Alipus was started by Los Danzantes to provide a market for family artisan distilleries. There are still hundreds of small mezcal distilleries in Oaxaca, and a number of them make fabulous product. Hector Vasquez and later Karina Abad Rojas have worked closely with selected small producers, both to improve their distillation methods and to help them with the complex paperwork required to certify their mezcals for export .Alipús Mezcal originated in 1999 as a ‘social impact project’ that sought to support traditional producers and their lands in a number of regions.

Today they work with nine mezcal producers in Oaxaca, all of which contribute to the development of rural economies. All the mezcals are Espadín-based, cooked in hornos, tahona-milled, and are spontaneously fermented on the solids. These bottlings are an exploration of terroir and the distinct style of the mezcalero throughout the state of Oaxaca.