The Legacy of Zoila
A Tribute to Strength and Heritage
Born in Tlacolula de Matamoros, founder Hernan Fernando honors his mother Zoila and grandmother—two remarkable women who raised six children with resilience and love. Hijos de Zoila Mezcal is more than a drink. It is an homage to all mothers whose strength roots generations.
My name is Hernan Fernando, born in Tlacolula de Matamoros, near Oaxaca City. At 17, I moved to Mexico City to study engineering. During a visit home, I saw how hard my mother Zoila worked to support our family, which inspired me to move to the U.S. to help.
I started as a dishwasher in Los Angeles and soon became a barback, eventually co-founding two restaurants and a tequila brand with friends. Over a year ago, I returned to Oaxaca to start Hijos de Zoila Mezcal—a tribute to my roots and the people behind this ancestral spirit.
Family
Tlacolula lies 30 kilometers south of Oaxaca City and is famous for its Sunday market, which is steeped in tradition. It is also renowned for its mouth-watering cuisine and stunning baroque-style church that was constructed in the 16th century. I come from humble beginnings. My mother and grandparents raised my five siblings and me in two small rooms made of clay bricks (adobe) that they built themselves. Despite surviving numerous storms and earthquakes over the past 50 years, I am proud to say that the building still stands. We were fortunate to be raised by two exceptional women, my mother and grandmother.
Hijos de Zoila Mezcal is a tribute to them and all the loving mothers out there.
Maestros Mezcaleros
La Familia Nolasco
Rooted in the rugged canyons of San Luis del Río, the five Nolasco brothers: Xavier, Abel, Rene, Omar, and Pablo. They are fourth generation maguey growers and mezcal producers. Their hometown, San Luis del Río, has a population of only 600 people and is located about three hours south of Oaxaca City. Each brother is a skilled mezcal producer and has a unique story about when they began distilling, but they all started around age 14. Today the brothers steward more than 40 hectares of estate agave, refusing chemical fertilizers and letting each plant mature the full 7–12 years required for optimum sugar.
Every sip of their mezcal tells the intertwined story of family, terroir, and time—an unhurried dialogue between the Sierra Sur and the hands that shape its spirit.
Maestro Reyes
The label for our mezcal was created by an artist with 100% Oaxacan native origins. He grew up in a small town in the Sierra Mixe, Southern Oaxaca. After moving to Oaxaca City as a teenager to work, he discovered his artistic talent and started selling his paintings in the local market. Eventually, he traveled to Europe and won a scholarship to study at the London School of Art where he developed his talent. Reyes also published over 30 books and spent 20 years working in London, Berlin, and Vienna where he learned multiple languages. He speaks five languages including his native Mixe dialect. During my 2015 trip to Oaxaca, I was captivated by the colorful paintings of this artist selling his art on the sidewalk. Talking to Reyes we bonded over our shared passion for art, culture, traditions, and life experiences living in foreign countries. I told him one day would work together, six years later, during the pandemic I traveled to Oaxaca to find him. He agreed to create artwork for our mezcal brand. Sadly, this was one of the last paintings created before losing his eyesight due to illness.
In Gratitude
I am proud of my roots, culture, and traditions, and I aim to pass on these values to the younger generations. My mother Zoila taught me the meaning of strength, sacrifice, and love—this mezcal is a tribute to her and to all the women who hold families together. Thank you for taking the time to learn about us.
Salud,
Hernan Fernando.
