Pechuga Mezcal

In the third run the still is loaded with wild fruit, nuts, grains and spices — apple, plum, pineapple, almond, rice, cinnamon, clove — and a cleaned raw breast is suspended in the vapour path. The protein contributes almost no flavour of its own; fat and protein strip harsh volatiles and leave the spirit rounder and glossier.

The result is a silky mezcal with orchard fruit, marzipan, baking spice and a savoury undertone, made in tiny quantities for weddings, baptisms and Day of the Dead. Prices reflect the extra agave, extra fuel and the batch size.

Variations abound: pechuga de conejo with rabbit, venado with venison, de mole with the family mole ingredients, and vegetarian versions built only from fruit and spice.