Ilegal Joven Mezcal is a full-bodied Oaxacan mezcal of genuine character and an origin story unlike any other — born at Café No Sé, a mezcal bar in Antigua, Guatemala, where founder John Rexer began bringing unbranded mezcal down from the villages of Oaxaca around 2004 to supply his bar. The mezcal became popular very quickly. In 2006, John created the brand Ilegal — originally just to supply Café No Sé, and to this day the back of every bottle reads: Originally produced for: Café No Sé, Mezcal Bar. Full-bodied agave flavour, light smoke, lingering heat, eucalyptus and mineral aromas complementing hints of green apple, fresh citrus, and red chiltepe. Ideal for cocktails or perfect on its own.
Aroma
Eucalyptus and mineral aromas lead an expressive and distinctive bouquet, with hints of green apple, fresh citrus, and red chiltepe adding brightness and complexity — light smoke weaving through with the characteristic Oaxacan mezcal character that made Ilegal famous at Café No Sé.
Palate
Full-bodied agave flavour with light smoke and a lingering heat — green apple, fresh citrus, and red chiltepe deliver a palate of genuine complexity and approachability, with the balance and character that makes Ilegal Joven as compelling in a cocktail as it is sipped neat.
Serving Suggestions
Neat over ice to appreciate the full agave and smoke character, or in a Mezcal Negroni, Oaxacan Old Fashioned, or Mezcal Margarita — Ilegal Joven is the mezcal that made mezcal cocktails famous, and it remains the benchmark for the category.
Around 2004, Ilegal’s founder John Rexer began bringing mezcal down from the villages of Oaxaca — Tlacolula, San Lorenzo, Sola de Vega, Santa Catarina Minas, Hierve el Agua, Santiago Matatlán, and others — to supply his bar, Café No Sé, in Antigua, Guatemala. The mezcal became popular very quickly. In 2006, John created the brand Ilegal, originally just to supply his bar. On the back of each bottle you will find it says: Originally produced for: Café No Sé, Mezcal Bar. As for the name — Ilegal is a nod to the struggles of the Mexican people and all they have had to endure in order to get by. Immigration, reform, borders, surveillance, and freedom are still issues that follow them today. A mezcal with a name that means something, from a bar that started something.
