By Aflredo Espinola
Some products are born from a family tradition, while others emerge from a desire to do things differently. Raicimix brings both stories together. Behind this brand of raicilla-based beverages is Jennifer Estefanía Valdez Lara, a young entrepreneur from Guadalajara who found in one of Jalisco’s most iconic spirits the opportunity to create a product aimed at new generations of consumers.
Her story with raicilla began long before she ever imagined having her own brand. Her grandfather and father have been involved in the agricultural sector for years. Her grandfather, a plant scientist by training, participated in projects related to the domestication of the Maximiliana agave, one of the varieties used to produce this spirit. From that involvement with the crop arose the possibility of producing raicilla, an initiative that Jennifer later joined.
That’s how her first experience in the world of spirits began.
However, she soon discovered that producing and marketing a bottle of raicilla wasn’t exactly what she was looking for. Although she recognized the value of the product and all the work that went into making it, she saw a major obstacle: a lack of consumer awareness.
“Many people aren’t familiar with raicilla, and those who have tried it sometimes have some reservations,” she says.
For years, this spirit was associated, for some consumers, with artisanal beverages that could have high alcohol content and unfamiliar flavor profiles for those unaccustomed to drinking it. That perception ended up becoming one of the main challenges in positioning the product.
Jennifer realized that, to introduce raicilla to a wider audience, it might not be necessary to ask consumers to change their habits, but rather to offer them a different way to discover it.
From Tradition to Innovation
The idea began to take shape during family gatherings and celebrations. Jennifer enjoyed making cocktails with raicilla, but she was also aware of the complications involved in organizing a mixology experience: sourcing the ingredients, preparing the mixes, and having someone on hand to serve them.
Jennifer Estefanía Valdez Lara
The solution seemed obvious: create a ready-to-drink (RTD) beverage that was practical, refreshing, and had a more approachable alcohol content.
Thus, Raicimix was born—a brand of RTD (Ready to Drink) beverages that combines the essence of raicilla with fruity flavors and a contemporary presentation.
The project began in 2024 with four varieties: mango-pitahaya, strawberry-watermelon, pineapple-coconut, and Raicuela—a take on the traditional cazuela, but made with raicilla instead of tequila, featuring citrus notes of orange, grapefruit, and lemon.
Each can contains 5.5 degrees of alcohol. The formula uses natural flavorings and sugar as a sweetener, with no artificial colors or sweeteners. Although, as Jennifer explains, the canning process requires preservatives, the goal has been to keep the other ingredients as natural as possible.
The product aims to offer a lighter, more palate-friendly experience without losing the connection to the spirit that gives it its identity.
Breaking into a Traditional Industry
Entering the world of raicilla also meant facing an environment that has historically been dominated by men.
When her grandfather invited her to join the Raicilla Promotion Council, Jennifer began attending industry meetings and gatherings. However, at first she struggled to find her place.
“I really did feel completely out of place,” she recalls.
Most of the participants were men with long careers in the production and marketing of the spirit. Furthermore, there was a deeply ingrained view of how raicilla should be consumed: traditionally on its own, respecting its production process and original characteristics.
The emergence of a ready-to-drink beverage aimed at a younger consumer might, at first glance, have seemed at odds with that tradition.
But something began to change when the producers themselves observed the market’s response.
Raicimix wasn’t competing with traditional raicilla; it was opening a door for more people to discover it. Those who tasted her drinks began asking what raicilla was, where it came from, and where they could find it in its original form.
That connection between innovation and tradition ultimately became a common ground.
Jennifer believes her approach can help spark interest among new generations in a spirit that needs wider exposure. She also acknowledges that she has gradually noticed greater openness within the sector and a growing presence of women in decision-making roles.
“I think they no longer see me so much as a threat, but rather as a strength,” she explains.
Her experience reflects a transformation that goes beyond a single brand: the need to find new ways to preserve and promote traditional products without limiting their evolution.
A Drink That’s Also a Feast for the Eyes
In a market where the consumer experience often begins long before the first sip, Raicimix’s image plays a fundamental role.
