After 20 Years Of Ilegal Mezcal, Founder John Rexer Talks What’s Ahead

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.”