(Mezcalero of July 2019 – Tepextate)

Luis Enrique Juárez Ramírez grew up in San Agustín, Amatengo, a town within the district of Ejutla a little over 1.5 hours outside of Oaxaca city center. At only 28 years old, he is part of what we consider to be “the new generation” of mezcaleros who are deeply connected to their roots and the traditions they learned from the maestro generations before them, while simultaneously bringing a touch of modernity, innovation, and current issues to the mezcal world.

His first mezcal sales, for example, were a result of unofficial tastings given to his friends at dental school. And his vision for the future, is to fight deforestation and the destruction of agaves and trees in Amatengo. Through conversation with Luis it is evident that his home town of Amatengo is very near and dear to his heart and that he cherishes what being a mezclaro allows him to do: be close to his family, work with the land and nature, and preserve tradition.