For over a decade, a small group of artists, musicians, writers and travelers have been drinking Ilegal Mezcal, a handcrafted Mexican spirit with a notorious history that includes smuggling and weeklong parties in Café No Sé, a clandestine bar and music hub in Antigua, Guatemala.

About Ilegal Mezcal

Around 2004, Ilegal's founder John Rexer began bringing mezcal down from Oaxaca to Antigua to supply his bar, Café No Sé. The mezcal became popular very quickly. At the time, he was bringing down unbranded mezcal from a variety of villages in Oaxaca that included: Tlacolula, San Lorenzo, Sola De Vega, Santa Catarina Minas, Hierve el Agua, Santiago Matatlan and a few others.

In 2006, John created the brand Ilegal, originally just to supply his bar in Guatemala. On the back of each bottle of Ilegal you will find it says "Originally produced for: Café No Sé, Mezcal Bar."

Q&A with Founder John Rexer