Luis Juárez

He started with basic tasks at 10 years old, fetching tools and lending a hand alongside his father, and at 15 he made his first batch on his own: an espadín capón (an agave whose flower stalk is cut early, so the plant concentrates more sugar in its heart). His father almost always used capón for its higher yield and sweeter flavors, and Amatengo, their hometown, has a taste for the ripe-fruit notes it gives.

This was never the plan. Luis went to school to become a dentist, picturing himself with his own practice and some casual mezcal making on weekends. But as the mezcal boom opened new doors, he brought his father’s work to a wider audience and built a palenque with him.

He spent years knocking on the doors of every bar in Oaxaca, offering his mezcales to friends and foreigners who were living in or visiting Oaxaca in search of these treasures. Along the way he met mezcal lovers and enthusiasts who still visit his palenque today. Now he lives from this craft, having launched his own brand, Gozona, several years ago. He has also passed the trade on to his younger brother Oliver, who learned alongside him and their father, and who now makes his own spirits from the agaves of San Agustín Amatengo as well.

Luis is not the traditional maestro who barely leaves his town. He likes to travel and try new things, especially when visiting other communities within Oaxaca and other states. He observes closely, learns quickly, and loves to experiment with new ideas in his mezcales. That curiosity, or bravery, created the pineapple and red-fruit pechugas, the Ofrenda, and the “moho” and coffee espadines. He is a trendsetter: other maestros watch what he does and follow along. Like any young adult, he also enjoys life outside the palenque, with bike tours, baseball, and every kind of music.