Maestros
Nazario Salas Rosas
His Origins
Nazario was born in San Miguel Atlapulco in June 1986. He is the son of Don Esteban Marcos Salas Salas and Doña Alicia Rosas Ponce. Nazario recalls that he always saw his father making mezcal, as his grandfather, Don Fausto Salas Ramírez, also produced mezcal in a hidden palenque located outside the town, near a hill called “Los Chirimoyos.” Back then, distillation had to be done clandestinely.
Many years have passed since then, and like many others, Nazario left for the West Coast of the U.S. at the age of 16. He worked in Bakersfield, San Francisco, and other cities, doing everything from dishwashing and cooking to cleaning hotels and working in Mexican restaurants—always with the goal of saving money and returning to his community to provide for his family. In total, he made four trips and spent over 15 years abroad, enduring the loneliness and distance from his loved ones.
Finally, in 2017, Nazario decided it was time to return for good and help his father, becoming more directly involved in the family’s activities.
However, in 2022, his father suffered a heart attack during a ceremony held at the palenque and passed away in the presence of all their family and friends. Since then, Nazario has taken over the business that provides income for his family.
Nazario married in 2002 and has five children with Gabriela Baez Salas: Verónica (16), Angel Eduardo (11), Alicia Cristal (10), Kenia Roberta (4), and Estefanía (10 months old). Both Gabriela and Verónica take part in the family business, helping with bottling, labeling, sales at fairs, and other less physically demanding tasks.
Nazario produces mezcals and agave spirits from endemic species of the Mixteca Poblana region, such as Papalometl (Tobalá), Espadilla, Salmiana, Pulquero, Pichumetl (Tepextate), and Convallis (Jabalí), which he sells locally on a very small scale. He has also worked as a producer for larger brands, though he laments, “the pay is too low, and others take the credit.”
His favorite mezcal is Papalometl—not only because he has drunk it all his life, but also because it’s smooth and comes from a noble origin, as his ancestors have been making it for generations.
He dreams of growing his business and achieving what his father never got to see: going international, winning national awards for his spirits (he currently holds several gold and silver medals for distillations made in 2022 and 2023), establishing his own brand, and being recognized for his knowledge and the quality of his work as a master mezcalero.
Nazario and César (Puntiagudo) met in 2021 and have been collaborating since 2022 to improve production conditions by providing the necessary equipment to better control yields, quality, and costs. Together, they produce Agave Spirits at fair prices, whose flavor and character complement the offering of Oaxacan mezcales.
Nazario is a master mezcalero known for his humility, wisdom, hard work, and honesty.
