José Andrés to Spike Mezcal with Iberico Ham

Mezcal with a hint of ham? That's José Andrés's latest project. The chef and his team are working with Del Maguey Mezcal to produce a mezcal made with iberico de bellota ham.

Andrés has generally been a champion of the luxurious Spanish ham (he helped make it legal in the U.S. years ago). The Del Maguey Ibérico spirit will debut March 10 during Oyamel's annual Tequila and Mezcal Festival. In April, the spirit will be available at select retailers. It'll sell for a cool $200 a bottle.

The collaboration came about when ThinkFoodGroup's Ruben Garcia visited the company's distillery in Oaxaca more than a year ago, and saw the company making another variety of mezcal using ingredients like white rice and chicken breast.

Mezcal Label Artwork

Jose Andres [Photo: ThinkFoodGroup]