The Story of Ilegal Mezcal - Ilegal Mezcal

About Ilegal Mezcal

Around 2004, Ilegal's founder John Rexer began bringing mezcal down from Oaxaca to Antigua to supply his bar, Café No Sé. The mezcal became popular very quickly. At the time, he was bringing down unbranded mezcal from a variety of villages in Oaxaca that included: Tlacolula, San Lorenzo, Sola De Vega, Santa Catarina Minas, Hierve el Agua, Santiago Matatlan and a few others.

In 2006, John created the brand Ilegal, originally just to supply his bar in Guatemala. On the back of each bottle of Ilegal you will find it says "Originally produced for: Café No Sé, Mezcal Bar."

Q&A with Founder John Rexer

8. So this is where the name Ilegal Mezcal comes from?

Not entirely. I thought long and hard about the name, and yes the history of the early days made sense. But I also thought the name had significance on other levels. Many of the people we came to work with in Oaxaca had loved ones living illegally in the states because there was no work in Oaxaca. Some of the palenqueros were guys who lived in the states for years undocumented and then came back home to work. In Matatlan the dream of every teenager back in the 90s was to find their way to the states because you could not make money on a palenque. We worked with guys who had been “illegal.” So there was that connection, and it is one that drives at bigger issues that concern a lot of us: immigration reform, borders, surveillance, freedom, etc.

1. When Did Ilegal Begin?

It began back in 2004ish, very informally and almost by mistake. I was bringing mezcal down from Oaxaca for my bar, Café No Sé, in Antigua Guatemala, and the mezcal became popular very quickly. At the time, we were bringing down unbranded mezcal from a variety of villages in Oaxaca that included: Tlacolula, San Lorenzo, Sola De Vega, Santa Catarina Minas, Hierve el Agua, Santiago Matatlan, and a few others.

2. I hear you smuggled mezcal into Guatemala?

Well, let’s just say we were a bit creative in how we brought mezcal across the border. You see back in 2004, there were very few mezcals that were certified for export, almost none. Bringing a few bottles across the border was not such a big deal, but try getting 50, 100, or 500 bottles across and things get a bit interesting. Especially at the borders we were crossing; where back then, the cops, the military, the gangs and just plain old thieves had to be eluded or navigated or co-opted, if you get my drift.

3. So you were creative in how you brought mezcal across the border. Do you care to elaborate?

It kind of began with us stuffing bottles into duffel bags, packing them as luggage under the bus and praying none of our bags would be inspected. Two people can bring 30 or so liters that way. But Oaxaca is a long way from Antigua. It is a day and half trip by bus and then running from village to village to buy mezcal is another couple of days or weeks. It’s an insane way to stock a bar.

One day a mezcalero, whom I had been dealing with for some time, proposed that I buy a pallet of mezcal from him. I had no idea how much was in a pallet. When he told me 600 bottles, I said, “Man, I have trouble getting 30 bottles across a border. How the hell am I going to get 600?” He looked at me and smiled and said an expression I have heard so often in Mexico. One I have come to love. That expression is: No te preocupes. Yo tengo un tío. Which means: Don’t worry about it, I have an uncle.

5. Were you ever robbed?

Yes, on several occasions. But, mostly it happened when we brought in booze legally, years later with permits, etc. The cops and border officials operate as a team. They see a truck coming across the border with things of value and they radio gangs down the road to hit you. Sometimes it is just the cops looking for a mordida (a bribe), and other times everything you have gets jacked. It’s not a joke.

6. So why did you do this?

Good question. Looking back on it I just said this is the way things work down here so adapt. But it was also a hell of a lot of fun, more after the fact, when things worked out and we made it to the bar with mezcal.

7. Is it true that you once dressed as a priest to bring mezcal across the border?

Yes. I have a lot of bad ideas and when I’ve been drinking they seem like great ideas and I do them. Not always the wisest option. The sign outside the office door to my bar reads "Bad Idea Factory." So yeah, one day, very early on, I was trying to bring 60 bottles or so across the border under a bus with a friend of mine, Lucas, and I dressed up like a priest.

We also needed to buy some duffle bags to put the mezcal in and some cheap shirts and rags to wrap around the bottles. So at 7 a.m. we went to the market and bought bags. While there we came across a priest’s shirt hanging amidst the used clothing for sale.

I opened the bag he was pointing at figuring I’d have no real problem as we stuffed the bags with a lot of clothing and books at the top. Unfortunately, Lucas had packed this bag and had placed on top some pretty hardcore porn that he had purchased in Mexico.

The immigration official said, “Padre, que tiene en sus maletas?” (What do you have in your bags?) I responded with, “Regalos para mis amigos and libros para los niños.” He stared me down and said, “Abra su maleta.” (Open your bag.)

8. So this is where the name Ilegal Mezcal comes from?

In Matatlan the dream of every teenager back in the 90s was to find their way to the states because you could not make money on a palenque. We worked with guys who had been “illegal.” So there was that connection, and it is one that drives at bigger issues that concern a lot of us: immigration reform, borders, surveillance, freedom, etc.