We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Daniel Zavala. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Daniel below.
Alright, Daniel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
Mata Santa translates to Sacred Plant. There is already so much meaning and depth starting there. Beto our partner in Oaxaca came up with it along our “No es Magia, es Mezcal” phrase. We immediately connected with the concept, and of course we loved this Mezcal, the quality and passion to create this ancestral hand-crafted spirit.
The whole idea behind our brand and company is to support programs for regenerate or protect the environment.
To give an example of commitment to biodiversity, Matasanta began an Agave nursery in Miahuatlán, Oaxaca in 2019. More than 20,000 agaves have been planted, none of them are Espadin/Angustifolia.
When we began Matasanta, my partner Alejandro and I had started the Palm Project, a network with a vision to protect endangered species like the palm Copernicia Fallaensis, which was the initial inspiration for the company. So we felt it was so much in line as we are working to develop a holistic centers in Miami and in the Coast of Oaxaca.
Two great influences were Buckminster Fuller and Jacques Fresco. Hopefully we could all agree that Nature is universal and we as the evolved and intelligent species role we have, we have the power and responsibility to reverse the damage and negligences to our environment and improve its condition.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am 39 from Monterrey, Mexico. I have lived in Miami for 14 years. After 9 years of working in the design& construction industry and during the pandemic I felt ready for a change. I took a month off on December 2020 and did an epic road trip from Miami to Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca.
The next time I went, a group of friends joined me and we met our partner Beto, and tried Matasanta for the first time. We were in awe of the wide variety of Agaves and how different one can taste from another. It took some time to get the brand ready for the US market and in 2023 we launched it in Miami FL.
We quickly realized that our Mezcal was not just another Mezcal brand in the market. We are proud to produce only hand made small batch Mezcal artesanal and ancestral. Ancestral means it was distilled in clay rather than copper or stainless steel tanks. All process is manual and the final product is something that stands out undoubtedly. This Ancestral category, represents less than 1% of all Mezcal production. We currently have 6 Ancestral labels: Castilla, Coyote, Arroqueño, Sierra Negra, Espadín and Jabalí.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
Finite Games and Infinite Games, James Carse
and listen to any podcast with Daniel Schmachtenberger
We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.
Alejandro and I met about 11 years ago through one of his friends. He was married at the time, I was married at the time. We divorced about the same time too. We both adopted dogs then. We started doing things that good friends do- work out, go to concerts, light up the grill and munch, trips with friends, etc.
He was one of the first people I shared the vision of the Palm Project and did not judge me crazy!
I had many people close to me then telling me very discouraging things. Clearly, I did not listen to them. On the other hand Alejandro would usually say something like, tell me more…
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.matasantamezcal.com
- Instagram: @matasanta_mezcal
- Linkedin: Daniel Zavala
- Soundcloud: danielzzmm
- Other: https://www.thepalmproject.net
Image Credits
Product shots by Santiago Marquez IG- @santiagophotoss