Manuel Aquino García

A child of the eighties, Manuel is a relatively young master palenquero with nearly twenty years of experience under his belt. The Aquino family traces their history with agave distillation back to 1808, just two years before Mexico declared its independence from the Spanish crown and colonial rule. Descending from the rugged hills of Zoquitlán into the Miahuatlán Valley in the early 19th century, the family settled in Lachigüizo,  where they spread their knowledge of the distillation techniques that called for the use of clay pots and a serpentine made from a hollowed out quiote - the central stem that supports the plant’s inflorescence. Times have changed, as have technologies, but even throughout the years of prohibition and violent oppression from the fiscal authorities, the family has never ceased to ply their trade. Manuel produced his first batch on his own at 16, but with few economic prospects at home, he took the risk that most young men in the village have taken, and left Oaxaca to find work elsewhere. Following the lead of other family members, Manuel went to Atlanta, where he lived and worked for more than a year before returning to Logoche to marry his wife, Nacha. Next, Manuel sharpened his skills at the palenque of Don Tomás before necessity brought him back to Atlanta for a short stint. Working hard and saving money for the family, Manuel made his final return to Logoche in 2004 and constructed the home where he and Nacha raise their children today. Around this time, his neighbor and uncle, Cutberto, had established his own palenque, allowing Manuel to learn more and fine tune his craft. Across the river and up the hill, his father, Celedonio, dug out an oven, acquired a handful of wood fermentation vats, and installed two copper pot alembic stills. After years of collaboration with various different family members, Manuel has started construction of his own palenque and workspace, of which he takes great pride. Manuel and family are farmers, artisans, and entrepreneurs dedicated to continuity of their community and traditions.

In recent years the family has begun to cultivate and plant large quantities of Espadín, as well as Madrecuixe and a handful of other endemic species, albeit in lesser quantities. Tepextate and Bicuixe grow in abundance on the slopes and ravines of their land, but in most cases require significant effort to harvest and remove the piñas.  Nacha’s hometown just to the north also provides a portion of the different agaves that end up in their hands. Manuel makes less than 600 liters of agave spirits each year, occasionally separating varietals, but often mixing them to create a traditional field blend known as a mezcla or ensamble.  

Soil type: colorada, roja, cascajo, and negra

Oven: 10-ton capacity, conical, earthen oven

Mashing: Machete and shredder

Fermentation: One food-grade plastic tub. 1000 capacity.

Distillation: Manuel used one 300-liter capacity copper pot still. Every batch is twice distilled and composed using choice cuts of the puntas (heads) and corázon (heart/body)