With an oversaturated market of emerging mezcal brands, it’s refreshing to actually feel excited about a newcomer, which is exactly the sentiment about Celebrante, a mezcal brand from Durango. Chances are you’ve already heard multiple people wax poetic about the Durango mezcal, or perhaps you’ve been the one to turn friends and fellow mezcal lovers on to the region. It is no mistake–the spirits coming out of Durango started off strong and continue to impress. The combination of plentiful wild agave, a rich history and tradition of mezcal production, and contemporary business savvy and resources, have created a microcosm within the mezcal world that is irresistible, and painted for success. Celebrante embodies all of the above, with family, ecology, and community at its core, along with absolutely delicious mezcal.
The story behind Celebrante Mezcal
The brand has been in the making for five years, and is the joint effort of brothers Diego and Javier Mayagoitia, along with their father Francisco Javier. In fact, the entire family has been involved in this labor of love. In 2020, the family set up a small vinata in Nombre De Dios, on a parcel of property out of which they operate their other business, Vuela En Globo Durango. Interestingly, it is the only opportunity in all of Mexico to fly in a hot air balloon over a mezcal region.
During this time, Diego studied for his Masters of Sciences in Environment Management from the National Polytechnic Institute, while concurrently learning from well-respected maestros mezcaleros in the community, with a special mentorship from Luis Colon. Javier applied his marketing and business skills to the project and had the vision to integrate their father, who reached out to his longtime friends and companions, who had started brands that we know and love like Cuero Viejo, Origen Raiz, and Lagrimas De Dolores.
How do they make mezcal?
At the Celebrante vinata, the production process is artisanal, with an in-ground oven, partially buried wooden fermentation tanks, and small copper pot stills. As with many of the other better known brands from Durango, it’s a hybrid-style production that features elements typical to Durango and Oaxaca.
It has not all been smooth sailing, as to be expected. The learning curve is steep, and a first-generation mezcal brand is bound to have ups and downs, even before entering the rat race of exportation and distribution.
Making mezcal sustainable
By 2024, the family had found their niche by tenaciously following their passions. In addition to being the maestro mezcalero for the brand, Diego is an accomplished academic, with a thesis that focuses on the ecological interactions of native plant species that cohabitate with agaves in their natural environment. Studying these companion plants and how they function as an interconnected ecosystem not only informs the terroir-driven nature of the brand, but also became an anchor for building community; Diego offers presentations to disseminate his findings and has become a champion of sustainability for the wild agave landscape of Durango. Drawing on the wisdom of Indigenous people, as well as the issues facing other volume-driven mezcal zones, the message from Celebrante is to take care of the natural landscape, getting ahead of the need for reforestation. (Diego’s thesis is currently being translated and will be available to read for free in both English and Spanish.)
In addition to the focus on embracing and disseminating sustainable practices, the family wants to make mezcal a path to an economically viable way of life for producers in Durango. They believe that the people who make mezcal should not strive for survival, but rather thrive and live healthfully and with dignity. While respecting the limits of natural resources, mezcal can be part and parcel of lifting up a region in terms of economy, culture, and international acclaim.
Says Diego Mayagoitia, ““There is no sustainable mezcal, but there are projects that we can measure, study, plan, share, and implement to consciously reduce and honestly mitigate the impact of our activities, with the goal of developing heritage and wellbeing within the mezcal producing communities.”
Their approach to mezcal is holistic–a family passion project that integrates tradition, pioneers and disseminates ecological research, and remains anchored in community. We love to see it.
Okay, but…is it good?
After getting to know the brothers and their story, I was so nervous to finally be at their vinata and taste the mezcal–I would have been heartbroken if it was bad. Luckily, it was delicious and I immediately breathed a sigh of relief and confessed how apprehensive I had been. We all laughed together.
If given these mezcals to taste blind, there is no way I would guess that this is a first generation producer. The expressions were complex, exceptionally well-balanced, and full of that signature earthy, minerally, creamy, Durango herbaceousness. It’s no secret that I love typical Durango mezcal, and the line up from Celebrante is no exception–they are outstanding. As a terroir-focused brand, their star is cenizo, with various other expressions that include verde (salmiana crassispina), sotol, guava and wild blackberries, and herbs like the local oregano and damiana.
Where to buy Celebrante Mezcal? A selection of their bottlings have just started to be distributed in California, soon to be offered via online ordering and shipping to most states. The brand continues their soft launch in California this fall with a few events, including the upcoming Mexico In A Bottle San Diego. They plan to expand distribution to other key US markets in 2025, as well as to offer opportunities to visit their vinata in Durango via industry trips hosted by yours truly. For more information on when and where to taste Celebrante Mezcal, and opportunities to meet the family in person, follow them on Instagram.
And if you already got your hands on a bottle, check out my recent cenizo pairing recommendation and recipe.
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