Tepanal Ancestral
The story begins with Maestro Rafa’s grandfather, who, orphaned at a young age, was taken in by his uncle Isaías Quiroz, owner of the oldest palenque in town. The Quiroz family, part of Lorenzo's maternal family, have been guardians of a tradition that goes back generations and were the originators of this mezcal legacy.
Under the tutelage of his uncle Isaías, Lorenzo —Pa'Lencho to the family— learned the art of distillation, a tradition that became an integral part of his life. Over time, he married and continued his life as a farmer, planting corn, beans, and squash during the rainy season, and producing mezcal during times of drought.
Although in those years mezcal was not a great business, Pa'Lencho made it with passion and dedication, not only for his personal consumption, but also to share with his community in the guelaguetzas, where mezcal occupied a central place in the celebration and in family unity.
This knowledge was passed to his son, Rafael García Aragón, now our maestro mezcalero and the guardian of the family’s ancestral production methods. Rafael later shared this heritage with his own son, Jair, ensuring that three generations continue to honor and refine the traditions of Santa María Sola.
In 2019, Rafael and Jair met Antonio Avendaño, who later became part of the family by marriage. United by a shared vision, they decided to bring the authentic spirit of Sola de Vega to a wider audience. After overcoming many challenges, they achieved their first export to the United States in December 2022.
The name Tepanal comes from Tepanaltepec, the former name of the village in Nahuatl, meaning “cerro de panales” — hill of honeycombs —a reference to the land that nourishes our maguey and shapes our identity.
Today, Tepanal remains family-owned, single-palenque, and committed to ancestral production: conical stone ovens, hand or electric milling, natural fermentation, and clay-pot distillation. Every batch is small, transparent, and crafted with respect for the land and their roots.
