Mezcal (“cooked agave”), our favorite spirit, is known as “maguey” in Mexico. Meant to be sipped neat in small cups, in Los Angeles you’ll find a mezcal cocktail recipe on just about every restaurant and bar menu, as LaLaLand has caught on to the smoky benefits of this flavor-winning situation. Another reason we love mezcal is we never feel hungover after a night of sipping fine agaves. 

While many artisanal mezcals exist in Mexico, a new one is being brought straight to SoCal and the US from ZOMOZ which earned a double gold medal at the New York Tasting Alliance. To achieve a pure, smooth finish, the Mezcal is distilled twice in traditional copper pot stills and passed through a proprietary double filtration system before bottling.

Most importantly, ZOMOZ is committed to promoting Mexican culture authentically. Not only is the brand Mexican-owned and founded, but they work with a fourth-generation Maestra Mezcalera to produce ZOMOZ Mezcal at her family’s palenque.

Recently, we sipped Zomoz’s smooth mezcal Espadin at Cantina Frida in Beverly Hills where the founders shared their passion for the brand.

Question and Answer with ZOMOZ Mezcal

1.    What makes ZOMOZ Mezcal unique or different?

What makes the ZOMOZ brand unique is Isabel, our mezcalera, and her tenacious touch.  As Isabel has mentioned in her interviews, women can do better! Furthermore, in terms of our mezcal process, after the double distillation, Isabel does a special (CRM-compliant but secret) filtration that allows it to achieve the smoothness that characterizes ZOMOZ. 

2.    What is the inspiration behind the brand?

The renaissance in Mexican culture and the fact that Mexico is booming. Not only in agave spirits, but in culinary, arts, architecture, tourism, and music. It started during the pandemic, and suddenly, it’s no secret that Mexico has become one of the hottest countries in the world. And Mexico City is packed with expats now. 

We want to tell the story of luxury and the real Mexico. It is based in the traditional values and ancient practices (such as producing mezcal), but combined with today’s liberal / contemporary world. Mexico is not the worm inside the bottle, or people riding donkeys with sombreros. It’s much more than that and we want to tell the world that narrative through ZOMOZ! 

3.    Why did you start this brand?

Following my previous answer, as an immigrant who moved to Los Angeles almost 6 years ago, together with the other partners, we noticed that really few brands speak to the Mexican-American community in the United States. Our vision is to become not only the brand which the community identifies with, but the platform that impulses creatives and gives a voice to the community. Today, more than ever it’s time to be proud of who we are and where we come from.  

ZOMOZ means we are, we are immigrants. Doesn’t matter how you ended up in the U.S., we all share a similar story, this is it. This is our spirit. 

4.    Do you have a favorite Mezcal recipe?

Personally, I like my mezcal neat. Nevertheless, if you’re looking for a cocktail, an Old Fashioned always does the trick for me. 

5.    Where do you find ZOMOZ Mezcal? 

Currently at Northgate supermarket, some total wine stores, more independent stores such as ZINQUE in Venice or K&B in SD (Long list) but the easiest is online via ReserveBar’s website. 

6.    Do you think the increased love of Mezcal (especially in L.A.) has started to influence the growth of Oaxaca – in a good way? 

Definitely. Isabel tells the story of how she has noticed people stopped immigrating to the US in past years. More impressively, she has relatives that have moved back to Oaxaca because now the economy is better, there’s work and they can make a living (even more than in the U.S.).