Led by maestro mezcalero Gonzalo Martínez, Mezcal Macurichos is dedicated to the protection of the cultural tradition and the agricultural heritage of agave within the iconic mezcal production community of Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico. The family employs numerous neighbors, and is one of the rare distillers in the area who still produce using Ancestral methods, including clay pot stills.
The family palenque was founded in 1963 by Rosalino Martinez Ruiz and his son Rafael Martinez Hernandez after a long history of previous generations working for or renting other palenques. Gonzalo and his brothers cultivate their own diverse fields of agave – planting from seed and reforesting the diminishing wild agave populations.
Gonzalo launched Macurichos in 2012 in honor of his grandfather, with the brand label featuring an illustration of Rosalino returning home on horseback after a long day of work en el campo. In Gonzalo’s words, “When you drink Macurichos you are drinking years of our family’s history, work, and sacrifice.”