special edition packaging
packaging design + art direction
In keeping with the 200-year-old tradition, the agave hearts are cooked in earthen pit ovens, later to be crushed and mashed by hand with a wooden mallet in a canoe. Without the addition of artificial yeast, fermentation allows the sugars to ferment. Our mezcaleros then follow the “Ancestral” tradition by strictly using clay pot distillation to produce our mezcal. An ancient practice that is synonymous with the traditions of the local people. In the final distillation Cempasúchil, a native Mexican flower often known as marigolds, as well as mandarin peels are dropped into the bottom of the still to impart floral aromatics with a hint of citrus.
Alluding to the traditional terracotta copitas sometimes used for drinking mezcal, we created a series of rustic ceramic bottles in earth tones. The label is printed on a naturally flecked paper with an embossed logo, production specifications, perforated holes, and the batch number stamp. These elements are designed to signal the tactile nature of the product and appeal to the specialized craft spirits drinker. The black, or negro, ceramic bottle of our Cempasúchil is used to signify the way in which our mezcal was produced in the Ancestral Style. Marigold flowers have been purposefully etched directly into the bottle to celebrate those who have come before us. A sacred flower with bright aromas, they help guide spirits from their burial place to their family homes during Día de los Muertos.
PHOTOGRAPHY: BRAD KNIPSTEIN
