We’re all visiting Palenque Mal de Amor in Santiago Matatlán, a town in Oaxaca dubbed the “world capital of mezcal,” to learn about the the magic of the spirit right at its source, particularly the palenque’s work as the chief distillery partner for Ilegal Mezcal.

While I’m focused on absorbing the ins and outs of mezcal production, the band is more attuned to soaking up the vibes while preparing to head on stage the next night at Bar Ilegal in Oaxaca City. It’s the launch party for the 2023 Bar Ilegal Tour, with the mezcal brand celebrating two decades of history in its original home, Café No Sé in Antigua, Guatemala. SUSU will bring the party, Ilegal will bring the drinks and tattoo artists will be busy buzzing free tats in the back during the course of a three-country, eight-stop tour between April and December.

Forbes: What does “success” for Ilegal look like to you?

John Rexer: “Success is seeing Ilegal on shelves all around the world. But that has to also come with a Oaxaca that benefits from the success. Ilegal starts in Oaxaca, a place I fell in love with many decades ago, a place of stunning natural beauty, but also all the problems facing our modern world. The success of our business must contribute to what our distiller partners in Oaxaca hope for their community, which includes better jobs, a cleaner environment, and preservation of their Zapotec culture. We have already made an impact, but there is still a long way to go.”

“Seven years ago, John was having a conversation about the history of aged mezcal and he had the idea,” Ilegal global brand ambassador Gilbert Marquez tells Men’s Journal. “He spoke to our master distiller and asked him to set aside some mezcal for a very special edition, and that’s where the 7-Year Añejo was born.” According to Marquez, the long aging process has imbued the spirit with some sweet notes that are reminiscent of cognac, but the whole point was to never lose the “ripe espadin agave” notes that are inherent to the spirit.

Barrel aging isn’t a common practice among modern mezcal producers. But the latest limited release from Ilegal might persuade more of them to consider the cask. To make it, the palenque (distillery) in Tlacolula took its herbal-forward agave spirit and matured it for seven years in French oak—35 barrels’ worth of liquid in total. It’s woven with threads of roasted pineapple and chocolate-covered fig, and maintains a vegetal, eucalyptus-like undertone at its core.