About Balam
Xavier Villagrán, whose family has worked in mezcal for three generations, founded BALAM fifteen years ago. Villagrán sources excellent artisanal spirits: mezcals in Oaxaca, raicilla in each of the three distilling regions of Jalisco (costa, sierra, llano), sotols from Chihuahua and Durango, and the rare churique from the tiny agave lechugilla.
We wish everyone was as aware as Villagrán of the urgency of developing sustainable ways of cultivating silvestran agaves.
Villagrán sources Balam in several different artisanal destilerías, whose modes of production vary within the artisanal tradition. Some roast in rock-lined palenques, others in above-ground adobe ovens; some mill with canoas, others use shredders; all use potstills: copper, clay, stainless steel; and of course each product bears the mark of its distiller’s specific skills and methods. These are very beautiful agave spirits.