Us vs. Them
Dos Gabachos vs. Dos Hombres
Dos Hombres is another celebrity brand: two actors, a TV show, a mezcal brand. Here's how it actually stacks up against ours, process to process.
Dos Gabachos
Owned by its three founders, David Martin, Richard Policastro, and Victor Castillo. No outside investor, no conglomerate stake. Come from the bartending industry. American & Mexican owned.
Dos Hombres
Founded by actors Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston in 2019. Constellation Brands, the beverage conglomerate behind Svedka and the US Modelo business, took a minority stake in 2021. Since expanded into tequila.
| Attribute | Dos Gabachos | Dos Hombres |
|---|---|---|
| Agave | Espadín, fully mature 8-year agave | Espadín, maturity not publicly specified |
| Cook method | Underground earthen pit (horno cónico), 5-7 days | Underground earthen pit ovens |
| Crush | Stone tahona, donkey-pulled, no machines | Tahona, donkey-pulled |
| Fermentation | Wild yeast, open-air wood vats, natural spring water | 7 to 10 days, mountain spring water |
| Still | Copper, double-distilled, no machines | Copper, double-distilled |
| ABV | 45% (90 proof) | 42% (84 proof) |
| Tasting notes | Roasted tropical fruit from Santo Domingo Albarradas, spiced wood, earth tones, bright citrus, smooth, dry finish | (per their marketing & reviewers) Apple, mango, local Oaxacan fruits, wood, light smoke |
| Maestro Mezcalero | Abel Martinez, Santo Domingo Albarradas | Gregorio Velasco, San Luis del Rio |
They decided to start a mezcal brand, then went to Oaxaca to find one. We fell in love with mezcal in Mexico first, and the brand chased us home. Their founders are actors. We spent 16 years behind bars in LA, and now we spend our time at the palenque with Abel, hands on the agave, in the fields and at the stills. And look at the proof: they bottle at 84, we bottle at 90, with wild expressions up to 105. Lower proof means more water in your glass. We cut the heads and tails, harvest only fully mature agave, and use no machines anywhere in the process. We think it shows. Taste them side by side and decide for yourself.
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 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.
Is Dos Hombres mezcal owned by a big company?
Dos Hombres was founded by actors Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston in 2019. Constellation Brands, the beverage conglomerate behind Svedka and the US Modelo business, took a minority stake in 2021.
Is Dos Hombres a small, independent brand?
It was founded independently in 2019, but since 2021 Constellation Brands, one of the largest beverage companies in the world, has held a minority stake in the company.