Mal Bien Tobaxiche is made by Victor and his son Emanuel. They are the 3rd and 4th generations of the Ramos family to produce mezcal in the Miahuatlán District of Oaxaca, an area famous for its abundance and diversity of A. karwinskii sub-species (madrecuixe, tobaxiche, etc.). The community of Mengoli de Morelos where they live and work has a population of just under 200 people. They are related to the neighboring Cortes family via Victor’s wife (Emanuel’s mother), Cleotilde, whose sister Cesilia is married to Felipe.

The maguey Tobaxiche (agave Karwinskii) used in this mezcal are cooked for 8-10 days in an underground pit oven with Encino and Mesquite. Once cooked, the agave rest 3-5 days before being mashed by ox drawn tahona. They’re fermented with open air yeasts for 3-8 days before being double distilled in a copper refrescadera still.