Maestros
Rolando Ángeles Cruz
His Origins
Originally from Santa Catarina Minas, 29-year-old Rolando—bearing a well-known last name in the community—grew up watching and helping his father, uncles, and other relatives who were directly or indirectly involved in the production of agave spirits.
However, back then, the economic rewards and growth opportunities offered by the industry weren’t enough to convince him to forgo his education and follow in the footsteps of his family.
Rolando graduated with a degree in Business Administration in 2014 and held various positions at Banco Azteca until a traffic accident—and the booming mezcal and agave spirits industry of the 2010–2015 era—led him back to the palenques. He returned first as an assistant and later as a master mezcalero, working at several family-owned distilleries focused on selling mezcal to tourists and local clients.
Since 2020, in collaboration with Puntiagudo, Rolando has been producing Ancestral Mezcals at his own palenque, using the knowledge passed down by his father and relatives, who have been dedicated to this noble and demanding craft for more than three generations.
His production typically includes endemic karwinskii agaves (Tobasiche, Barril, Paludo), as well as semi-cultivated varieties like Tobalá, Arroqueño, and Espadín—yielding spirits with distinctly mineral notes, hints of green fruit, cooked maguey sweetness, and a rich, refined texture.
