Background & Inspiration

What first inspired you to become a distiller?
I’ve always wanted to create with my hands, and having been in the retail portion of the industry I knew I wanted to make the product I’d passionately been selling for 7yrs

How has your heritage influenced your journey in whiskey-making?
It’s kept me humble, head strong, vocal, and kept me focused and motivated to make a product that I’m proud of. My heritage and culture has also allowed me to take a unique perspective of the industry when it comes to style of distilling and flavor profiles we make.

What does being part of the Texas whiskey community mean to you?
Being part of the TW Community means everything. It’s to be apart of history. We are revolutionaries in every sense of the word in the Texas whiskey community. We’re changing what it looks like to age, distill, finish, and blend whiskey and the world is taking notice 

Bourbon & Craft

What makes Texas bourbon special in your eyes?
Bourbon is special, specifically in Texas, because it blends traditional and non traditional practices. Bourbon as we all know has a strong footing in Kentucky, but we’ve molded the spirit into something so unique, using the terroir and environment here to become something so vibrant people from other stats don’t even recognize it. This spirit we make here is uniquely Texan and loud, which embodies the Texan/Tejano soul

Do you have a favorite bourbon you’ve helped create—and what makes it stand out?
I’ve got two projects I’m extremely proud of. One was with my time at Treaty Oak, I had a 4yr Pot Still bourbon that I transferred into a Maple barrel that came out tasting like blue berry pancakes, and with my time here at Still I’ve treasured working on Red Corn Bourbon. It’s one of my favorite mainline releases we have and the distillate tastes like candy.

What’s one behind-the-scenes detail about distilling bourbon most people wouldn’t expect?
I have this philosophy that borders the lines of metaphysics and spirituality, and it’s that every still has its own life force. Nothing in life is forever, including stills (without spoiling anything we’re seeing this in real time at Still Austin…stay tuned for updates). Parts need to be replaced, valves with get clogged, lines will leak, plates and bubble caps will deteriorate. Even with the knowledge that these are all inevitable problems we will face, the still will one day run like a charm, and another day give attitude and scare the shit out of us. It’s just the nature of the beast, they are machines with personalities. 

Personal & Cultural Connection

How do you see your culture and traditions reflected in your work as a distiller?
Being Indigeno-Mexicano in this space is unique, interesting, and in some cases counterintuitive to how I even grew up. Nonetheless I find spaces where my culture and the industry blend. I find it mostly in the grain, terroir, and flavor of the spirit. Growing up everything we ate at abuelas was picked up from the back yard, el maíz, los nopales, and even the borregos. That terroir of south and central Texas earth won’t ever leave my palate. These flavors have been found in the spirit of Texas Whiskey. Plenty of times I’ve found the flavors I’ve grown up with hidden in a Texas aged bottle of Bendt, Garrison Brothers, Still Austin, Chapline, and the one I’ll never forget, the best chicken mole I’ve ever had was from a pour of Balcones Whiskey.

What does celebrating Bourbon Heritage Month alongside Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you personally?
Means it’s gonna be a helluva party. Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month begins in the middle of Bourbon Heritage Month and a day before Mexican Independence Day which is also my eldest son’s birthday. The ancestors had something to do with it, the fact that all of these things align with a spirit made from our indigenous ancestral grain, I selfishly think it was meant to be and that a lot more of us need to celebrate together. Next to Día De Los Muertos, it’s one of my favorite times of the year

If you could share a glass of bourbon with anyone from your heritage, past or present, who would it be?
Emiliano Zapata. My namesake. The revolucionario that next to my father and abuelos I idolized my entire life. He was an indigenous Nahua man from Mexico has led armies against colonialist and imperialistic regimes. To sit down with him and have a glass of whiskey and just talk, my mind runs with possibilities. 

Fun

Neat, on the rocks, or in a cocktail—what’s your go-to pour?
Neat, Red Corn BiB Bourbon or Andalusia BiB Single Malt. On the rocks, anything, if it’s that hot that I need a rock, just gimme a pour of the first thing I can find, go to cocktail is a whiskey-rita it’s one of my favorite drinks all time.

Favorite food to pair with Texas bourbon?
A little cliche, but Texas bbq is undefeated when pairing with Texas Whiskey. Now if in in south Texas gimme a taco pirata de pastor and im in heaven.

What’s one word you’d use to describe Texas bourbon?
Revolución (Revolutionary)