Us vs. Them
Dos Gabachos vs. 400 Conejos
400 Conejos is the best-selling mezcal in the world by volume. That's not a knock, it's the whole story: it's built for scale.
Dos Gabachos
Owned by its three founders. Small-batch by necessity, not slogan.
400 Conejos
Owned outright by Casa Cuervo, the corporation behind Jose Cuervo Tequila. The best-selling mezcal in the world by case volume, made for cocktails and mixing at scale.
| Attribute | Dos Gabachos | 400 Conejos |
|---|---|---|
| Agave | Espadín, fully mature 8-year agave | Espadín, 8 to 10 years |
| Cook method | Underground earthen pit (horno cónico), 5-7 days | Traditional stone oven (horno) |
| Crush | Stone tahona, donkey-pulled, no machines | Tahona |
| Fermentation | Wild yeast, open-air wood vats, natural spring water | Small sabino wood vats |
| Still | Copper, double-distilled, no machines | Small copper pot stills, twice-distilled |
| ABV | 45% (90 proof) | 40% |
| Tasting notes | Roasted tropical fruit, warm wood and spices, bright citrus, smooth dry finish | Cooked agave sweetness, white pepper, herbs, fennel, citrus, gentle smoke |
| Production scale | Small-batch, limited runs | World's best-selling mezcal by volume |
400 Conejos is made to a recipe built for consistency at massive scale, exactly what it needs to do well in a cocktail. Dos Gabachos is made in small batches where batch-to-batch character is a feature, not something engineered out.
Beyond the Flagship
Three maestros, four agave varieties, and the refrescadera, a single-distillation method almost no one else still uses.
Wild Tobalá
15-year wild agave, single-distilled using the refrescadera method by Maestro Eugenio López García.
Wild Tepeztate
Same single-distillation refrescadera method and maestro. Notes of black cherry, licorice, vanilla.
Wild Cuishe
13-15 year agave, made by fifth-generation Maestro Rodrigo Martínez.
Pechuga
Triple-distilled with seasonal fruit and a chicken breast suspended over the still, the ancestral method for celebratory mezcal.
Rose
Rested 45 days in red wine barrels, colored naturally with cochineal.
Common Questions
Who makes 400 Conejos mezcal?
400 Conejos is owned outright by Casa Cuervo, the corporation behind Jose Cuervo Tequila, and is the best-selling mezcal in the world by volume.
Is 400 Conejos a good sipping mezcal?
400 Conejos is produced and marketed primarily for cocktails and mixing rather than neat sipping, using a recipe built for consistency at very large volume.
Who owns Dos Gabachos Mezcal?
Dos Gabachos is independently owned by its three founders, David Martin, Richard Policastro, and Victor Castillo. No outside investor, no corporate parent.