe, Espadin
  • Vago Ensamble – Emigdio Jarquin RamirezEnsamble · 50% · Cuishe, Espadin
  • Vago Espadin en BarroJoven · 51% · Espadin
  • Vago Madre Cuixe – Aquilino Garcia LopezJoven · 51% · Madrecuishe
  • Vago Madre Cuixe – Emigdio Jarquin RamirezJoven · 50% · Madrecuishe
  • Vago Mexicano
  • Vago Mexicano – AquilinoJoven · 50% · Mexicano
  • Vago Mexicano – Hijos de Aquilino GarciaJoven · 50% · Mexicano
  • Vago Pechuga
  • Vago Sierra Negra – AquilinoJoven · 51.3% · Sierra Negra
  • Vago Tepeztate – Emigdio Jarquin RamirezJoven · 50% · Tepextate
  • Vago Tobala – Emigdio Jarquin RamirezJoven · 50% · Tobala
  • Vago Tobala en BarroJoven · 48% · Tobala

Vago Mezcal — frequently asked

What is Vago Elote?
An espadín mezcal re-distilled with toasted corn suspended in the still, giving a sweet, grainy, lightly smoky profile that works both neat and in cocktails.
Why does each Vago bottle taste different?
Every release is a small single batch from a named mezcalero, so agave lot, oven, still and season all change between bottlings.