Mezcal Carreño Celebrates Two Years
Ivan Carreño and Abel Arriaga conducting a mezcal seminar at JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort
It’s no secret that I love Mezal Carreño, an award-winning mezcal with Phoenix ties. In fact, I remember my very first sip, at a dinner where I met owner Ivan Carreño. He poured me a glass of his Ensamble 7, a smoky, complex, balanced blend of seven wild agaves (Tobalá, Tobasiche, Tepeztate, Cuishe, Lumbre, Coyote and Espadín) and I was hooked. I’ve been an ardent fan ever since.
Since that time, I’ve had a chance to explore the nuances of Mezcal Carreño’s other fantastic expressions - Tobalá, Tepeztate, Tobasiche, and NARAN, the newest mezcal. I’ve enjoyed their cocktails around town, celebrated releases, and am now honored to count Ivan Carreño and his partner Abel Arriaga as friends. Click the photo below to read my past interview with Abel as he explains the Mezcal Carreño story.
Most recently, I was able to celebrate the two-year anniversary of the first bottles of Mezcal Carreño being sold in Arizona at a sold-out cocktail dinner at Highball in downtown Phoenix.
And there is a lot to celebrate! Even in a year of COVID restrictions, Compa Spirits, the US operations arm of this family-owned mezcal brand, continues to grow and is now in 260 accounts across Arizona. Year two also marked some exciting milestones. Mezcal Carreño was awarded “Best Mezcal” by the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and “Best Mezcal” 2020 by Phoenix New Times for the second year in a row.
Compa Spirits also released mezcal NARAN Espadín. Exclusive outdoor full moon events (NARAN means “eclipse of the moon” in the Oaxacan language of Trique) were used to introduce first-timers, including an intimate launch on the lunar eclipse of July 4th. With a flavor profile created specifically to be used in cocktails, it was quickly embraced by Arizona’s craft cocktail industry (one of my favorites is That’s My Jam at Tarbell’s):
In September, the team began distributing in LA, offering Mezcal Carreño outside of Arizona for the very first time. Compa Spirits also partnered with Speakeasy to allow consumers to purchase bottles for home delivery across 31 states through their online shop: www.shop.mezcalcarrenous.com. In October , the first dinner at the edge of the Grand Canyon took place and Mezcal Carreño was invited to be a part of this noteworthy event at Navajo Point with Cloth & Flame in partnership with Revolve fashion.
These accomplishments weren’t without their challenges, however. In March 2020, Ivan had just left his full-time job for Cox Communications after 13 years to focus on Compa Spirits. When sales came to a screeching halt due to restaurant shutdowns, he pivoted to work on increasing his family’s farming operations in Oaxaca. Over 3,000 agave plants were planted, along with the formation of a nursery for 10,000 young agaves. Back in the states, Abel also had to get creative. With the world going virtual, Arriaga gathered some of the industry's top talent - chefs, bartenders, musicians, artists and influencers - for a Cinco De Mayo Virtual "Loteria De Mezcal" variety show with cocktail classes, special guests and musicians.
What’s next for this innovative and industrious team? Mezcal Carreño will be expanding to bring its award-winning mezcals into Texas and Florida. And look for a series of limited-batch agave expressions, including the release of a unique Arizona-influenced ensamble aged for seven months in a Century Grand hand-picked Whiskey Del Bac barrel.
¡Salud! to Mezcal Carreno
