# The best mezcal brands

The mezcals experts and bartenders keep recommending, according to Esquire and Business Insider (2020) and the Bartender Spirits Awards (2022): Del Maguey and Vago for purists, Montelobos and El Silencio for beginners.

- 41 votes · 14 items
- Aug 23, 2024 · reviewer_cardiff
- https://even.best/en/l/917/the-best-mezcal-brands

## Top 12

1. **Del Maguey** (6 · ▲6 ▼0) — Ron Cooper's single-village mezcals, the brand that introduced mezcal to the world.
2. **Mezcal Vago** (5 · ▲5 ▼0) — Small-batch mezcals from named mezcaleros, praised for wild-agave expressions.
3. **El Silencio Espadín** (4 · ▲5 ▼1) — Bartenders' mixing mezcal, top of the Bartender Spirits Awards list.
4. **Montelobos** (4 · ▲4 ▼0) — Organic espadín by Iván Saldaña, smooth enough for beginners.
5. **Real Minero** (4 · ▲4 ▼0) — Clay-pot distilled mezcals from Santa Catarina Minas.
6. **Casamigos Mezcal Joven** (3 · ▲3 ▼0) — George Clooney's brand's espadín, second for the Bartender Spirits Awards.
7. **Ilegal** (2 · ▲3 ▼1) — Oaxacan espadín born in a Guatemalan bar, joven, reposado and añejo.
8. **Rey Campero** (2 · ▲2 ▼0) — Wild agaves like tepeztate and madrecuixe from Candelaria Yegolé.
9. **Gem & Bolt** (2 · ▲2 ▼0) — Mezcal infused with damiana flower.
10. **Bozal** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Ensamble and wild-agave mezcals from Guerrero, Durango and Oaxaca.
11. **Madre Mezcal** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Espadín-cuishe blend with herbal smoke.
12. **Los Amantes** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Joven and reposado mezcals from Oaxaca city's famous bar.
13. **Mezcal Unión** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Co-operative mezcal from small producers in Oaxaca.
14. **Rosaluna** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Approachable artisanal joven, third in the same list.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.