SEATTLE — Sisters Rosalinda and Elizabeth Mendoza co-founded Mocel Mezcal, as a way to connect more people with a mezcal that comes from Michoacán.
Most of the mezcals in the United States come from the Oaxaca area. They say the Agaves in Michoacán are slightly different, which means a new flavor profile.
"Just imagine if the majority of wine in the U.S. was from one type of variety. Just a Merlot or Syrah. We would be missing out on all these different varieties of wine! And so, with Mocel, we're introducing people to different regions, new agaves and also too, our production process is unique," explained Rosalinda, CEO and Co-Founder of Mocel.
Rosalinda says they use a wooden still to distill the mezcal, a process that is unique to the region.
One agave variety in Mocel can take 8-10 years to mature. Another one, 15-25 years. And that impacts flavor.
Connecting this new beverage to its roots and the traditions is important to Rosalinda and Elizabeth because of their life experience.
Their family is from the Michoacán region, and they grew up in Washington.
"We grew up in the Yakima Valley as farm worker kids," Elizabeth shared. "Summer cherry season, apples in fall; and it gave us a deep appreciation for what it takes to make real food and drink."
Rosalina and Elizabeth also wanted to make sure that the packaging of Mocel reflected the detailed and time intensive process that goes into making the beverage itself.
"The bottle is made by a family of artisans in Mexico and all design elements are inspired by the region of Michoacán," Rosalinda said.
"Even the design elements, the unstitching and the stitching is made by women co-ops," Elizabeth explained. "We wanted to make sure it wasn't just a beautiful box you throw away, but there was a second use."
"Mocel means only you in the Indigenous language in Mexico. The reason we call the spirt Mocel is because there's only you and every batch is unique; every bottle is unique and handmade. So, you have all these beautiful imperfections," Rosalinda explained.
Mocel Mezcal only has two ingredients, Agave and Water, but the taste is more complex, thanks to nature, tradition, and two sisters passionate about sharing it.
Mocel can be purchased by the bottle or you can try it at select places in Washington.
- The Deep Dive Bar at the Amazon Spheres
- Mezcaleria Oaxaca
- The Collective
- The Columbia Tower Club
- Russell’s
- Jude’s
- The Whale Wins
- Westward
- Bad Bishop Bar
- TOMO in White Center
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