Artistry at every level.
From the mezcal to the bottle.

Welcome to the Mocel Family! Mocel is inspired by the mountainous region of Michoacán, Mexico, where our family comes from, and the region’s centuries-old mezcal artisanship and culture.

Mocel uses two ingredients - 100% agave and water. We distill the mezcal in a wooden still unique to the Michoacán region. The distillation process is time-honored and time-intensive, resulting in limited, small batches, each with a distinct flavor profile.

Mocel’s artisanal mezcales are then bottled in stunning, handmade ceramic bottles featuring artwork inspired by textile patterns native to Michoacán.

Mexican ceramic artisans start by pouring liquified clay into plaster molds and then individually polishing each bottle. After manually glazing and placing the labels, the final bottle will have been fired by kiln three times at a high temperature to the point of becoming vitrified ceramic. The result is a unique bottle, just like you.

Inspired by Michoacán textiles.

In your premier Mocel shipment, enveloping the sleek Mexican-made ceramic bottle of world class mezcal (not to toot our own horn, but it's good stuff), is another remarkable piece of Mexican culture: a handmade cotton loom deshilado cloth. Deshilado, pronounced “des-hee-LAH-doh,” is an artisanal technique for transforming lengths of cotton cloth into elegant, lacy designs by hand.

Making Deshilado

The creation of a single Michoacán deshilado cloth begins with cotton woven in sheets with a loom and rolled onto large bolts for distribution to regional artisanal cooperatives (co-ops). Co-ops buy a bolt of the woven fabric, or lengths of cloth, cut the cloth into smaller pieces, and distribute these individual pieces to their community as “piece-work.”

Upon receiving blank pieces of cloth, each artisan carefully unravels parts of the weaving by hand, to leave only certain threads of the cloth. The remaining threads, in turn, are grouped by needle and thread to create a variety of delicate patterns. Each cloth bears the hand of a different artisan working her interpretation of the design using her multi-generational knowledge of technique and fiber. The result: a cloth that is elegant in palette, with eye-catching lace and sculptural fringe.

How to Use

Sure, you can leave your Mocel bundled in the deshilado cloth, but we thought we would suggest a few ways you can use the cloth to enhance your Mocel experience and bring Michoacán to your home. A few ways to use the cloth:

• Wrap warmed tortillas in a bowl

• Wrap bread in a basket

• Feature on your table as a “telar” (table-runner)

• Use it as a “rebozo” or scarf

Care

Deshilado is an extension of loving, skilled hands, thoughtful design, and long tradition. To care for your cloth, wash in cold water by hand or on a delicate cycle. If necessary, treat with diluted bleach. Air dry. To remove wrinkles, use your iron’s cotton setting.