Spirits · Oaxaca
Espina Negra
Family-made mezcal from the Cruz Molina brothers of Santa Ana del Río.
- Founded by
- Roque Cruz Molina
- Based in
- Oaxaca
Their story
Espina Negra is made by the Cruz Molina family in Santa Ana del Río, a village about 80 kilometers from Oaxaca City, where they have made mezcal for more than four generations. Mezcalero Roque Cruz Molina works alongside his brothers, including Honorato and Celestino.
The name means "black thorn." Roque chose it after stepping on an agave thorn as a child, a memory that stayed with him into his life as a mezcal maker.
How it's made
Agave is roasted in an earthen pit oven, crushed with a stone tahona and distilled twice in copper. The family bottles several agaves, including Espadín, Tobalá and Tepeztate.
Why we carry them
We like Espina Negra for showing how one family's touch carries across different agaves. Start with the Espadín, then try a wild agave to compare.
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