Chacolo Presa Grande Vol. 4

A "Chacolo" is an enthusiastic, cheerful and friendly person, who loves to party and enjoys dancing. He spreads his joy, invites us to meet his people and to taste his mezcal. Because that is his pride. My name is Marcario Partida Ramos, and I am part of a family dedicated to the art and passion of making mezcal. We are Chacolos. My great-grandfather, my dad and I were young men in the taverns of Zapotitlán de Vadillo. We were in charge of fermenting and distilling mezcal in all the tabernas, that was our activity. Sometimes we paid rent there to be able to distill our own mezcal. The whole family worked. Some were in charge of harvesting the agave, others of cooking it others of bringing firewood, other of fermenting and distilling and others in taking it on donkeys to Colima to sell it. The tavern in which we currently produce mezcal was built in 2005 by my children and me. Fourteen years have passed already. I inherited the land from my father Philemon, to whom my grandfather Macario left it. They were the ones that began to collect different agaves from the region and bring them to our plot of land. I have continued the conservation and preservation of agave and have taught my children about the importance of biodiversity. It will be my children's responsibility for continuing this tradition and then passing it to our descendants, who will be tasked to keep it alive. That will be their legacy. Long live the family, long live the tradition, long live the taverns of Zapotitlán and long live mezcal!