Mescalito is founded by partners Christopher Mair and Tess Hamilton. Based between London and Mexico, they travel the country extensively — eating and drinking their way through its regions, and building relationships with the people and traditions that make it one of the most extraordinary places on earth.
Meeting Dani
On a trip to the Oaxacan coast in late 2025, Chris and Tess checked into a small hotel in Zipolite that happened to have a mezcalería on site. It belonged to Dani Tatarin — award-winning bartender, mezcalería owner, and founder of Gota Gorda.
They bought a bottle. They tasted it. And then they started talking. Dani told them about the producing families she had spent years building relationships with — the tiny batches, the handwritten labels, the clay copitas made by an artisan in Oaxaca. She described how PUJOL, Mexico City’s legendary restaurant, trusted her exclusively to source their mezcal. And then she mentioned she was looking to take Gota Gorda international.
Chris and Tess looked at each other. This was the thing they hadn’t known they were looking for.
The Name
The company needed a name. It came from a book — a character said to possess the wisdom of plants. The character is called Mescalito.
In the original text, the wisdom does not belong to any one plant. It is the wisdom of the green world itself — the intelligence that runs through roots and leaves and soil, the knowledge passed down not through language but through generations of patient attention to the living earth. Agave is certainly one of these plants. A species that takes twenty-five years to mature before giving everything it has in a single harvest carries a kind of wisdom that demands respect.
The wisdom of the plant. The patience of the process. The connection between all things. That is what Mescalito means to us.
What We Do
Mescalito is a UK-based platform for artisanal and ancestral mezcal. We import, curate, and tell the stories of the families behind one of the world’s most extraordinary spirits.
Gota Gorda is our founding producer — and the first of what we hope will be many relationships with brands who share our values. We are not in a hurry to grow the portfolio. Each producer we work with must meet the standard Dani has set: small batches, traditional methods, fair relationships with producing families, and a spirit that is genuinely worth your attention.
Chris and Tess split their time between the UK and Mexico. When they are in Oaxaca, they are at the palenques, learning, tasting, and building the relationships that make this work possible. When they are in London, they are getting these bottles into the hands of the bartenders, sommeliers, retailers, and enthusiasts who will appreciate them most.
This is the beginning. More producers, more expressions, more stories from across Mexico. But always slowly, always honestly, and always with deep respect for the land, the people, and the wisdom of the plant.
Depth Over Breadth
We would rather work with one producer we believe in completely than twenty we half-know. Every bottle we import, we can tell you its story — who made it, where, how, and why it matters.
Respect as Practice
Respect for the maestros who make these spirits. Respect for the land the agave grows on. Respect for the traditions that shaped the process. And respect for you — which means being honest about what’s in the bottle and what it costs.
Patience
Tepextate takes twenty-five years to mature. Good relationships take time too. We are not interested in shortcuts, hype cycles, or growth for its own sake. We are interested in doing this properly.
Connection
Between the plant and the spirit. Between the producer and the drinker. Between Mexico and the UK. Between two people who met by chance and built something together. Everything is connected. We try to honour that.
Work With Us
Bars, restaurants, and retailers — we’d love to hear from you.
trade@mescalito.xyzGet in Touch
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press@mescalito.xyzMezcal wisdom, producer stories, and new arrivals. Fortnightly.