Cardenxe

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Cardenxe Sotol, at the intersection of art and music, is a terroir-inspired artisanal spirit distilled from the heart of the Dasylirion plant, in North of Mexico - where it holds a Denomination of Origin. Every label (Desierto, Pradera and Sierra) honors a different environment in which the plants used to distill grow.

Different smells & flavors, methods, cultures and climates influence the sotol, and as such we aim to explore the unique profiles of each region.

The Flavor Journey

Upon the first sip it tickles the tongue and gently fills our taste buds with flavor. It suddenly starts to sink deep inside with its warm, soothing feeling, leaving behind the uniquely smooth herbal taste of sotol and lingering at the far end of our palate.

Its high: a triumphant happiness and sense of ease that compels us to share deeper feelings and connect with one another.

It all started with three friends, on a journey to discover the near-extinct Canto Cardenche, a musical genre endemic to Northern Mexico.

The central themes of the songs are love and sorrow, which is why it lends the name from the cactus cardenche. The songs are not based on a story, rather they describe deep emotions - deep as the cardenche spine pinned into the skin. Listening to the cardencheros practice their art, while sipping cups of sotol – the local drink of choice - we found inspiration.

We believe that it can inspire deep emotions in those who feel the call to drink it, as it does for us… Which is why we say that Cardenxe is the Catalyst of relationships that are deep

Sotol is Northern Mexico's hidden gem,

protected by its very own Denomination of Origin.

While having been produced in Mexico for hundreds of years, it became popular in the USA during prohibition, when Al Capone started smuggling it in across the border together with whiskey.

When his operation got caught, authorities started cracking down on Sotol distillers, some of whom carried on their practice in secrecy until the mid-90s, when Sotol commerce was finally legalized.

Sotol is now experiencing a renaissance as the new Mexican spirit, with people around the world constantly seeking new specialties that the incredibly diverse and rich Mexican culture has to offer.

Process

The handcrafted way of distilling Sotol

The Plant Growth

With mere gusts of wind, the quiotes gently oscillate, graciously gifting the land around them with seeds which will turn into new Dasylirion plants.

Interestingly enough, and differently from Agave plants, the growth of the quiote does not result in the death of these sweet Sotol plants, rather the beginning of a new life cycle. Eventually, a new plant shall arise from the bottom of the quiote, on top of the old Dasylirion.

There, the cycle begins – a troubled livelihood in the most extreme of weathers; below freezing temperatures in the winter and dry high heat in the summer, which the Dasylirion endures for over a decade.

Hand-Cut Harvesting

Between the 12th and 15th years of growth, it’s time to harvest. Typically, Sotol plants grow in ranches and pose a danger to the multitude of animals pasturing in them, as they could get injured in the process of grazing and moving around these palmillas. Therefore, the harvesting of Sotol is an essential part of the Mexican agricultural chain.

The Dasylirion is hand cut with a machete to extract the piña (the heart of the plant), which is then mounted on donkeys and transported to the distillery-bound trucks.

Rock-Lined Earth Oven Cooking

The piñas have always been cooked in underground conical ovens, since the very beginning of Sotol distillation hundreds of years ago.

The fire is started with what the local land has always offered – ancient desert and mountain rocks, and wood from the large surrounding nut tree fields.

Crush

After the piñas are cooked for 24 hours, it’s time to crush them for extraction of the juices.

Cardenxe sotol extraction takes place with an ax. This is what works best to ensure that all the juices and aromas of our selected Dasylirion varieties are passed on to the fermentation.

Fermentation in Pine Wood Tubs

“This is where the real alchemy occurs. This, is where we impart the aromas and flavors”, claims the Master Distiller. It is his firm belief that fermentation is the most important part of the process, which took him years to master.

Our Sotol is naturally fermented in pine wood tubs and monitored for 4 to 7 days - the Master Distiller’s secret touch.

Double distillation in Copper Alembic

When creating the Cardenxe formula, according to the founders’ dream, the distillation process is that which took the longest to develop.

Indeed, we went through lots of trial runs over several months, until we reached the optimal technique. That is why, for example, Cardenxe Sotol De Desierto is purposefully double distilled in copper stills.

Blending & Tasting

Each batch of Cardenxe is blended accordingly and taste-tested to ensure its faithfulness to the intended flavor and ABV level.

Why "our" sotol?

The Cardenxe is not just another liquor brand it’s a movement, it's a mission, it's a catalyst.

We want to spread our story and our message and inspire humans around the world. We are not just looking to create a brand; rather the community of Sotol drinkers: the group of trendsetters that will bring the spirit around the world… For this reason we have placed great emphasis on crafting our unique production process, giving the bottle a transcedental look and sharing a story that goes beyond just the liquid.

Our Essence

The Heart
of the matter

The heart of sotol beats prominently in its harvest, in its land and its voices. The essence of Cardenxe is to celebrate love for life in this world, which links it to the arts that allow us to set the context of our lives. Just like art, Cardenxe sinks deeply into our souls. Our concept inspiration came from music. Our bottle design is inspired by Mexican avant-garde art movement Estridentismo, because of it’s ‘break-the-mold’ spirit that reminds us of our mission with Cardenxe Sotol.

In essence, Estridentismo seeks to “start an aesthetic revolution against the standardization of imagination” - immerse in the story that our bottle tells, and let your imagination roam on. All our bottle designs include two recurring elements: the cardenche cactus with its 'spine of love', and the three cardencheros expressing their deep emotions through evocative songs of love and sorrow.