Oaxaca’s oldest artisanal mezcal brand that makes its mezcal entirely in-house, El Rey Zapoteco was founded in 1960 by Don Serafín Hernandez Blas in the mezcal capital of the world, Santiago Matatlán. Today, the business is run by the family matriarch Doña Juana and Don Serafin’s sons. Caretakers of agave fields that routinely yield some of Oaxaca’s largest agaves, the Hernandez family are faithful stewards of traditional production techniques that remain the same as they were at their founding.

As one of the few mezcal brands that owns its maguey fields, El Rey Zapoteco is afforded an unparalleled degree of control over the quality of its agriculture. Only fully mature or "capón" agaves are harvested, and for every agave that El Rey Zapoteco harvests, five seedlings are planted to ensure the sustainability of future generations.

The brand won 89 points, a silver medal at the 2020 Bartenders Spirits Awards

Bartender Spirits Awards Aims To Deliver The Best Spirits For On-Premise Sector In USA. Using the tagline “Judged By Bartenders, Bar Managers and Off-Premise Managers For The On-Premise Industry,” the Bartender Spirits Awards will recognize, encourage, promote and celebrate excellence in the U.S. drinks industry. The aim of the spirits competition is to provide independent and honest reviews for brands targeting the U.S. bar trade. 

The judging panel consists of some of the most renowned names in the U.S. bar industry, all of them with extensive expertise within the on-premise industry. The result will be a relevant and practical source of reference for bartenders, bar managers, bar owners and other industry professionals when making purchasing decisions for their establishments. This competition recognizes that bartenders are the true influencers – their passions and tastes provide direction for the consumer, especially via their guidance with wine, beer or spirit recommendations. The creation of new drinks is often driven by bartender tastes and perceptions of current trends.

History of Mezcal 

The spirit is extracted from the maguey (or agave), that was known as the “tree of wonders”. It was named that way for providing endless resources for daily life. The name mezcal comes from the Nahuatl mexcalli, which means "cooked maguey leaves" (metl meaning maguey and "meixcalli" cooked”). In 1753 it was called agave, which means admirable, by the european scientist Carl Linneo. Over 200 species of maguey are currently known, of which approximately 150 grow in Mexico. And 9 regions have the designation of origin mezcal: Oaxaca, Guerrero, Puebla, Durango, San Luis Potosi, Michoacan, Tamaulipas, Guanajuato and Zacatecas.