Maestro Féderico de la Cruz and his family are part of the indigenous Tepehuano population around Mezquital, Durango—a community struggling daily under the ongoing dispute between two powerful cartels. Under duress, local tradition and culture still survive, with mezcal a central component. The term ‘castilla’ can refer to numerous varieties of agave in different regions around Mexico, and even different species within the same region at times; with this production, the name refers to a larger subspecies of Agave angustifolia that has matured for up to 19 years.
