Quiote de Espadín | Tomás García Cruz | January 2026 | QUITGC2601 | 54.2% ABV | 54 Bottles | Delilah’s Chicago
Don Tomás García Cruz descends from multiple generations of palenqueros and has worked with maguey for 60 years but only began to experiment with the fermentation and distillation of the quiote, or flowering stalk, of the agave in 2023. Since time immemorial, this part of the mature agave has been roasted and eaten but was typically excluded from the distillation traditions of Miahuatlán. Despite his age of 75, Don Tomás continues to innovate in his cultivations and productions, for which he is renowned. Today, three generations work together at the family’s palenque, sometimes working individually and sometimes together, but always assisting each other when extra hands are needed. In the making of this small batch, Don Tomás credited his eldest grandson, Miguel, with helping along the way.
After “castrating” a field of homegrown Espadín plants right after first full moon of the New Year of 2026, around 700 kg of the freshly cut quiotes were collected and brought back to the palenque while the piñas were left in the field for future harvest later in the year, as the plants bulk up in mass and sugar content for a period of three to twelve months after having had their burgeoning flowering stalk cut. Carefully roasted along with an oven-full of other agaves, the quiotes were separated for maceration and designated for fermentation on their own. Crushed by a tractor-drawn stone mill, the quiote fibers were rested for 48 hours before being fermented with approximately 700 liters of well water for a total of seven days.
After separating multiple cuts of heads, hearts, and tails during the second round of distillation, the maestro composed an extremely aromatic 45 liters with a large and long-lasting cordón cerrado that clocks in at 54.2% alc. Representative of the highly skilled craftsmanship behind its production, this batch was bottled in its entirety for Delilah’s of Chicago after being selected during a visit to Logoche in March 2026.
Maguey(es): Quiote, or flowering stalk, of Espadín (Agave angustifolia var.)
Provenance of the maguey: Homegrown, Zagala parcel
Producer: Tomás García Cruz
Region: Logoche, San Luis Amatlán, Miahuatlán
Soil type: Red tierra colorada
Rest time after harvest: Eight days
Oven: Conical earthen oven; roasted for nine days with mesquite wood
Rest time after roasting: Four days
Mashing: Tractor-drawn stone mill
Fermentation: Native yeasts; one 1,200 L Montezuma cypress (sabino) tank containing approximately 700 kg of cooked maguey and 700 L of well water
Dry fermentation: 72 hours
Wet fermentation: Seven days
Distillation: Twice distilled in a copper pot still
Final composition: Heads, hearts, and tails
Batch size: 45 L
Date of distillation: January 2026
ABV: 54.2%