Meet the Maestros of July 2021: Victor and Emanuel Ramos Tucked off to the side of Felipe and Ageo Cortes’s massive agave field lies the Ramos palenque in Mengolí de Morelos, Miahuatlán. This father-son, 2nd and 3rd generation duo has made over 500 batches combined, many of which have made their way to the US, most famously through the team at Mal Bien. When visiting their palenque, you’ll almost always find these two maestros working side by side even though they technically operate independently. This batch of Tequilana, the agave used to make Tequila most commonly found in Jalisco, was distilled by the hands of Victor Ramos. Perhaps this is because Victor was the one to begin cultivating Tequillana agaves given to him through a local government program nearly 30 years ago. It’s no surprise that Victor and Emanuel are already familiar names to hundreds of our club members. Their spectacularly clean open palenque complete with extensive agave fields populated by over 10 species, their extensive portfolio of 15 plus outstanding batches on hand at any given time, their close proximity to another legendary family of producers 300 meters away (Cortes), and their welcoming energy make this a must visit palenque for those ready to travel beyond Minas and Matatlan. Their pristine reputation for producing some of the best agave spirits in Oaxaca has landed their price point on the higher side of their Miahuatlan peers and even then, it makes for one of the best valued artisanal spirits in the state, great for suitcase hauls back home.