Karina Abad

Karina Abad is one of the leading figures in contemporary Mezcal production, with her products such as Los Dazantes and Alipus. Trained as an organic chemist, in 2009 she took over management of the Los Dazantes distillery in Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca. There she works with small family businesses based in the Oaxaca Valley, to produce Mezcal according to traditional methods. “The most important thing is the quality of the raw materials and above all, you have to know the sugar content in order to plan production,” says Karina. “Mezcal has always been important within the communities that make it. People have lived with it. Today, Mezcal has become an economic factor. The people are a part of Mezcal.” Very few bring this complexity and authenticity to the bottle as Karina does.