Los Convidados is a brand that highlights the craftsmanship of Mexican spirits, based on traditional production methods and a deep respect for the terroir. Its name, which means ‘The Guests’, refers to the moments of sharing and bonding that take place around a glass, a central notion in Mexican culture. Each Los Convidados spirit is the result of meticulous work, rooted in ancient practices that vary from region to region. For the mezcals, the agaves are harvested when ripe after several years of growth, cooked slowly in underground stone ovens, then crushed using a tahona or a mechanical mill. Fermentation in open vats with indigenous yeasts, often influenced by the local climate, gives rise to complex aromatic profiles. Distillation in copper or Philippine stills then refines the aromas without altering their richness. The rums follow an equally precise path. Produced from fresh cane juice or molasses, they draw their character from Mexico's volcanic soils and tropical climates. Fermentation, often longer than elsewhere, develops deep aromas before distillation, designed to preserve the intensity of the cane sugar and spicy notes. Each bottle reflects a region, a history, a group of producers who carry on the tradition handed down through the generations. From the mountains of Oaxaca to the plains of Veracruz, via the red earth of Jalisco, the landscape influences every detail of the process. The natural elements - the quality of the water, the microclimate, the yeasts in the air - give each batch its own identity. Los Convidados does not seek to standardise, but rather to reveal these nuances, these variations from one harvest to the next, from one maestro mezcalero to the next. Here, time is more of an ally than a constraint, and production remains deliberately limited to preserve this direct link between the raw material and the glass.

Swell de Spirits was created in 2021 by Michael Barbaria. Its bottlings are the result of a meticulous selection of exceptional casks in collaboration with each producer, to which it pays tribute by captivating the most discerning taste buds of discerning enthusiasts. Its bottles, with designs as original as the liquid they contain, make Swell de Spirits a key player on the independent scene.