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After running a “speakeasy” mezcal bar in Querétaro, Mexico, for several years, longtime friends and mezcal buffs Pablo López, Enrique Jiménez, and Xaime Niembro decided to strike out with their own version of Mexico’s famed agave spirit. After all, they had the passion, they had the market knowledge. They just needed the right mezcalero who knew the art of the craft.
It took two years of searching across all of Mexico’s mezcal-producing regions before they found what (and who) they were looking for. It was the best mezcal they’d ever tasted, and it was made by fourth-generation maestro mezcalero Oscar Hernández in the nearby Oaxacan pueblo of Santiago Matatlán. Wowed by the outstanding quality — a family recipe handed down by Oscar’s great-grandfathers — and impressed by Oscar’s meticulous attention to detail, the trio quickly became a quartet with a divine mission: craft the best artisanal mezcal possible. They baptized the new venture Gracias a Dios (“Thank God”), a familiar phrase from their childhoods that radiates positivity. The mustachioed cherub became their mascot and, like one playing piñata, he dons a blindfold to symbolize the hopeful chances everyone takes in life.
From passion project to full-grown operation, Gracias a Dios uses ancestral techniques to make a wide variety of agave-based spirits, including specially flavored expressions, gins, pechugas, and limited-edition wild agave releases. In fact, one of GAD’s core devotions is protecting the wild agave and ensuring its future by carefully sowing new seeds every year.
Along with their intense focus on quality and sustainability, the GAD founders are deeply committed to their community. Their thoughtful, practical approach in the agave fields and their devotion to strengthening the local economy through job opportunities, fair wages, and excellent working conditions embody the essence of Mexico’s vibrant, family-centric culture, where everyone plays an important part.
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