Today we’d like to introduce you to Lorena Carreno

Hi Lorena, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?

Created in 1844 by a family of farmers and landowners in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, the Hacienda Carreño played a leading role in the agave process for the production of mezcal, mainly promoted by Apolonio Carreño and his mezcal masters since the beginning of the century XX (1904); a tradition that is still alive today by the fourth generation who maintains the ancestral and artisanal process, projecting it at the level of any spirit drink.

Various varieties of wild agaves grow on the Carreño family’s land. For Mezcal Carreño, in honor of the grandfather, only organic varieties are used which after going through a double distillation give rise to a sophisticated drink, of Premium quality.

The mythical properties of maguey make mezcal a unique, soft and mature drink, which represents an invaluable cultural heritage and identity of Oaxaca. Its production is from the endemic plants of the area, its production method is completely artisanal as it is distilled in a copper still. In its preparation, ancient indigenous Zapotec techniques are used, such as the conical oven made underground with pebble stone, which is previously heated with firewood to cook the agave. The cooked agave is ground with a Tahona stone and then fermented in wooden vats. Once fermented, it is distilled twice to achieve a powerful and balanced alcohol level.

Lorena and her three brothers and six of her sisters grew up in those fields. During a time when mezcal was not valued more than in Oaxaca, the Hacienda Carreño was dedicated to the production of panela (pilloncillo) or molasses from sugar cane, currently the machinery is still a silent witness of that time, said piloncillo It was sold to rum producing companies. Currently, with the boom that mezcal has had, since 2000, in which Lorena Carreño obtained her title as a professional sommelier, the production of mezcal has been resumed, currently being one of the brands with a presence in various international markets such as Switzerland, the United States, United States, Canada and Japan.

Currently, Lorena adds to her studies on wines, studies on mezcals, communication and art. She is currently the President of the Agave Sensory Academy based in Oaxaca but with national scope. She has been a judge in various national and foreign contests to rate the organoleptic qualities of agave distilled beverages.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

Being plant and mezcal producers, the path to follow was clear, however, because I am a woman, gender issues have arisen in one way or another. So the great challenge is education towards equity. Women have always been present in the mezcal production chain, it is part of our tradition, culture and heritage, but recognition and visibility has been timidly recognized.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?

Having the land, the plants as raw material, the knowledge to make mezcal and the academic training to describe the characteristics and typicalities of one distillate versus another, the idea arose of creating a company, registering a brand and marketing it. The road has not been easy because of the bureaucracy and the little government support for small businesses.

Currently the Carreño brand is led by women of mezcal, the granddaughters of Apolonio Carreño. By carrying our last name, the brand carries an implicit ethical burden to do things well. The distillates are made by hand using a conical oven underground, the grinding is done with Tahona stone (known as Chilean or Egyptian mill) and the fermentation of the must is carried out in pine and sabino vats. They are artisanal processes, with raw materials from our fields and organic plants, with strict care in quality to offer a Premium product.

The varieties we process are endemic plants from Oaxaca such as Espadín, Tobalá, Tobasiche, Tepeztate, Largo, Cuishe among other wild agaves. They are small batches, unique since we are focused on quality not quantity.

The word Mezcal derives from the Nahuatl mextcalli which means cooked maguey, and Agave comes from the Greek word Agaué to refer to what is admirable, illustrious or brilliant. Mezcal is a spirit drink, with very well-defined organoleptic characteristics, typical of the raw material and the terroir, in our case the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, the land of Teometl or the Sacred Maguey.

Since pre-Hispanic times, this drink has had great economic and cultural importance for numerous indigenous peoples. Its consumption was reserved for religious ceremonies and for the ruling class: nobles or priests only. Historical records indicate that the people could only drink it on special occasions.

With the arrival of the Spanish to Mexico, in the 16th century, the method of distillation with a copper alembic inherited from the Arabs was imported and with this technique the processes that are currently followed for its production in most of Mexico began. Oaxaca.

What we offer to the world, summarized in a bottle of mezcal, is precisely that liquid that represents our culture, our tradition and above all our ancestral heritage.

We specialize in Premium mezcals, that is, small, unique batches that are 100% agave. What we want to convey to your audience is that they look for quality mezcals, made by small producers since in these productions they will find true gems. Mezcal Carreño has also made some innovations such as those matured in glass in an underground cellar, even more select and special batches of limited editions with maturation processes of 3, 5, 7 years or more.

As a company, we are totally committed to preserving the environment, doing what we must do in caring for water and land, without using pesticides or elements that damage our natural resources.

Furthermore, being a company run by a woman, we seek that equity in all employees. In the agave field, men are in charge of cutting the agave and cooked it, but women are involved in the grinding and distillation process. The labeling is manual and is done by women, generally indigenous women from the towns near the Hacienda Carreño in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?

That they family business, organic brands and above all made with love and passion for nature.

Our labels have won silver, gold and double gold medals in national and international competitions, including the San Francsico World Spirits Competition and Spirits Selection by Concours Mondial de Bruxelles.

One of our labels is a one-of-a-kind assembly of 7 agaves, in honor of Apolonio Carreño’s 7 granddaughters like “state of the art”. Each of the agaves represents the character of each of the granddaughters, making it a unique mezcal, totally balanced, rich in textures and very complex in flavors and aromas.. This blend has been the most awarded with gold medals and, above all, with mentions such as “Best of the Show” in spirit competitions.

Pricing:

• 100usd Tobasiche Gold Medal Spirits Selection 2023
• 120usd Ensamble Gold Medal San Francisco World Spirtis Competition “Best of the Show”
• 100usd Cuishe Gold Medal Spirits Selection 2024
• 100usd Tobala Double Gold Medal San Francisco WSC 2020
• 100usd Tepeztate Gold Medal San Fracisco WSC 2020

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mezcalcarreno.com
• Instagram: MezcalCarreno
• Facebook: /MezcalCarreno
• Youtube: MezcalCarreno

Image Credits
Photo by Ulises Llerena