62
In business, it's often said that speed
is essential to competitiveness in the
marketplace; brands aim to shorten their
ideation lifecycles and release new products
early and often. The key to Ilegal Mezcal's
success, however, has been quite the
opposite. You might even say it takes its cue
from the 100% Espadín agave it sources,
which takes ten years to mature before it can
be harvested and used to create the sweet
and smoky distillate native to Oaxaca. "'Sin
prisa' is our motto," says Ilegal founder and
CEO John Rexer. "It means 'without rushing.'
We reinforce, over and over, that this mezcal
is going to be something we can be proud of
long-term."
Founded 14 years ago out of Café No Sé,
Rexer's bar in Guatemala, the brand just
celebrated ten years on the U.S. market. "I
can't believe we got here, but we're here,"
says Rexer with a smile. To commemorate the
Slow and Steady Wins the Race :
ILEGAL
MEZCAL
PHOTO
COURTESY
OF
ILEGAL
MEZCAL