| I don’t need to tell you about Mexico’s famed agave spirits—tequila and mezcal. But what if I told you that some of the best bottles carry a different name? And no, I don’t mean raicilla or bacanora or their cousin sotol, either. Have you heard of destilados de agave? Translated from Spanish as “agave distillate,” it certainly sounds generic, but spirits labeled as such are anything but. Quick background: In Mexico the word “mezcal” refers to any spirit made from agave roasted underground. But in 1994 the Mexican government created an Appellation of Origin for mezcal, which outlined official production standards—including where and how it can be produced, as well as which agave varieties can be used—and later created the Consejo Regulador del Mezcal (CRM) to enforce those standards. “Mezcal is a trademark,” says Ben Zerbe, co-founder of Paquera Mezcal. While Paquera historically has certified its mezcal, it has opted to skip it on its two newest bottlings. The decision wasn’t arrived at lightly: The brand’s roster of owners includes Jose Ramirez, a Mexico native who formerly worked with the regulatory arm to help develop the certification process 25 years ago. Certification costs are a key reason a growing number of distilleries—particularly small ones—are opting not to certify. On average, in addition to legal and accounting fees, it costs 30,000 to 60,000 pesos ($1,500 to $3,000) to certify a palenque (mezcal distillery), a fair chunk in a country where the average salary is estimated to be about $17,000. Beyond that, producers are required to submit samples from every batch for chemical analysis, and while that may be fine for larger distilleries, for small family operations working in small batches, it can be difficult and expensive to arrange to get samples to the lab. Smaller grower-distillers using generations-old ancestral methods have especially balked at certification because they don’t want restrictions placed on how their spirits are made. “We’re a co-op working with families all around Oaxaca,” Zerbe says. “We asked the producers, ‘Do you want us to help certify?’ They said, ‘No, we don’t want to pay the Mexican government, and we don’t want someone to tell us you have to make it this way, after several generations.’ They say, ‘Why should we pay a tax on something we’ve been doing for so many years?’” More recently, President Donald Trump’s tariffs are playing a role. “Getting a product through the border, through customs, paying the federal government these taxes, then having to make certain margins” on deals with distributors and retailers, Zerbe says, “really squeezes us in so many ways.” Not certifying, he continues, “saves us on the cost of production and a lot of other supply chain issues that mount up because of these tariffs.” It’s one of the few levers available to prevent jacking up prices for consumers, a move that could potentially depress sales. Plus, the mezcal-not-mezcal is still dang good (see below). Ironically this no-certification movement has grown out of the agave spirits boom over the past decade, and it includes many names familiar to mezcal lovers. Cinco Sentidos was one of the first uncertified mezcal brands in the US when it launched in 2016. More recently, Real Minero, led by fifth-generation producer Graciela Ángeles Carreño, made waves when the brand removed “mezcal” from labels and other communications, citing hardship caused by politics and bureaucracy. Add to the list bartender favorite Mezonte, as well as Mal Bien, Lalocura, Neta and Pal’Alma. Paquera is just the latest addition, deviating from its usual certification practices this year to release two uncertified bottlings, a 12-year-old arroqueño bursting with tropical fruit and a subtly smoky 16-year-old cuishe. “We started as a certified mezcal brand,” Zerbe says. “We’re not advocating that one is better than the other, to certify versus not certify. But it comes down to a financial cost.” The suggested retail price on noncertified arroqueño is $98; Zerbe estimates certification would add an additional $30, while the cuishe bottling, with an SRP of $130, would likely be in the $170 to $180 range. “[It] almost discourages any new products coming to market,” he says. What to look forLarger mezcals and those under the umbrella of multinational conglomerates or well-funded distributors aren’t going away. But many smaller and artisanal brands will likely go indie—meaning some diamonds in the rough will be just a little harder to identify without the “mezcal” label. Here’s what to look for on the shelf: Know that “destilado de agave” is essentially a flag that what’s in the bottle is mezcal. Look for the name of the mezcalero (distiller), as well as information about the agave varietals used. The label might also specify “ancestral” or “artisanal,” but not always. Similar to tequila, the label should specify “100% agave” or “100% maguey,” the Spanish word for agave.  Paquera’s 16-year-old cuishe destilado de agave. Source: Paquera As for tequila? Don’t expect to see the margarita staple going the noncertified route, says Zerbe. Global consumers are still learning about mezcal and are therefore more open-minded. But when it comes to tequila, which has a long-standing Appellation of Origin status, they’re already indoctrinated, so producers in the region are unlikely to change anything that might chip away at its aura, he says. “If tequila’s not certified, no one’s going to buy it.” Four destilados de agave to tryAdventurous palates are rewarded with rare and esoteric options, so ask your local liquor guru. “There’s a lot of incredible destilados de agave or distillates just as good if not better than the certified mezcal you see on the shelves,” Zerbe says. I suggest you start here. Paquera Arroqueño ($98)
