2024 Q2 Spirited VA - 33

chiles, which Hawkins uses at The Bebedero.
" It's very earthy, with a little bit of spice. "
Mexicans revered this lone predator of
the hardy agave plant. In fact, the plant's
connection to Mayahuel bolstered the
larvae's reputation as an aphrodisiac, as
an aid to fertility and health.
A Showcase of Terroir
While terroir is typically associated with
wine, the varieties of agave that grow in
a diversity of habitats make them equal
in showcasing the effects of growing
conditions.
Del Maguey produces an ever-changing
lineup of small batches from small producers
that highlight the distinctions. Each
bottle comes from a different Mexican
village for a taste of place and culture:
wild agave native to the area, touched by
local strains of yeast, including airborne
yeast, using methods handed down by
family and heritage.
Each bottle shares the details, including
the tabernero, with mezcaleros' names
and images, the agave species along with
its state, region and village, the oven for
cooking the agave, the fuel, the specifics of
the fermentation process, yeast and still,
specifics of distillations and the date, lot
and bottle number.
" These batches come from wild agaves
that took decades to grow [using] a very
natural process that's 400 years old, " says
Hawkins, " so when we talk about the rarity
and scarcity of a spirit, these are the
rarest spirits in the world. They'll never
be duplicated again. "
The Charlottesville
Mezcal Showcase
At The Bebedero, River Hawkins highlights
many of the best and most distinctive mezcals.
While many customers aren't willing
to pay for expensive bottles of mezcal,
they can come to The Bebedero for tastes
of many varieties of the spirit, along with
cocktails and traditional Mexican cuisine.
Hawkins visits Mexico regularly, connects
with new companies, learns what's
available and brings what he can to share
SPIRITED VIRGINIA | APRIL | MAY | JUNE 2024 33
with customers. Getting the bottles in
through bureaucratic channels can be
challenging. Each new expression entails
fresh paperwork, and he often has to purchase
an entire case of a product, especially
expensive ones. But Virginia ABC works
with him, enabling him to share his passion
with customers.
In addition to stocking the bar, he
teaches classes, both in Charlottesville
and elsewhere.
" I teach about mezcal and tequila in
order to give people a little bit of knowledge,
and if they have a little bit of knowledge
then they'll have a little bit of love, too, "
he says. " That's why The Bebedero is doing
so great and has been able to survive so
long, because I have educated the public
and created an infrastructure of mezcal
lovers in my region. They come back to
us over and over again wanting to try a
new mezcal.
" Once people are educated about how
fascinating it is, it's easy for them to love. "
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2024 Q2 Spirited VA

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