In 2015. I got this itch to dive into the spirits world.

I decided the world needed a Mexican aperitif made with mezcal. I combined this with my need to find and create opportunities for women in the industry. XILA means woman in Zapotec, so it's a nod to Mexican women, traditions and ingredients.

Our producer is Edilberto Bautista, located in Oaxaca. He and his wife manage the Palenque. I continue to buy from him because he gives me the excellent quality I need for creating XILA. It is an artisanal mezcal made with the horse. the tahona, the conical oven.

XILA is made with roasted pineapple, ancho chile, cinnamon. pepper, clove. hibiscus and lavender.

We hand pick our botanicals because when I was building the recipe, I only worked with small quantities that I counted by hand. I tried to replicate that in bigger batches, but all the ingredients are small and come in different forms and sizes.

There's one person for each note. It is important to keep that quality control because otherwise it's going to be too spicy or too floral. We then macerate the botanicals in the mezcal for seven days. Next, we create a homemade simple syrup and add it to the vat. Finally, we let it rest for another seven days. Then we filter it with a cheese cloth seven times.

made in Mexico by women

Seeing the girls produce it, counting the ingredients by hand, and the artisanal process make it unique. We're creating safe spaces for women in the industry – from production to brand ambassadors.

Women are empowered by working with a brand that has a bigger purpose other than selling another spirit or aperitif. Our main goal is to help empower other women across the world.

7 TIMES 7

7 YEARS GROWN

Our agave Espadín grows during 7 years. It´s harvested, then distilled two times and finished at 50% ABV. Seven notes carefully selected by hand.

7 DAYS INFUSED

The 7 notes are macerated in the mezcal during 7 days.

7 DAYS RESTED

After the maceration, a homemade simple syrup is added and water as well and then rested for another 7 days.

7 TIMES FILTERED

Once the resting time is over, we filter the liqueur with cheesecloth, 7 times. Then we bottle and label by han.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

Women-Focused: Hillhamn founded the company wanting to create a free space where women could develop their skills in the industry; one that up until a few years ago had been predominantly male.

Women-Run: Our production team is now compromised of 10 women, led by our master distiller, Hillhamn Salome.

Equality For All: However, our brand does not discriminate by gender and we accept anyone who wants to work with us, as long as they believe in fair and equal opportunities for all.