When this fifth generation producer, Juan Antonio Coronel Maya, decided to build his palenque 2,300 meters above sea level in Nochixtlán, Oaxaca, many told him it could not be done. Extreme temperatures, sloping terrain, little water and being somewhat isolated were all against him, but Toño Coronel was confident that if anyone could do it, he could… As a trained Chemical Engineer, Toño was able to build his palenque in such a way that his maguey can still ferment even when it’s freezing outside. Despite his technical background, one conversation and you’d think this maestro was a great philosopher, frequently dropping beautifully crafted one-liners about his reflections on life and why he left his job as a chemical engineer to make mezcal. Toño’s main objective is to be happy, and you can feel that he is living in true alignment with that objective when stepping onto his palenque. He is an animal lover who embraces change and loves to experiment and play with his mezcal batches because, “he is free” to do so.
