Coleccion MX Mexican spirits

Mariana Mendoza is the founder of Coleccion MX, limited edition bottles merging the best of Mexican art and spirits. We were curious about her wonderful project

Mariana, your story started with the idea of importing to Mexico but ended up in a new
professional adventure?
I studied a B.A. in International Business, my first business idea was to import supplies from
China, but I noticed that I wasn’t that passionate about it and that’s when I started to learn
about Mexican, wines, spirits and local art.
And my surprise was that in Mexico we have 12 million artisans, but only 1 million (approx.)
are living 100% from the commercialization of their art, 20% have 60 years or more, 70% are
women and 30% are men, most of them live in poor and marginal zones and a vast majority
don’t have access to public services, like electricity, water, gas, etc.
When I asked my friends and family how many types of Mexican spirits and art they knew,
they couldn’t mention me more than 3 or 4. And I realized in that instant that my mission was
to promote and preserve our culture and inspire the new generations to continue this legacy.
In Colección Mx we create limited edition bottles merging the best of Mexican art and spirits.

Each collection is a tribute to a state of Mexico ?
Each bottle we create is a tribute to Mexican artistry and traditional spirit-crafting processes.
When we create a new collection, we get inspired from the landscapes, gastronomy, spirits,
music, but what most deeply connects us to each state’s culture and tradition is its people.

What to expect in each collection?
A unique limited-edition bottle from each state of Mexico crafted directly from the local
communities of artisans and spirits producers. Every time you see or taste one of our bottles you’ll be immersed in the history of the state and the story of each heart and hand behind our project.

You also want to value the hard work of often underpaid producers, right ?
We work with local producers of the spirits and create a limited-edition batch for our
collection.

Every producer we work with aligns with our core values, people first, they create programs
to help their farmers to have a healthy workspace and have a career growth plan for them.
They use natural resources responsibly and have forestry permits, they preserve the
traditional spirit-crafting processes and have a high-quality product.

What is so different if we compare Mexican spirits to other spirits in your part of the
world?
The same type of agave can be grown in the northern desert and next to the Pacific Ocean
but because of the rich and diverse ecosystems we have, each one gets its unique identity
and taste. Some spirits need to pass through an aging process in barrels to obtain this unique taste, but
Mexican spirits have in their DNA the taste of the region they grew in.

For example in Chihuahua we have apple orchards and nuts, and you’ll find hints of these 2 products in each sip of the local spirits.
In Mexico we have Tequila and Raicilla in Jalisco, Sotol in Chihuahua, Durango and
Coahuila, Pox and Comiteco in Chiapas, Bacanora in Sonora, Mezcal in Oaxaca, Charanda
in Michoacán and many more…

Through working with small Mexican producers you ensure the ancestral traditions
are kept?
We work close together with our producers and that helps us to be part of their crafting
process we’re not looking for volume but for quality and the traditional taste.
We keep track of these processes by having KPIs that align to ESGs and our values as well.

Can You tell us more about the Jalisco collection ?
In our Jalisco edition we merged Huichol (Wixárika) art and Tequila Blanco.
Material: Beads
About our design: Huichol artisans (Wixárikas) share a piece of their life with us in each
piece they make. Among the most representative figures of the culture are the scorpion, the
deer, the jaguar and one of the most important for them is the peyote hikuri, which is
considered a sacred cactus.
Our artisans are located in remote places in the Sierra Madre Occidental between Nayarit and Jalisco.

About our spirit:
Producer Viva México
Region Jalisco (Los Altos Southern)
Alc. Vol. 42%
Agave Tequilana Weber
Process Cooking: Stone/Brick Ovens

Fermentation: Stainless steel tanks, Classical music, Champagne
Yeast, Fermentation without fibers
Distillation: 2x Copper still

Tasting Notes Appearance: Excellent transparency

Aroma: citrus, mint, raw and cooked agave with hints of cinnamon
and pepper.
Taste: silky smooth with the citric characteristics of grapefruit and
lime. A sweet finish of cooked agave and a light spicy pepper that
confirms a balanced tequila.

Now you are offering the Chihuahua collection ?
In our Chihuahua edition we merged Tarahumara (Rarámuri) art and Sotol.
Material: Clay, wood and textile.

And what about the design ?
The Tarahumara artisans (Rarámuris) share with us in each piece that they create a reflection of the place where they live. For example: The triangles represent chihuahua mountain range, the circles represent the apple orchards in the region, the wood cap represents the nuts produced in the region and on the cloth, they represent their clothing and the stairs that for them are a way to make their soul reach heaven in a direct way.

What can you tell us about this spirit ?
The producer is Los Magos Sotol from Region Chihuahua.
Alc. Vol. 42.3%
Plant Dasylirion
Process Cooking: Volcanic rick-lined pit cooked with mesquite, oak and poplar wood.
Fermentation: In pine crates with deep well water from the DeminBasil
Distillation: 3x Copper still
Tasting Notes Appearance: Clear

Aroma: Complex notes of citrus, black pepper, light smoke, and
eucalyptus on the nose.
Taste: Palate is soft and velvety with flavors of honey, savory spice,
and an herbaceous finish.

All of these can be bought in the webshop ? Are you delivering worldwide ?
You can buy our bottles in México directly from our Webpage: www.coleccionmexico.mx
In the US we’ll be soon in Flaviar ecommerce

You are actively looking for B2B importers for your collections ?
Yes, right now we’re looking for partners to import and distribute our collections in new
countries, we’re interested in offering exclusive distribution in each country. Our partners will
have access to exclusive pre-sales of our upcoming collections.

In 2024 you have new collections in your portfolio ?
Yes, we already have in our pipeline 12 out of the 32 states there are in Mexico. Later this
year we’ll launch our new collection from the state of Chiapas.

Important to note, because all our work is artisanal, we are working now in collections that’ll
be launched in 3 – 5 years to ensure we can have the product ready and 100% hand crafted
by our artisans.

Social Media
Instagram: @coleccion.mx
Facebook: Colección Mx
LinkedIn: Colección Mx
WhatsApp: +52 (833)3005842
Mail: info@coleccionmexico.mx
Webpage: www.coleccionmexico.mx