Koch

Koch Mezcal: History, Heritage & Production

History & Heritage

Koch Mezcal is a craft mezcal brand from Oaxaca, Mexico, dedicated to preserving traditional mezcal-making techniques while promoting sustainability and fair trade. Founded by Carlos Moreno, Koch Mezcal has been instrumental in revitalizing indigenous production methods and supporting small-scale mezcaleros (mezcal producers).

Carlos Moreno’s family has been linked to mezcal since the beginning of the 20th century. In 2009, Carlos resumed the family tradition and teamed up with 5th generation maestro mezcalero Pedro Hernandez to create Koch El Mezcal de Oaxaca, with the goal of preserving and promoting mezcal culture. After 10 years of business, they’ve now integrated more than 15 communities and 50 producing families into their collective. 

Koch is known for working with multiple family-run palenques (distilleries) across different regions of Oaxaca, including San Baltazar Guelavila, San Dionisio Ocotepec, and Santa Maria Sola. By sourcing agave from diverse terroirs, Koch offers a wide variety of unique expressions, showcasing the depth of mezcal’s flavors.

The brand emphasizes biodiversity and sustainability, cultivating rare and wild agave species and implementing reforestation projects to protect the fragile ecosystem.

Production Process

Koch Mezcal follows traditional artisanal and ancestral mezcal-making methods, which include:

1. Agave Selection & Harvesting

• Koch Mezcal uses a wide variety of agaves, including Espadín, Tobalá, Tepeztate, Madrecuishe, and Arroqueño.
• The agaves are grown in the wild or cultivated and harvested at maturity (7-25 years, depending on the species).

2. Roasting (Cooking)

• The harvested agaves are slow-roasted in earthen pits lined with volcanic stones, using wood-fired heat.
• The underground roasting process lasts 3-5 days, caramelizing the agave and giving mezcal its signature smoky character.

3. Milling & Fermentation

• The cooked agave hearts (piñas) are crushed either by a tahona (stone mill) pulled by a horse/mule or by hand with wooden mallets (in ancestral methods).
• The crushed agave fibres and juice are naturally fermented in wooden vats using wild airborne yeasts for 7-12 days.

4. Distillation

• Koch Mezcal is distilled in copper pot stills (artisanal method) or clay pot stills (ancestral method), depending on the variety.
• Typically, the mezcal undergoes double distillation to refine flavors and remove impurities.

5. Aging & Bottling

• Most of Koch’s mezcals are bottled joven (unaged) to highlight the agave’s pure flavours.
• Some limited editions undergo aging in oak barrels for reposado or añejo expressions, but aging is rare in traditional mezcal.

Koch Mezcal Expressions & Agave Varieties

Koch offers a diverse range of mezcals made from different agave species:

• Espadín – Balanced, smoky, and versatile (most common).
• Tobalá – Fruity, floral, and complex, with a rich minerality.
• Tepeztate – Herbal, earthy, and intensely aromatic.
• Madrecuishe – Dry, vegetal, and mineral-driven.
• Arroqueño – Rich, full-bodied, and slightly sweet.

Why Koch Mezcal Stands Out

Sustainability: Agave reforestation projects to prevent overharvesting.
Fair Trade & Community Support: Works with multiple Oaxacan mezcaleros, ensuring fair wages.
Traditional & Ancestral Production: Authentic methods that preserve indigenous mezcal heritage.
Diverse Agave Selection: Offers mezcals from both cultivated and wild agave, creating unique flavour profiles.