Jennifer wanted a brand that reflected her admiration for Mexican culture and had a recognizable visual identity. To achieve this, she turned to the alebrijes—those extraordinary figures from Mexican folk art that combine real and imaginary animals in compositions brimming with color and fantasy.
Each variety has its own character, chosen based on an association with the fruit that defines the flavor.
The result is a collection of eye-catching cans, featuring vibrant colors and illustrations that spark curiosity. This identity aims to connect with consumers who are accustomed to sharing their experiences on social media and who value presentation just as much as the product itself.
“I wanted a brand that not only looked 100% from Jalisco but also looked distinctly Mexican,” she says.
The strategy seems to be working. At trade shows and exhibitions, the presentation is often one of the first things to catch the public’s attention. Next comes the tasting and, in many cases, the purchase.
Jennifer estimates that about nine out of ten people who try her drinks have a positive reaction. But for her, there’s something even more important than receiving good feedback: seeing that consumers are willing to pay for the product and come back for more.
Repeat purchases, she says, have been one of the most encouraging signs confirming that there’s a market for her product.
A Business Administrator Who Learned to Do It All
Jennifer studied Business Administration, but entrepreneurship has required her to develop skills that go far beyond her academic training.
In the process, she has been involved in virtually every stage: from trademark registration and regulatory procedures to flavor development, formulation, design, and marketing.
“I’m a jack-of-all-trades now,” she says with a laugh.
Her first raicilla brand served as a sort of learning experience. It allowed her to learn the procedures necessary to develop a product, engage with the relevant authorities, and understand the requirements involved in bringing a beverage to market.
However, it was with Raicimix that she found a much deeper connection to her project.
The selection of each flavor, the colors of the cans, the graphic identity, and even the small details of presentation became part of a creative process she particularly enjoys.
“I wanted to have a product that I’d be madly in love with—something I’d want to have in my own fridge and drink whenever I felt like it,” she confesses.
That conviction seems to be one of the driving forces behind her venture: developing something she believes in, enjoys, and can share with other consumers.
The Next Step: Conquering New Markets
Raicimix is currently sold at exhibitions, trade shows, on Mercado Libre, and in some grocery stores and wine shops. Among the events she has participated in are Expo Tequila and the Guadalajara Livestock Expo.
But Jennifer is clear that the brand’s growth requires taking the next step toward broader distribution.
International expansion is also beginning to take shape. Colombia is the first export market for which she has already received an order, while she works on the necessary procedures to comply with U.S. regulations—including FDA and TTB requirements—and seeks a distributor in that country.
Although the United States represents a natural opportunity due to the presence of consumers familiar with Mexican products, Jennifer does not want to limit her vision to that market.
Europe and Asia are also among the destinations she considers promising for the brand’s future.
Her goal, however, goes beyond simply selling cans in other countries. She wants to help raicilla gain greater international recognition and occupy a more prominent place among Mexican spirits.
“I’m very proud that it’s a product with a designation of origin from Jalisco,” she says.
And it is precisely that pride in her roots that connects all the elements of Raicimix: her family’s agricultural heritage, the tradition of raicilla, the creativity of mixology, and a new way of presenting a deeply Mexican product.
A New Generation for Raicilla
When asked what she would say to the Jennifer who first set out on this journey, her answer is simple and emphatic: “Don’t give up.”
Entrepreneurship, she acknowledges, involves taking steps forward and backward, facing moments of uncertainty, and learning to be patient. But it also means discovering abilities you didn’t even know you had.
Raicimix still has a long way to go, but its concept already sparks an interesting conversation about the future of Mexican spirits: How can a traditional drink be introduced to consumers seeking new experiences without losing its essence?
Jennifer seems to have found an answer in the blend of tradition, creativity, and practicality.
Because raicilla doesn’t necessarily have to remain in the glass of those who already know it. It can also come in a colorful can, take center stage in a cocktail, and pique the curiosity of someone trying it for the first time.
And perhaps that is where Raicimix’s greatest value lies: in demonstrating that innovation doesn’t mean leaving one’s roots behind, but rather finding new ways to share them with the world.