Meet the Maestro of June 2021: Israel Petronilo Apolinar Just 45 minutes south from the beautiful city of Taxco lies the quaint village of Temelac Guerrero where Don Israel’s palenque sits. Rather untouched by foreigners for several decades now, this is a fabrica uninfluenced by outside market trends as they produce purely for locals… until now. Don Israel has a few local expressions typically on hand, like Guerro’s most popular Cupreata varietal, but there is one agave that gives even more of a heightened sense of place. The endemic Sacatoro expression featured this month is in collaboration with Rayo Seco’s long awaited US launch of the same expression this July. Just shortly after having his product reach Mexico City and a few corners of Mexico, he now is showcased by two brands in the USA overnight! Given how challenging it can be to reach Guerrero mezcaleros, the pandemic, and only visiting for half a non-production day in order to reach the next city before sunset, it is even more challenging than normal to accurately paint a picture of who Israel is. He struck us as humble and modest with not an ounce of flash in the best way possible. The interview was very casual and joyful and Israel didn’t seem to be overly competitive, but at the same time seemed confident his spirits deserved every bit of respect.
