| The twin pillars of Mexican gastronomy, corn and agave, have largely kept to their respective lanes over the centuries. It's impossible to imagine Mexican food without corn tortillas, tamales, and pozole, but if you're looking for a distilled spirit, it will almost certainly be agave-based mezcal or tequila.  Elote Old-Fashioned made from chipotle infused whiskey and Nixta, a liqueur distilled from, and flavored with, corn. Source: Leyenda But lately, in a development that feels both revolutionary and utterly natural, distillers have begun to use Mexico's treasure trove of heirloom corn varieties to make their own whiskeys. American drinkers should feel right at home with these: Bourbon and many domestic whiskeys, after all, are corn-based. While these whiskies have corn in common with bourbon, they are clearly carving out their own category. Rather than the oak-forward, spicy-sweet richness of a Woodford Reserve, expect something lighter in which the corn still takes precedence. Mexican whiskies have "a nice synergetic relationship with the wood," says Abasolo distiller Ivan Saldaña. "But not as a traditional whiskey, in which wood is really the main story."  Mexican distillers are taking a page from American whiskey and finding success in corn, too. Source: Vendors Sierra Norte
Just as individual species of agave plants are allowed to showcase their distinct characteristics, so too are the heirloom corn varieties—yellow, white, black, red, and purple—in Sierra Norte's whiskeys. Time in French oak ex-Burgundy or -Bordeaux barrels compares to that of a reposado tequila, in which the distillate mellows and picks up some barrel notes. From $59 Abasolo
From the brains behind Ancho Reyes chile liqueurs and Montelobos mezcals comes a whiskey made with cacahuazintle corn. A pre-fermentation nixtamalization, as is done before kernels can be ground into masa for tortillas and tamales, unlocks a particular floral sweetness. $40 Modern Ancient
Stateside distiller Rob Easter brings out the intense flavors of imported heirloom corn such as Oaxacan Bolita Belatove, a pinkish-purple grain. $44 for 375 ml Siglo Cero Pox
Pox (pronounced poshe) hails from the southern state of Chiapas, where the Tzotzil Mayans produced and consumed it as a ceremonial drink. For Siglo Cero's version of the spirit, four varieties of corn are slowly fermented with a little bit of wheat bran, freshly juiced sugar cane, and piloncillo, a raw brown sugar. Twice distilled in wood-fired, copper pot stills, it has incredible body for a clear spirit. $47 Nixta Licor de Elote
For anyone who has ever wanted to (literally) drink in the toasty sweet smell of tortillas fresh off the comal, this is your moment. A sweet corn mash that is fed much like a sourdough, so it develops depth and richness over time. $32 Time to Get Away? | 
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