Скачать или смотреть Climate change, competition, and mezcal with producer Luis Enrique Juárez Ramírez

When enjoying any handcrafted product, it's important to value the people behind it; mezcal is no different. With generational craftsmanship poured into every drop, this artisanal spirit is not just a drink to be enjoyed, but a connection to pride, joy, ritual, and community for millions across Mexico and throughout history. Producers like Luis Enrique Juárez Ramírez are working hard to keep it that way.

A fifth generation mezcalero hailing from San Agustín Amatengo, Luis is the face behind Mezcal Gozona which is named after the Zapotec word for “mutual aid” as a testament to his views of the spirit.

“Mezcal to me, in my community, means brotherhood,” he reflects. “It means friendship, mutual aid, it also means party, joy, it helps us to heal sometimes from sorrows… mezcal is everything, it's life.”

For Luis, this community connection is central to the way he and other small producers must navigate the challenges that come with mezcal’s growth, specifically the effects of climate change and unfair competition. "As we colloquially call it, the sale of huachicol mezcal which is not mezcal," he explains of the challenges, "and then people who work in a very bad way using sulfates, using other types of alcohols to distill other types of sugars that are not inherent to agave."

This distortion of the spirit has ripple effects that impact producers crafting quality, authentic batches.

“There's not much justice. … It always happens to us that they come and want the lowest price, the cheapest, right? I think if they were to do this work, they wouldn't even feel like doing this job, this craft again and we continue because we like it. We carry it in our blood. And besides, it's the tradition, it's our town, that's what we say and where we want to continue.”

Join us as we celebrate Luis and his commitment to preserving the integrity of mezcal and protecting its role in communities for generations to come.

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
San Agustín Amatengo, Oaxaca, Mexico
Location: San Agustín Amatengo is in the Ejutla District in the south of the Valles Centrales Region, about 1.5 hours outside of Oaxaca de Juárez.
Historical Significance: San Agustín Amatengo is the oldest mezcal-producing town in the district with over 35 active palenques today.

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The Maguey Exchange provides technology that drives ethical exchange by empowering producers, connecting buyers with the culture and tradition of agave spirits, and supporting the environmental preservation of the regions where these spirits originate.

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