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Karina Licona Ruiz
Editor’s Note: Alfredo Espinola, el Restaurante’s representative in Mexico City, recently interviewed Karina Licona Ruiz, who is part of the Oaxaca chapter of the Women's Mezcal Association. She is also a member of the Organizing Committee of the 2025 Ancestral Roots Festival, which brought together producers of spirits such as mezcal, raicilla, sotol, bacanora, and other distilled beverages such as pulque on April 4-6 in Mexico City.
How did the Raíces Ancestrales Festival come about?
This project began four years ago as “México Agavero,” which we sought to update to make it more visible, so we changed the name to “Raíces Ancestrales.” At that time, we only had four states with designation of origin, but for this second edition, we started with more than nine states, with different national distillates, which are:
- Guerrero
- Durango
- Oaxaca
- San Luis Potosí
- Michoacán
- Puebla
- State of Mexico
- Veracruz
It should be added that families who live and work in the distillation industry have joined this event.
What is the purpose of the “Raíces Ancestrales” Festival?
The purpose of this event is to showcase the distillation process up to bottling, as production continues to be traditional. The intention of this event is to create a platform that promotes:
1. Fair trade
2. Educating the general public. In this regard, during the event, the documentary “Las hijas del maguey” (The Daughters of the Maguey) was screened, in which members of the Association tell us about what they have faced in a world that was considered exclusive to men.
3. Presentations are given on brand positioning, production costs, market price implications, and the consequences for mezcal producers.
4. Sustainability.
Do you think that traditional spirits production is committed to the environment?
Today, there are brands that are committed to the environment, seeking to make distillates more conscious. That is why there are now very important projects where seed banks and nurseries have been created, and research is being conducted to develop fertilizers that produce better agaves.
Karina, tell us about your history in the world of mezcal
I am the fourth generation of mezcal masters; for example, my grandfather is a master palenquero for my mezcal brand, Kalenda. He supervises the entire production process, from the selection of the agave to the bottling, and he also taught me to love mezcal from its roots.
We are still among those who plant agave with milpa to prevent the extensive logging that is destroying the mountains of those who dedicate themselves exclusively to agave. We plant beans and corn and take care of that part of our ecosystem. Fortunately, today we have access to advice, whereas in the past it was just trial and error. I had the opportunity to study, which opened up a world of opportunities for me.
Tell us about Kalenda mezcal.
I am the founder of the Kalenda brand, a mezcal from the southern mountains of Oaxaca, specifically from the town called “Solo de Vega Oaxaca.” It is distinguished by being part of the entire production chain, from the cultivation of the agave, its care, and the distillation process carried out in clay pots.
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