Our friends at is/was Brewing have made another beer in support of SACRED's programs in Mexico! The 2025 edition features salmiana agave sourced from our friends at Mezcal Villasuso in San Felipe, Guanajuato. Be among the first to taste the collaboration at their Chicago tasting room on Friday, September 26! Here's a preview of what you'll get:

Maestra 2025

Agave: Salmiana from Villasuso

ABV: 5.4%

Production time: 10 months

We brewed the base beer in December with a mash of locally grown and malted pilsner malt and malted Oaxacan Green Corn, both from Sugar Creek Malt. We only used aged hops in the production of this beer, this is a traditional Belgian technique for making lambic style beers. The aging of the hops allows for the native lactic acid bacteria on the agave to acidify the beer and create its terroir-driven flavor while still allowing eh hops to inhibit food spoilage organisms.

While the beer was in primary fermentation we traveled to Villasuso with SACRED Agave and spent a few days with Malena and Pedro to see their process and get to know them and their mezcal. We brought back 150 lbs of roasted Salmiana agave hearts and transferred the beer on to the hearts for an extended secondary fermentation. Our goal was to extract the beautiful flavors of the roasted agave itself but also allow the native microflora (wild yeast and bacteria) of San Filipe to referment the beer and agave together and impart it’s unique sense of place into the beer.

The result is a unique beer with notes of sultanas, poblano peppers, under-ripe strawberries, dried dark cherries, figs, and light roast Geisha coffee beans with a touch of acidity on the finish.