Alipús San Andrés Espadín Mezcal

Product Description

Alipús San Andrés Mezcal: Small-Village Espadín from Don Valente Ángel

Alipús San Andrés is a traditional espadín mezcal from a family distillery in the Miahuatlán valley of Oaxaca, and it’s often the bottle people point to when they say they want to move up in mezcal without paying for a collector’s bottle. The distiller, Don Valente Ángel García Juárez, makes it by hand, and his name is on the project: Alipús is the single-village line that Los Danzantes launched in 1999 to bottle individual family palenques and put the maker’s name on the label. The goal is to give small distilleries a wider market so they can keep making mezcal the old way.

San Andrés is an unaged joven bottled at about 47% ABV. Importer notes call it complex, rich, and intensely floral. One of our favorite descriptions from a staff review says the smoke stays in the background, “acting as the fixative” that keeps the sweet, creamy flavor from getting cloying. It’s a good first mezcal for sipping and a good one to mix.

How Alipús San Andrés Is Made

The agave is espadín (Agave angustifolia), grown at roughly 5,000 feet on thin, rocky, limestone- and shale-rich hills in the Miahuatlán valley. It’s fermented with wild yeasts in cypress vats and double-distilled in a copper pot still by Don Valente Ángel. Because it’s a small-batch product from a family palenque, lots differ slightly, and the ABV runs between about 46.8% and 47.5%.

San Andrés vs. San Andrés Ensamble

This bottle is 100% espadín. The separate San Andrés Ensamble blends 80% espadín with 20% semi-wild bicuishe, which adds more floral lift and minerality. If you want to compare the two side by side, we carry both.

Tasting Notes

Notes combine importer and critic descriptions. Lots vary.

Aroma: Fragrant and floral, with fruit, grilled fruit, and wet stone.

Palate: Sweet, creamy, and fruity, with citrus (orange and grapefruit), sweet almond, black pepper, and baking spice, with gentle smoke in the background.

Finish: Long and dry, with lime, peppercorn, and a mineral, stony edge.

Food Pairings

Mezcal is a food-friendly spirit. San Andrés goes well with tacos al pastor, grilled meats, mole, and ceviche. It also pairs with Oaxacan cheese, grilled pineapple and mango, and dark chocolate.

Serving Suggestions

Sip it neat in a copita or small glass with an orange slice on the side, which is the traditional way. It’s also a strong base for cocktails: a Mezcal Margarita, a Paloma, or a mezcal Old Fashioned, where the smoke stays gentle and the agave shows through.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Alipús San Andrés smoky? A little. The smoke is gentle and sits behind the floral, fruity agave character.

What agave is it made from? 100% espadín.

What’s the proof? About 94 proof (about 47% ABV). It varies slightly by lot.

Is it aged? No. It’s a joven (unaged) mezcal.

Who makes it? Don Valente Ángel García Juárez and his family in Oaxaca, for the Alipús village-mezcal line from Los Danzantes.

How is it different from the San Andrés Ensamble? The Ensamble adds 20% bicuishe and is more floral and mineral. This bottle is all espadín.

Is it good for cocktails? Yes, especially margaritas and palomas, but it’s good enough to sip.

Explore More

Want to explore the line? Shop the full Alipús collection for more village mezcals, or try the Alipús San Andrés Ensamble for a side-by-side tasting. Browse our Mezcal collection for more.

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