The material of the still is one of the most significant variables in mezcal production. Copper alembics and clay pots produce fundamentally different spirits from the same raw material. Understanding the difference is one of the keys to understanding mezcal.

Copper Alembic

Copper is the standard for artisanal mezcal. It is efficient, durable, and chemically reactive in useful ways: copper binds with sulphur compounds during distillation, removing harsh notes and producing a spirit with clarity, definition, and brightness. Copper-distilled mezcal tends to be precise, with well-defined aromatics and a clean finish.

Felipe Garcia — who produces four of Gota Gorda’s expressions — works with a copper alembic. His spirits have a characteristic sharpness and focus: the tasting notes are distinct, the flavours legible, the finish clean.

Clay Pot (Olla de Barro)

Clay pot distillation is the oldest method of distillation used in mezcal. The still is made from locally sourced clay, fired in the traditional way. During distillation, the clay interacts with the spirit in ways copper does not: it absorbs certain volatile compounds, contributes mineral elements from the clay itself, and produces a spirit that is softer, rounder, and more textured.

Felix Ángeles — who produces Gota Gorda’s Espadín Ancestral — distils exclusively in clay. His spirits have an earthy, almost creamy quality: wet earth, cacao, soft mineral finishes. The spirit feels ancient. It tastes like something people have been drinking for five hundred years. Because they have.

The same agave, prepared the same way, will produce a recognisably different spirit depending on whether it passes through copper or clay. Neither is better. They are different instruments playing the same melody.

The Practical Difference

Clay is less efficient than copper. It produces lower yields, requires more skill to operate, and the stills themselves are fragile — they crack, they break, they must be regularly replaced. This is why ancestral mezcal (which requires clay) is rarer and more expensive than artisanal (which permits copper). It is also why the spirits are so distinctive.

If you want clarity and precision, seek copper. If you want depth and earthiness, seek clay. Better yet, try both from the same producer and taste the difference for yourself. The Gota Gorda range offers exactly this opportunity.