400 Conejos Mezcal is Mexico’s, and indeed the world’s, highest selling Mezcal.
The name of this joven, 100% Espadín Mezcal comes from the myth of the gods of drinking – the 400 offspring of Mayahuel (the goddess of agave, fertility, and nourishment) and Petecatl (god of medicine), who were always pictured as rabbits (conejos) in Aztec art.
According to legend the 400 rabbits would gather regularly to drink together. Each rabbit had a different personality, and it was believed that when drinking Mezcal, the behaviour of whoever drank the spirit could be influenced by one of these rabbits.
Overseen by Don Tacho, 400 Conejos’ Master Mezcalero, every care is taken to meticulously cultivate the Espadín agaves used in 400 Conejos production. These agaves take between eight and 15 years to reach their optimum maturity, to ensure that the terroir flows through into the final spirit.
According to legend the 400 rabbits would gather regularly to drink together. Each rabbit had a different personality, and it was believed that when drinking Mezcal, the behaviour of whoever drank the spirit could be influenced by one of these rabbits.
The harvested piñas are cooked in traditional cone-shaped ovens with ocote, mesquite and oak wood for three to five days, carefully, without burning, so they retain the essence of their flavour. After being ground with a tahona stone, following the centuries old tradition, the extracted liquid is then fermented and double distilled in copper pot stills. This allows the Master Mezcalero to better highlight the flavour notes of this smooth, subtle, joven Mezcal.
An ideal cocktail Mezcal, 400 Conejos is a well-balanced and smooth spirit full of tropical fruit, floral undertones, cooked agave, and a subtle smoky aroma.
Mel Hack, Beneath Driver Lane, Melbourne
Inspired by Hunter Orahood’s cocktail ‘Crimes of Passion’ created in 2018 at the Aussie owned ‘Attaboy’ in NYC. 400 Conejos is full of tropical pineapple and pepper, and I really wanted to keep the Mezcal as the hero of the drink, so I have taken those flavours, and enhanced them to create a fun, refreshing and poppin’ cocktail, perfect for springtime.
Passion Project 60ml 400 Conejos Mezcal 20ml Fresh lime juice 20ml Caramelised pineapple agave* ½ Passionfruit 5ml Honey syrup** Cayenne pepper salt***, to garnish Additional passionfruit pulp, to garnish Method: Half rim a frozen double rocks glass with cayenne salt. Shake the mezcal, caramelised pineapple and passionfruit with ice. Strain into the double rocks glass over block ice. Garnish with a barspoon of passionfruit pulp. * Caramelised Pineapple Agave: Slice half a sweet fresh pineapple into wedges. Marinate in 2tbs agave syrup/nectar for at least 1 hour. Grill or BBQ until caramelised and slightly charred. Blend and strain then add 100ml of fresh pineapple juice. Makes 500ml. ** 2:1 Honey Syrup: Add 200g of local honey (Mel used Beechworth) and 100g of water to a bowl and whisk until combined. Makes 300g. *** Cayenne Pepper Salt: Mix 1 cup sea salt with 1tsp ground cayenne pepper. Makes 1 cup.
Anneliese Grazioli & Pravin Phuyal, Hot Tamale, Darwin
Being part of a team at an agave bar in Darwin for nearly a decade has been a great challenge. In the early days, 18-year-old me would follow owner, David, around listening to him talk about agave spirits to all – every time he spoke about Mezcal I could see how excited he became. For me, the hundreds who have made up our team over the years, and the thousands of guests in that time, being able to drink great Tequilas and Mezcals, and learn about what makes agave spirits so special, is down to David’s passion. As my time at Hot Tamale ends, Pravin will be taking over as Bar Manager – he began with basic agave knowledge and has grown into a massive knowledge base of all thing’s agave and an avid Mezcal lover. This cocktail was created by Pravin and myself and will be my last creation for Hot Tamale.
Hasta Luego 100ml 400 Conejos Mezcal 300ml Clarified Hot Tamale verdita* Coriander, to garnish Method: Blend and carbonate to 45psi. Pour a 150ml serve over block ice in highball glass. Garnish with a coriander leaf. *Clarified Hot Tamale Verdita 500g Fresh pineapple 3 Tomatillos 1 Jalapeno 20g Coriander stems 10g Mint leaves 5g Sea salt 50ml Lime juice 5g Coriander seed 10g Citric acid 3g Malic acid Method: Grill tomatillos on char for 10 second per side. Add to blender with all other ingredients. Blend in 10 second bursts until all ingredients are pulverised. Cloth strain and leave to clarify in the fridge.
Grace Rawlins, Michael Keogh & Talis Heggart, Memphis Slims House of Blues, Adelaide
We wanted to create a bright, fresh drink with a burst of perfectly balanced, unusual flavours to excite the palate. The colour is vibrant, just like Mexico, and it’s the type of drink that just makes you want to dance. We recommend serving this one with a bangin’ soundtrack, in a bar full of legends, and we assure you, it will be the life of the party. Named appropriately after a blues song by the same name, by Big Joe Turner from New Orleans in the 1950s, and those chaotic 400 Rabbits.
Blues Jumped The Rabbit 45ml Woodgrill bacon fat washed 400 Conejos Mezcal 40ml Acidulated honeydew melon juice 20ml Coconut milk jam Method: Shake well with ice. Strain into a frozen Nick & Nora glass. Serve.
For more information about 400 Conejos Mezcal please reach out to your Proximo Spirits representative.