Boutique Spirits Distribution in the Covid Era

January 1, 2021

We at Bad Hombre Importing are grateful to have survived 2020. Though our company was founded in 2017, it wasn’t until March of this year that we were able to launch two brands at Mexico in a Bottle in San Diego, California. What impeccable timing.

While our first brands, Aprendiz and Tío Pesca, were designed for on-premise consumption, we had to re-think our strategy and marketing to reach folks at home via Instagram and Zoom. To our delight, these tools have allowed us to collaborate with folks like Lou Bank of S.A.C.R.E.D. and Rocio Flores of Mezcalting. If you've had the opportunity to savor any of these artisanal mezcales, we'd love if you would show them some love on Mezcal Reviews.

Our industry has suffered tremendous losses, and we mourn the disappearance of several bars and restaurants, and worse, hospitality workers who have gotten sick or passed. However, one bright spot we see comes in the form of increased support for small producers, importers, and distributors. Many chose little-known, ethically-sourced agave spirits. A growing number of bartenders, retailers, consumers, and spirits writers have championed us little guys. And for that, we are grateful!

As an importer and CA State distributor, we have been very fortunate to count some wins in the face of it all. During the lockdown in California, we were able to launch an excellent new ensamble from Aprendiz and started representing Pescador de Sueños, another extraordinary brand from Destilería Santa Sabia focused on mico-batches from independent producers. 

At 45.7% ABV, the Aprendiz Ensamble is a rich blend of Espadin and Tepextate, hand-crafted in San Juan del Rio, Oaxaca by master mezcalero Isaias Martinez. From Pescador, we started with our favorite karwinskii agave, a Cuishe coming in hot at 50% ABV and made by master mezcalero Leoncio Santiago Hernandez in Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca, and the traditionally festive Pechuga at 47% from maestro mezcalero Félix Ángeles Arellanes in Santa Catarina Minas, Oaxaca. 

On the import side, we are proud to announce the arrival of Agua del Sol, uncertified agave spirits from the CUISH cooperative. We look forward to launching the brand in Los Angeles early in this new year and hosting you for a tasting, whether virtually or at a distance. 

Finally, we deepened our relationships with our local partners in service to return migrants in Mexico. As we work toward meeting our contribution goals, we have witnessed tremendous resilience from the members of Dream in Mexico and Otros Dreamers en Acción. Dream in Mexico leaders have leveraged their network to create a community of learning and shared resources, while Otros Dreamers continues to do outreach, serve recent returnees, and build capacity through mentorship and self-advocacy. We are simply in awe of what these young people are able to accomplish with inspiring teamwork. 

Though it wasn't obvious ten months ago that BHI would make it through the year, we doubled down, had a ton of great fortune, and benefitted from your support to end 2020 well-positioned to keep peddling honest agave spirits and support return migrant communities harder than ever in 2021.

Thank you to our mezcaleros and brand partners, our tremendously supportive retail buyers, restaurants, bars and friends, the folks who recommend our spirits to anyone who would taste them, and of course the conscientious consumers who sit back after a long day and sip on something we've brought to the table with love and humility.