Agua del Sol: Chapter 1

December 30, 2021

WHAT. A. YEAR. Here’s to you, our friends, family, and industry partners who appreciate heritage agave spirits. As independent importers and wholesalers, we pride ourselves in protecting you from all the mediocre mezcal out there. Whether it’s innovating with our original supply partners or seeking out hidden producer gems, we are constantly searching for ways to bring you the baddest juice at the best prices. 

While we successfully managed to keep our prices down this year, due to rising inflation and packaging supply chain issues, we are having to slightly adjust our pricing in 2022. We know that no one NEEDS what we peddle, so we appreciate your understanding and commitment to our small-batch agave spirits. We are especially grateful to our hospitality partners who have lent us their support while dealing with every obstacle imaginable amidst the shifting landscape. We can't wait to share what we have in store for you in 2022!

It Takes A Village

Many many thanks to our partners who have helped us grow the Agua del Sol brand over the past year. After it first arrived in the U.S. last January, we hosted the official brand launch in Oaxaca in early Summer. Big thanks also to our homies Paul and Sergio of Maestro Restaurant in Pasadena, where Felix Monterrosa of Agua del Sol performed his first public reading of his poem, El Mago de Las Montañas. 

Special thanks are in order for Ivan Vasquez of Madre Restaurants, where Felix unveiled his freshly painted mural at a vibrant gathering marked with a traditional blessing ahead of the celebration to inaugurate his work titled, "Lyobaa” (pictured above). We strongly recommend going to see the mural for yourself at Madre on Fairfax in Los Angeles. And please reach out to us if you’re interested in a description of the mural (in Spanish). 

Tried and True: Espadín from Santiago Matatlán

Many mezcal communities in Oaxaca suggest that Santiago Matatlán has lost its artisan quality because it’s the largest mezcal producing region in the country and the source for several major brands. However, our sources suggest that about 85% of producers there still employ artisanal production methods.

And according to Monterrosa, it is in Matatlán where mezcal is embedded in the culture with the greatest sophistication; whether in blessing ceremonies for a better harvest, the best cook of maguey, healing ailments, or blessing the union of newly-weds. These customs all continue to be preserved in their original Zapotec language in Santiago Matatlán. 

A longtime friend and neighbor of the Monterrosa's, Maestro Pedro Garcia has developed tremendous knowledge of the many religious customs and protocols. Such wisdom is only shared orally and in practice throughout the community. Mtro. Pedro has provided nearly all of these services in the community; starting from a young age as a church official, an undertaker, then coming up through the municipal council to the great steward of the town.

As a young man, Mtro. Pedro migrated to the U.S. and returned after six years to his native Matatlán to continue with his heritage of distilling agave spirits. Today, we are proud to bring his spirit back to the U.S. by way of our new Espadín (48% ABV) from Agua del Sol. Can you believe we found a few remaining bottles here?!?

Endless Search

A trusted friend had told Félix about a producer named Macario in "El Palmar" who he became interested in meeting. So after a four-hour journey and winding and confusing dirt roads, they reached him. The stillness and calm prevailed, and to be honest, it was a rather dull landscape, the polar opposite of Macario’s Bicuishe (46% ABV). If you've read this far, you deserve to know this gem is still available (as of June, 2025) here!

“When you are young, you think you are right and you know everything.” Félix describes feeling that way before he became involved with the Unión de Palenqueros. “Now, when I think I have found a great Maestro,” he says, “I learn about another one in a more remote area, and so continues the endless search for the best elixir from virgin regions.” Like Félix, we continue on our journey and look forward to sharing the treasure that we’ve found again soon.