Producers

A second-generation cane farmer and first generation aguardiente producer, Orlando and his family have historically focused on the production of unrefined sugar called “Panela” or “Piloncillo.” Just over a decade ago, Orlando decided to experiment with the distillation of rehydrated Panela, as well as fresh pressed cane juice, and has spent the last few years perfecting his craft.

A renaissance man in the agricultural sense, Marcos Lopez not only cultivates and distills cane, but is also a coffee farmer, lime grower, and beekeeper. He learned the aguardiente trade from his grandfather and father, Marcos Sr. Marcos Sr. made the family’s aguardiente still, and also makes and repairs the stills of other local rum distillers.

If you’ve been to any decent drinking establishment in Guadalajara, chances are, you have tasted one of Pedro and Jorge’s elixirs. The duo are the proprietors of “Satvrnal,” a small distillery on the outskirts of Guadalajara, where they make gin, absinthe, banana eau de vie, and small runs of molasses-based rum in their custom hybrid column-pot still. Both Jorge and Pedro are first-generation distillers, and create small batches of unique rum that represent the contemporary, experimental side of The Rums of Mexico.

Pedro Bautista is a second-generation aguardientero, and one of the only aguardiente distillers in the region. He works with a small group of cane growers that cultivate Caña Criolla & Caña Roja alongside the Río Monteflor, where water is diverted into small canals and distributed to small agricultural plots. Cane is usually two years old before being harvested, and promptly milled in a small electric trapiche. Pedro ferments in 1,100 liter closed tanks, and fermentation times regularly surpass twenty days. Pedro has been distilling on the same continuous copper 4-plate still for twenty years, and historically has only sold to the local populace.