Pechuga literally translates to breast, but it implies heart and soul as well. Pechuga mezcal is a spirit distilled for celebrations and gatherings, from weddings to funerals, to welcoming spring fertility, or honoring the Day of the Dead. To distill pechuga, there is a sacrificial component, driven by seasonal harvest. On a second or third distillation run, mezcaleros will incorporate fruits, spices and an animal protein, with recipes unique to local tradition. The most common proteins are fowl, specifically the raw breast of a chicken or wild turkey.

El Jolgorio Pechuga is a benchmark example. Produced exclusively at the Casa Cortés palenque in Santiago Matatlán, the agave is cooked in a horno (conical earthen oven), milled using a horse-driven stone tahona, and naturally fermented in open-air wooden tanks called tinas before being distilled twice using copper pot stills. The second distillation sees the addition of pineapple, lime, orange, plantain, apple, pear, and the raw breast of a regional creole turkey rooster called guajolote. 48% ABV (Alcohol will vary with each batch).