The aroma evokes sun-warmed tomatoes, while the flavor shows plenty of juicy mango and other tropical fruit, finishing long with lively menthol and white pepper. Cinco Sentidos Espadín Capón ($110)
This brand started as the house mezcal at Oaxaca’s acclaimed restaurant/mezcaleria El Destilado. Think baked apple sprinkled with cinnamon but shored up with an intriguing mineral note. Neta Espadín + Bicuixe ($151)
This bottling, from one of the first producers to bring noncertified agave spirits to the US, offers dry, wild flavors: leather, pine, sage, with a vegetal bell pepper scent. Pal’Alma Lamparillo ($215)
In this particularly savory distillate from the state of Durango, look for a complex mix of sun-dried tomato, white pepper, fennel, plus hints of ash and slate.  Cinco Sentidos tobalá is another solid option. Source: Cinco Sentidos Where Everybody Knows Your Name | If you’ve ever fantasized about pulling up a stool at the cozy Boston bar in Cheers, now’s your chance—literally. Artifacts from the set of the sitcom, which ran from 1982 to ’93, are hitting the block on May 7 and 8 at Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles. Items include the original front door used on the set (estimated price $125,000 to $150,000); bar stools used by and/or signed by actors George Wendt (Norm Peterson) and John Ratzenberger (Cliff Clavin) ($2,000 to $3,000 each); bar props such as menus and a round cork serving tray ($1,000 to $2,000); and costumes, some including bar aprons.  Imagine opening the Cheers door to your own home bar. Source: Julien’s Auctions It’s part of a massive collection of TV memorabilia from a single unnamed collector, says Catherine Williamson, Julien’s managing director of Hollywood memorabilia. “It was put together over at least four decades,” she says. “It’s the history of American television from the very first days, dating as far back as the late ’40s and ’50s with Rawhide and Gunsmoke, through the ’60s and ’70s and ’80s; the most recent is The Handmaid’s Tale.” But for those interested in drinking culture, it’s hard to beat nabbing a piece of the bar “where everybody knows your name.” Within those lots, the items gathering the most interest from collectors have been the signed bar stools, Williamson says, which she bases on the number of condition reports and other queries that have come in so far. Another active lot: bar glassware used as props on Cheers and spinoff Frasier, which already has multiple bids, vaulting it above the estimated $50 to $100 price range.  The living room set from Cheers spin-off Fraiser is also part of auction. Source: Julien’s Auctions “Nineties sitcoms are having a moment in collecting,” Williamson observes, as Gen Xers and millennials are looking back to the era’s pop culture and younger collectors feel nostalgia for a time before iPhones and Netflix. Elsewhere, pieces from Mad Men also are seeing active interest, says Williamson. A group of bar tool props seen in the character Roger Sterling’s (John Slattery) office (estimated $1,000 to $2,000) and midcentury decanters and bar tools from the office of Harry Crane (Rich Sommer) ($300 to $500) both have multiple bids. “The decanters are super groovy, and it’s an affordable, accessible piece from Mad Men,” Williamson says. The first group of 300 lots, which includes Cheers and Frasier memorabilia, closes on May 7; the second group, which includes Mad Men items, closes on May 8. Cocktail of the Month: Cadillac Margaritas for a Crowd | Drink something delicious and want the recipe? Let us know at topshelf@bloomberg.net, and we’ll try to track it down for a future edition. Now here’s a premium pitcher drink for a crowd: the Cadillac margarita, which trades up reposado tequila for blanco and uses Grand Marnier instead of regular triple sec in the classic marg recipe. And this one has a fun backstory too. When brothers Eric and Jean Michel Alperin created a cocktail program in 2022 for the Copper Room, the latest incarnation of the Yucca Valley Airport bar (formerly the Red Baron) just outside Joshua Tree, California, they included a margarita ode to country rock pioneer Gram Parsons. Legend had it that the singer-songwriter was a high-rolling regular at the bar in the early ’70s, ordering pitchers of margaritas for himself. But the brothers’ boozy nod to Parsons couldn’t be just a margarita. They decided it had to be the Cadillac margarita, especially after hearing how Parsons’ road manager and assistant stole his body after he died and spirited it away in a Cadillac hearse. The Copper Room has this margarita on tap, and the Alperins have also created a batched version for sharing with friends. Gram-arita Cadillac Margarita Batch Adapted from Margarita Time, by Caroline Pardilla (Ten Speed Press). Created by Eric and Jean Michel Alperin for the Copper Room in Yucca Valley, California. Serves 17 3 ¾ cups reposado tequila (the Alperins recommend Campo Azul Gran Clasico)
1 ½ oz fresh lime juice
5 oz water
4 oz organic blue agave syrup
8 ½ oz Grand Marnier, for floating
Lime wedges and kosher salt, to rim glasses and for garnish Rim rocks glasses with salt and set aside. In a large pitcher, combine tequila, lime juice, water and agave syrup (no ice). Stir vigorously for one minute. (Note: This mixture can be set aside and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days, though it’s ideally batched and served the same day.) When ready to serve, pour 3 ounces of the batch over ice in each prepared glass. Float a half-ounce of Grand Marnier over the top and garnish with a lime wedge. | 
