We recently connected with Juan Pena and have shared our conversation below.

Juan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I am from Mexico City and the son of indigenous parents and they drank spirits like mezcal, pulque and tequila. In the United States I obtained my diploma in advertising and that is what I practiced for many years. This is how one day my partner and I went into a bar in Chicago where they had many bottles of mezcal and we tried many mezcals; But to my surprise, some mezcals were exemplary and others were not. This is how the idea of creating our own brand of Prolijo mezcal, produced with cultural conscience, came about.

Prolijo Mezcal it’s a small batch artisanal mezcal and our line of mezcal has
Prolijo Espadín Joven
Prolijo Espadín Reposado in American Oak Barrels
Prolijo wild agave Tobalá Joven
Prolijo wild agave Madrecuishe Joven
Prolijo wild agave Tepeztate Joven
Prolijo Pechuga with Mole Joven

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Our mezcal is produced with cultural conscience. This means that we honor the traditions and methods used for hundreds of years to produced mezcal. Everything is purchased in Oaxaca, Mexico. Instead of buying bottles, caps, boxes or labels from large companies, we work with local families who help us source everything and they make money. Oaxaca produces the largest amount of mezcal in Mexico, yet it is the second poorest state in Mexico. Likewise, we do not negotiate low prices with the producers we work with and this is very important for us as a company.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I come from advertising and the world of alcohol is different, difficult and where those who don’t know how to swim sink. The competition is tough and even more so with global brands that have money, but this has stopped us from growing in 18 states with Prolijo Mezcal, gaining ground every day and about to launch our new brand of artisanal tequila called Tierra y Libertad.

Without a doubt what has helped me is that it communicates the history of the brand, culture, production methods, one thing is to sell alcohol and the other is to sell culture. This is what I carry in my veins, the rich indigenous culture of Mexico with which I grew up and continue to have ties.

Once I had the bottles of Prolijo mezcal, distribution, I put the bottles in a flask and went to sell from restaurant to restaurant, bar to bar and from store to store. Basically what I have learned is that being a CEO is being creative, learning how to talk to distributors, price, costs, creating events, sales strategies, importing, exporting, buying supplies, selling door to door, managing social networks, working with restaurants, bars, liquor stores, do tastings and even change the light bulbs in my office.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Savings. We are an independent company that started with capital from my partner Katie Reichel, and we have never asked for capital from banks or investors. This has been very important because we have been able to manage our growth to our own taste and the needs of the company. Our business actually has sweat, blood, and many tears and that makes us proud.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.prolijomezcal.com – www.drinktyl.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/prolijomezcal – instagram.com/drinktierraylibertad
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/prolijomezcal –
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@prolijomezcal2517