In a community surrounded by hills and wild agaves lives and works Refugia Cortés , whom many know as Cuca. Since childhood, the palenque was her school. She was only eight years old when she began to learn the art of mezcal alongside her father. From then on, the smoke of the oven, the taste of the must, and the heat of the still became part of her life.

Cuca did not learn to make mezcal on her own. Her father was her guide and companion, and together they created a way of working where knowledge is shared and decisions are made equally. If one grows tired, the other continues. If one leaves, the other takes care of the fermentation. There is no separation in what they do: everything is done together, with respect and love for tradition.

For years, while her brothers migrated to the United States, Cuca left her community to work, but she always returned during production season. Until one day, her father asked her to return for good. “I no longer have help,” he told her. And she came back. Not because she had no other options, but because mezcal also calls to her, inhabits her, gives her meaning.

Today, at the Mezcal Cortés palenque, they work with agaves such as madrecuixe, tobasiche, mexicano, and verde. Each variety is distilled separately, with patience. They make only one distillation, resulting in mezcales that are intense, vibrant, with the soul of the agave intact. In one of her experiments, Cuca decided to try with agaves that contained a natural worm. What came out was an unexpected, flavorful, and unique batch.