Meet Mireille Olivo (@La.Tequilana): Agave Spirits Educator & Content Creator Certified in Tequila Culture

Hi readers! I’m Mireille Olivo, one of the newest agave writers for Sip-Outsider. I’m a content creator known by La Tequilana on Instagram passionate about building a community of agave spirit enthusiasts. 

I’m originally from El Paso, Texas – a U.S./Mexico border city. Though Mexican culture is strong in El Paso, I never had too much interest in tequila. My knowledge of tequila started similarly to most Americans, which was with poor quality pours in college. It seemed like the drink of choice for parties, so I didn’t think there was much complexity or sophistication behind the spirit.

I moved to Washington, DC for school and work and soon after, my parents moved to Guadalajara, Jalisco, MX. Being in the epicenter of tequila production, I spent many trips learning the tips and secrets my parents, especially my father, picked up over their time there. When the pandemic hit, I wanted to be close to my family and decided to spend that time in Guadalajara. It helped that there wasn’t a winter to endure like in DC! 

We spent our extra time learning about the spirit, the history, the culture, the flavor profiles, and the process that defines tequila. During that time in Mexico, I was certified in Tequila Culture by the Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT), the governing body of tequila. It was a great opportunity to learn more about agricultural science and the denomination of origin. We also broadened our horizons past tequila on a trip to Oaxaca to learn about the roots of mezcal. My time learning the ancestral process of mezcal in turn helped me expand my understanding of agave spirits and the process that was foundational to tequila as well. As my knowledge of tequila and mezcal grew, my hunger to learn about all agave spirits grew as well.

@la.tequilana Watch me get real mad at number 5 🥂✨ This video is about traditional quality #tequila #5thingsiwouldneverdo ♬ Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) [2018 Remaster] – Kate Bush

From visiting the distilleries to meeting the faces behind the brands, I learned how incredible tequila and agave spirits can be when made with quality products and traditional processes. As I made my way back to Washington, DC, I wanted to share my love and passion for agave. I also wanted to educate those starting their agave journey, especially those that had a similar misunderstanding of the spirits. In May 2021, I started @La.Tequilana on TikTok and Instagram, in hopes of doing just that: educating and building excitement around agave culture. I’m looking forward to being able to write and expand on what my online content just begins to touch on.