Carlos Moreno’s energy is palpable. He’s on his way to the Koch Mezcal warehouse in Oaxaca and as our call cuts in and out, he begins to unravel the vast world of connections he has strung together over the last dozen years.

Today, Koch employs 170 individuals from across the region. Since starting the company in 2008, Carlos has knitted together a community. Not long ago, each producer in the organization was on their own, forced to play jimador, mezcalero, and seller, driving their own trucks to markets across Oaxaca’s diverse landscape in an effort to sell some, but certainly not most of their own Mezcals. Now, these once unconnected Mezcal producers are a family, and a successful one at that.

During our interview, Carlos takes us from the car, through the warehouse, and finally to a desk sitting just outside the facility. The desk is not his. In fact, he doesn’t have one of his own.

To some, the lack of a desk for the man behind one of the most beloved Mezcal companies on the planet may seem strange. Carlos is an architect by trade and looks like a man comfortable crossing a construction site, checking in on each piece of a massive project. In the Koch warehouse, he is in his element, chatting with everyone, from those on the production line to friends from across the globe working on innovations. He doesn’t look like a man who enjoys sitting.

A ball of passion and energy, Carlos has constructed an organization that actively works with 18 communities across Oaxaca. Koch offers Mezcals from 58 families that are sold to 16 different countries. On top of that, he provides consulting services to 10 companies, some of which use his warehouse and expertise to create Mezcals of their own.

It’s Carlos’ passion that has connected the various producers currently found under the Koch name. When asked how he manages to keep so many different producers happy, he explains, “We make them feel comfortable because we are involved with them in the production of agave, in the production of Mezcal. How can you make a maestro in Oaxaca feel happy? Work with them. As in any business in the world, they want to be connected with you.”

It’s that shared passion and understanding that Carlos believes connects the entire organization, “Living in the communities, you know, it’s hare, tortilla, frijoles. or whatever you have, you know. Sometimes we have a rabbit, and that’s the thing, that’s the life here. And if you enjoy it, people feel it. I think sometimes we forget, but all of us know a human being feels the other people,” he explains. “When you have passion it’s obvious and people enjoy it and people enjoy sharing with you. I think that’s why they are happy, because we are connected.”

Koch takes that connection to heart and puts money back into the land and communities who produce the Mezcal. They also defend strong social, ecological and ethical values. “We put our money back into the fields and [the producers] know we recollect seeds,” reveals Carlos. “We germinate the seeds and then give them back to the communities, so they can plant it back in the mountains.” That’s just one of the ways Koch remains focused on the land and the people.

Koch is a company steeped in tradition, Carlos a man fascinated with history and families who have been producing the agave spirit for generations. That’s why Koch doesn’t impose a singular way of Mezcal production on its producers. He understands that the producers the company works with know better than anyone how to make the Mezcal they have been creating for decades.

Source and Full Story: SpiritedZine