About Del Maguey Mezcal

Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal was founded in 1995 by Ron Cooper, an artist who established close relationships with Zapotec Mexican Indian people who produce mezcal in the remote villages of Oaxaca, Mexico. It is Ron who, over two decades, brought the previously unknown and unappreciated artisanal mescal to the attention of the world’s discerning drinkers.

The company works with twelve families in the remote villages of Oaxaca and Puebla, four of which have been with Del Maguey since its inception. Each bottle is named for the village where it was produced.

Ken Price, sculptor renown for his distinctive, acrylic-painted ceramics, is responsible for the vibrantly colored artworks that adorn Del Maguey labels. Ken and Ron met in 1962 when they became neighbors at the surf point on California Street in Ventura, California. The two have since been life-long friends.

There is no doubt that Ron Cooper’s influence on the Mezcal culture in America is enormous. Bobby Heugel, “Houston’s Cocktail King,” credits Cooper with turning him on to mezcal in 2007. Heugel now stocks Del Maguey at all four of his Houston bars.