Alma Tepec Licor de Chile Pasilla Mixe

Alma Tepec Licor de Chile Pasilla Mixe is the first liqueur distilled from ancestral Pasilla Mixe chiles, grown at 5,000 feet in the Sierra Norte mountains of Oaxaca by the indigenous Mixe people. The name translates to "mountain soul," and the production method is as singular as the bottle: vine-ripened chiles are smoke-dried for several days in traditional clay and bamboo earth ovens, then hand-inspected, cut, and macerated in sugarcane distillate for up to a year. This is a full-proof chile liqueur built around a technique unchanged for generations, now bottled in Chicago and Lincoln Park's independent bottle shop scene as one of the most distinctive aperitifs available. The chiles themselves are the engine. Pasilla Mixe is a varietal grown exclusively in the high-altitude microclimate of Oaxaca's Sierra Norte, where cool nights and volcanic soil concentrate flavor without excessive capsaicin heat. The smoke-drying happens in the same clay and bamboo ovens used for mezcal production in the region, imparting a deep, earthy char. After maceration in neutral sugarcane distillate, the liquid picks up cocoa, dried red berries, toasted allspice, and caramel from the chiles themselves—no added flavoring, no extracts. The result is a liqueur that reads savory and smoky first, sweet second, with the chile's natural fruit and spice driving the profile. On the palate, expect dried fruit, clove, and a warm, building heat that lingers without overpowering. The sweetness is restrained—just enough to round the edges and carry the chile's complexity. It works in a Margarita or Bloody Maria as a split-base modifier, adds depth to a Chelada, or functions as a standalone digestif if you let it breathe. The cocoa and allspice notes make it a natural pairing for grilled meats, mole, or anything charred and umami-forward. It's also surprisingly good with dark chocolate or aged cheese, where the chile's fruit and smoke find common ground with cocoa butter and fat. Available for pickup at Off Premise Chicago, 1128 W Armitage Ave in Lincoln Park, with local Chicago delivery and nationwide shipping.