Lalocura is hand mashed, claypot distilled, “ancestral” agave spirits from Santa Catarina Minas, Oaxaca that takes a holistic approach to the water, land, plants, animals and people behind its bottles. More than that, it is the life’s work of Eduardo Ángeles Carreño, maestro of maestro mezcaleros.

Since launching his own brand in 2014, Lalo has continued to build a steady cult following of chefs, writers, and mezcal-heads, who turn up at the palenque each day, hoping to spend a few hours listening to his stories, taste the 20+ expressions he has resting in glass at any given time, and instagram a photo of his colorful dining room table covered in empty veladoras.