Don Ignacio Parada

In a half century of making mezcal, Ignacio “Don Chucho” Parada has dedicated his life to the craft of making traditional mezcal. He has risen from being a young apprentice on the palenque to a respected Don in both his local community and on the international mezcal stage. Don Ignacio Parada comes from Santa María Zoquitlán, a small town cradled by two converging river valleys and flanked with steep hillsides studded with rare agaves such as Jabalí and Tepeztate. It is within this wondrous territory of rugged ridgelines and sweeping river basins where Ignacio works with his son José, who is following in his footsteps as the next generation of a Parada family mezcalero. When the father and son duo are not working their fields, Don Chuco enjoys playing cards with his pals at the palenque on lazy Sunday afternoons.  
The tradition of mezcal production in this area dates back generations, and the area boasts a unique array and concentration of wild magueys that are rarely found in other areas. Together, Don Igancio and José are making traditional mezcales in the same style as their forefathers and carrying on this special legacy and craft into the 21st Century.