Melate Zapote- Eutiquio Rios Hernandez

Melate Zapote is a 375mL eau de vie distilled from zapote, a tropical fruit native to Mexico and Central America, by Eutiquio Rios Hernandez in Santa Maria Zoquitlan, Oaxaca. Unlike conventional agave mezcal, this spirit belongs to the emerging category of Mexican fruit distillates that draw on the same palenque traditions—open fermentation, small-batch copper pot stills—but replace maguey with seasonal local harvests. Zapote itself is a soft, fragrant fruit whose pulp ranges from yellow to white, black, or reddish depending on variety; the flesh is sweet and custard-like when ripe, and the fruit's round, ovoid, or elliptical shape often tapers to a point at the apex. Eutiquio's technique honors the same terroir-driven philosophy that defines Oaxacan mezcal, translating the fruit's natural sugars into a clean, expressive distillate. Eutiquio Rios Hernandez works out of Santa Maria Zoquitlan, a small town in Oaxaca's Sierra Mixe where palenqueros have long applied agave-distillation methods to whatever the land offers. The zapote is harvested at peak ripeness, fermented whole or as pulp in open wooden tinas where ambient yeasts from the palenque environment drive the transformation, then distilled in a copper alambique. The result is a spirit that captures the fruit's tropical character without the cloying sweetness of a liqueur—no added sugar, no industrial shortcuts, just fermented zapote and fire. This style of fruit distillate is still rare in the United States, but it reflects a centuries-old practice in rural Mexico where mezcaleros have always made small batches of seasonal aguardiente from mango, pineapple, tejocote, and other local crops. Expect a nose of ripe tropical fruit—papaya, banana, honeyed custard—undercut by a faint vegetal note and a whisper of smoke from the still. The palate is soft and round, the zapote's natural sugars fully fermented out so the finish stays dry rather than syrupy, with a gentle alcohol warmth and lingering fruit skin tannin. This is a sipping spirit, best served neat in a small copa after a meal, or used sparingly in place of fruit liqueur in stirred cocktails where you want genuine fruit flavor without added sweetness. Pair it with dark chocolate, aged cheese, or tropical fruit desserts that echo the zapote's own profile. Off Premise Chicago stocks Melate Zapote at 1128 W Armitage Ave in Lincoln Park, with local Chicago delivery and nationwide shipping available for this and the rest of our curated agave and fruit distillate selection.