Behind the Bottle: Zacal mezcal

| Club Oenologique
Using lesser-known agave varietals and made away from the traditional Oaxaca mezcal route, Zacal mezcal launched in the UK in 2025 and is already picking up prizes. Clinton Cawood speaks to one of its founders about taking the road less trodden
A bottle of Zacal Mezcal with harvested agave plants in the background

Created by four university friends in partnership with a maestro mezcalero in Mexico’s Michoacán, Zacal offers an alternative to the many mezcals from Oaxaca, the majority of which are made from Espadín agave.

Plans for the brand began in 2020, during lockdown, when Phil Clayton, Andrew Maidment, Christian Osborne and Ian McCaig decided the time had come to create a spirit brand together and settled on mezcal. After a few years of research, visits to Mexico to find the right partner, product development and inevitable shipping delays, Zacal finally launched in the UK in 2025.

Continue reading: Club Oenologique

Next:

Futuristic image

Are spirits brands ready to embrace the tech revolution?

The Spirits Business
The difference between using industry-specific technology and not can result in spirits companies experiencing success or hardship.
A vineyard

Can global brandy capitalise on Cognac’s challenges?

The Spirits Business
Not being restrained by the rules governing the production of Cognac and Armagnac means the world’s brandy producers are able to be creative. Now it’s up to them to convince consumers to try their drinks.