Ilegal Joven 70cl
First things first — this is mezcal, not tequila. Ilegal Joven comes from Oaxaca, specifically the Santiago Matatlán valley, and it's made from 100% espadín agave rather than the blue Weber that goes into tequila. That distinction matters, because the whole character here is built on smoke and place.
The story is worth telling. John Rexer ran a bar called Café No Sé in Antigua, Guatemala, and around 2004 he started smuggling unbranded Oaxacan mezcal across the border to keep it stocked — duffel bags under buses, a river crossing, once dressed as a priest, by his own account. He formalised it as Ilegal in 2006, name and all. It's now made with the Hernández family, fourth-generation mezcaleros, and it's additive-free.
The smoke comes from roasting the agave in earthen pits lined with river stones over several days. The nose opens floral — fresh flowers, a little pipe tobacco and peppermint, with smoky agave underneath. The palate turns sweeter than you'd expect: caramel, a hint of raisin, dried herbs and black pepper. It finishes floral and faintly smoky rather than a bonfire — this is a joven, so the smoke is a whisper, not a shout. At 40% it's expressive and lively.
If tequila is the gateway, mezcal is the rabbit hole. This is a brilliant place to start falling in.
How to Serve
Neat in a copita or a small clay cup at room temperature, taken in small sips — kiss it, don't gulp it, as the mezcaleros say. It also makes a smoky, grown-up margarita or a mezcal Negroni. No ice needed for sipping.
Where to Drink It
Soho Whisky Club, for a spirit worth exploring properly. Swift in Soho, for a mezcal cocktail done right. Black Rock in Shoreditch, for the smoke-curious.
Food Pairings
Try it with grilled octopus and a squeeze of lime — char meets char. Or sip it alongside a wedge of orange dusted with chilli salt, the classic Oaxacan way.
