The First All-Mexican Corn Whiskey Hits Shelves

Craft whiskey has brought us whiskeys made from blue and red, Bloody Butcher corn, but Mexico is awash with hundreds of varieties of corn. Some of which have been cultivated for centuries, all of which represent the region’s biological and cultural history. Today, Abasolo Ancestral Corn Whisky is proud to pay homage to this heritage with the launch of their 100% ancestral corn whisky.

The journey to crafting this 100% ancestral Mexican corn whisky began with Co-Founder and Master Distiller Ivan Saldaña, whose work has focused on preserving Mexican spirits and their endemic raw materials. He tested dozens of heirloom varietals of corn until he landed on Cacahuazintle (pronounced kaka + wha + SINT lay), a locally grown, GMO-free variety that has been passed down by generations of local farmers. The thick, textured kernels provided the boldest flavors. These flavors are further drawn out by a 4,000-year-old traditional process called nixtamalization, in which the corn is soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution (usually a lime bath), washed and then hulled. Commonly used before corn is ground into masa and made into tortillas or other Mexican staples, nixtamalization unlocks the full flavor profile and aromas of the ancient crop.

Nixtamalization, though never before used in spirits production, has remained a largely unchanged technique since it was developed thousands of years ago in Mesoamerica and used by civilizations such as the Mayans, Aztecs, and Olmecs. When used in the production of Abasolo, the process allows the distillery to leave other grains out of the mash, cementing Abasolo’s status as Mexico’s first pure ancestral corn whisky.

All of this happens at Destilería y Bodega Abasolo, the first-ever distillery dedicated entirely to Mexican whisky made from Mexican ancestral corn, located in Jilotepec de Molina Enriquez. There, the liquid undergoes double distillation in handcrafted copper pot stills and is finished in new toasted and used oak casks. The result is a unique and distinctive taste rooted in and derived from Mexican tradition and history.

“We’re excited to introduce something truly new to the world whisky category,” says Ivan. “Historically, whisky classification has been defined by the traditional Scotch, Irish and American identities. We’re not only bringing to life a product that is extremely unique, both in taste and process, but we are doing so by highlighting the culture and ingredients endemic to our land to innovate in an already vibrant and rich category.”