Meet our Partners
Our mission is to support and empower producers to continue respecting their traditional methods and volumes of production. We work exclusively with producers that are committed to protecting the rich cultural heritage of mezcal, their family processes and recipes, and at the same time work to maintain local biodiversity. We make regular trips to their palenques (distilleries) to maintain our close relationships with them and their families. We love their passion for continuing to perfect their craft, their efforts to pass on their knowledge, and their respect for the environment for the future generations. These people are our partners, not just suppliers.
We are big believers of an education-first approach to sales. We want to open a new door for conscious consumers by introducing unique products with exquisite and authentic flavors. We want consumers to experience the richness of the history and culture of artisanal agave spirits produced in Mexico.
real minero
First and foremost, Real Minero is a family business. The Ángeles family is a respected and beloved family in the mezcal making community of Santa Catarina Minas, Oaxaca, one of the most recognized villages for traditional mezcal in all of Mexico. Facing the public and leading the team is Graciela Ángeles Carreño. She is a pioneer in the mezcal industry, forging the path for agave conservation, preserving cultural heritage, and female leadership. It is impossible to overstate her contributions to the industry. Her brand, Real Minero, is one of the most recognized brands of authentic mezcal from Santa Catarina Minas, known for their ancestral production using clay pot stills. She comes from a long line of mezcaleros that have produced award winning spirits for generations. The current maestro mezcalero is her brother Edgar Angeles. Nearly all of their mezcals are rested in glass before being released.
Proyecto LAM
In addition to producing world class mezcal, Real Minero is known for their commitment to sustainability. Their reforestation and nursery programs are responsible for rescuing varieties that were thought to be extinct, protecting them for future generations. This is the backbone of their Preyecto LAM which focuses on environmental responsibility. Named in honor of the late patriarch and maestro mezcalero, Lorenzo Angeles Mendoza (LAM), the project honors his commitment to and love of the natural world. The project has a scientific approach, documenting aspects like pollination, flowering,reproduction of plants, and viability of seeds, paying close attention to factors like climate change, with a goal of understanding how to protect the endemic agave species in a natural way. The information collected and synthesized is shared with other agave growers and follows the criteria established by the Mexican Association of Botanical Gardens. Agave by Montiel is proud to be working with Proyecto LAM.
Mezcalosfera
Mezcalosfera by Mezcaloteca
Silvia Philion brought educational mezcal tasting to Oaxaca City through the bar that she co-founded, “Mezcaloteca.” “Mezcaloteca”, a combination of ‘biblioteca’ (library) and ‘mezcal,’ continues to be the place for those who are equally thirsty for knowledge as they are for the delicious flavors of traditional mezcal. In addition to the intimate attention guests can expect from a visit to Mezcaloteca, what makes it so special is the collection of unique and limited bottles. The spirits are sourced from Silvia’s travels and personal connections with producers, often yielding one-of-a-kind small lots. As a powerful woman in the agave world, she often sources from maestras mezcaleras, highlighting the many talents of women throughout the industry. Mezcalosfera is the export arm of Mezcaloteca, with the goal of sharing the limited releases of prized agave spirits with an international audience.
Agua del sol & Cuish
Félix Hernández Monterrosa founded Cuish, the mezcaleria, in Oaxaca in 2009. It was one of, if not the first centrally located, hubs for mezcal culture, art, and community, consistently offering some of the highest quality spirits available. In 2019 the brand expanded to export select bottlings of small batch agave spirits, each one carefully selected from producers and communities. Among the offerings, there are women distillers represented, highlighting the tradition of maestras mezcaleras from different regions. While just a handful of spirits are available in select markets around the world, Cuish is one of the most celebrated brands for both the sheer quality of what’s in the bottle, as well as their commitment to being good community members.
Given the demand of the two mezcalerías, as well as some additional agave projects, Felix and Adriana (wife) created Agua del Sol with the intention of using the brand to present tiny batches of mezcal to the world. we are proud to be the first ones bringing these precious tiny batches of mezcal to Europe.
mezcal del amigo
Enrique Jimenez comes from a well known line of mezcaleros in Santiago Matatlan, Oaxaca. He is the maestro mezcalero for Fidencio Mezcal as well as Mezcal Del Amigo which is made from 100% estate grown espadin. The family is well known locally and recognized as keepers of tradition in their long standing heritage of making mezcal. The traditionally crafted mezcal is made in small batches as a family effort with Enrique’s wife and daughters also working with him in the palenque. The bottles we source from the Jimenez family are always undiluted pure mezcal, offering an incredible value and friendly point of entry into the world of artisanal mezcal. As a testament to transparency, the details of production are proudly featured on the label of every bottle of mezcal.
Zinacantan
Zinacantan was born in 2012 by Fabiola Torres-Monfil and her co-founder Diana Pinzón in the hills of San Diego La Mesa Tochilmiltzingo as a traditional mezcal project that had as its starting point the conservation of the biodiversity of the agaves of the Mixteca Poblana. As the years have passed, the Zinacantán project has been consolidated step by step, with initiatives that have sought to understand the environment in depth in order to conserve the biodiversity of this region of the state of Puebla. In addition, they have worked to maintain the small production of only 1,500 litres per year of traditional mezcal. While the brand is over ten years old, it has only this year been imported into Denmark . We are very excited to add this incredible mezcal project into our collection of agave spirits.
