Alma Tepec Licor de Chile Pasilla Mixe 750ml
Product details
| Management number | 253706142 | Release Date | 2026/10/24 | List Price | CA$16.00 | Model Number | 253706142 | ||
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Alma Tepec is genuinely a first-of-its-kind spirit — the world's first liqueur crafted from Pasilla Mixe chiles, one of the rarest chile peppers on Earth, grown at more than 5,000 feet above sea level in the remote, largely unpassable Sierra Mixe mountains of Oaxaca. The Mixe people, known historically as "the never conquered," live deep within these mountains, and their Pasilla Mixe chile — prized by top chefs worldwide for its meaty smokiness and approachable, assertive heat — has traditionally remained almost entirely unknown outside their own communities, due precisely to how remote and difficult to access the growing region is.
The liqueur is handmade by the female communes of Alma Tepec, entirely by hand, bottled and labeled directly in Oaxaca. Chiles are matured in the field until they reach a deep crimson color, then gently smoke-dried for several days over oak or mesquite in handmade earth ovens built from bamboo and clay, before being macerated in Veracruz sugarcane distillate for six to twelve months to reach full balance, lightly sweetened with cane sugar. The brand's own mission runs deeper than the liqueur itself: Alma Tepec was founded specifically to revive endangered ancestral chile varieties in rural Oaxacan communities, partnering directly with local producers to preserve and sustain this genuinely rare, culturally significant crop.
Punch's own feature calls it "savory, smoky and subtly sweet," noting it's "become a bartender secret weapon," used everywhere from a tamale-inspired Margarita at LA's Here's Looking at You to a simple, equal-parts shaken drink alongside amaro, ginger, and lime at Melbourne's Bar Tobalá — one bartender even recommends keeping a bottle in the freezer for an elevated spicy shot, calling it "far richer than Ancho Reyes, which is made with sun-dried rather tha[n smoke-dried chiles]." This exact liqueur won Gold at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Wainscott Main's tasting found "gentle, but pervasive smoke on an earthy nose of cocoa, dried red berries, and toasted allspice," the chile "highlighted from start to finish along with low-toned notes of dried fruit, clove, and caramel," with "pleasant chile spice and tannin" providing lift. A Total Wine reviewer's tasting confirms "woodsmoke, cacao, roasting coffee, incense, rum raisins," calling it "impossibly deep, rich flavor," recommending it played "with bourbon, reposado tequila, dark rum, smoky mezcal — and cacao bitters," mixed "into an old fashioned or manhattan," and noting it "pairs exceptionally well with dark chocolate anything." This is genuinely rare, mission-driven, award-winning liqueur — real cultural preservation behind every bottle.
Origins & Craftsmanship
Alma Tepec Licor de Chile Pasilla Mixe is produced by the female communes of Alma Tepec, handmade entirely in the Sierra Mixe mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico. The liqueur is made from ancestral Pasilla Mixe chiles, grown at over 5,000 feet elevation by the indigenous Mixe people. Chiles are matured in the field until deep crimson, then smoke-dried over oak or mesquite for several days in handmade earth ovens built from bamboo and clay, then macerated in Veracruz sugarcane distillate for six to twelve months, lightly sweetened with cane sugar.
Alma Tepec was founded specifically to revive endangered ancestral chile varieties in rural Oaxacan communities, partnering directly with local growers. Bottled and labeled in Oaxaca. Bottled at 40% ABV / 80 proof, 750ml.
Critics Reviews
Gold Medal — San Francisco World Spirits Competition, 2022
Punch (feature article):
"Savory, smoky and subtly sweet, the ingredient has become a bartender secret weapon."
Agave Lux (extended tasting note):
"Bursting with a mix of dried fruits such as raisins, cranberries, cherries, tamarind, blackberries, plums, and spices of cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and cloves. Juicy natural cane sugar rounds out the flavour profile followed by a lite, lingering heat."
Tasting Profile
Nose
Gentle, pervasive woodsmoke leads, with cocoa and dried red berries, joined by toasted allspice, vanilla, and caramel.
Palate
Smooth and spicy, with dried fruit — raisin, cranberry, cherry, tamarind, blackberry, plum — carrying real depth, developing chocolate, coffee, clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg, balanced by pleasant chile heat and tannin.
Finish
Long and warming, closing with lingering smoke and sweet spice — genuinely rich and layered.
Quick Overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Style | Chile Pepper Liqueur |
| ABV / Proof | 40% ABV / 80 Proof |
| Base | Ancestral Pasilla Mixe chiles, Veracruz sugarcane spirit |
| Region | Sierra Mixe mountains, Oaxaca, Mexico |
| Production | Handmade, smoke-dried in earth ovens, macerated 6-12 months |
| Producer | Alma Tepec — female communes of the Mixe region |
| Significance | The world's first liqueur made from Pasilla Mixe chiles |
| Awards | Gold Medal, San Francisco World Spirits Competition, 2022 |
| Mission | Revives endangered ancestral chile varieties in rural Oaxacan communities |
| Style / Identity | A genuinely rare, mission-driven, award-winning smoky chile liqueur — real cultural preservation behind every bottle |
| Aromas & Flavors | Woodsmoke, cacao, dried red berries, toasted allspice, caramel |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
Food Pairings
- Dark chocolate desserts
- Mexican hot chocolate
- Brownies or devil's food cake
- Rich, savory braises
Cocktail Suggestions
Reposado Margarita — a genuinely acclaimed application, adding real depth and heat.
Old Fashioned or Manhattan — plays beautifully with bourbon or dark rum.
Neat, chilled — recommended by bartenders as a genuinely elevated spicy shot.
Bestseller ranking
SPIRITS
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