What it Takes— Ilegal Mezcal Founder John Rexer

The spirits market is constantly driven by new trends that rise, fall, and reinvent themselves. While brand success is relative to the goals of each founder, the extent to which a business can commercially blossom in the spirits category is often determined along the lines of good timing and a laser focus on aligning with the trends of the moment.
Of the many positive elements John Rexer, the founder of Ilegal Mezcal, had going for him when he formulated his brand in the mid-2000s, good timing and aligning with the trends of the time were paramount to his brand’s long-term success. Now a global leader in the mezcal category, Rexer took the time to chat with Park Street’s Emmett Strack at Bar Convent Brooklyn last month.
The two dive into how Rexer turned an experimental passion project in Guatemala into a global supplier owned by Bacardi. They chat about how Ilegal’s punk-rock ethos helped them to win over business in New York’s on-premise, his advice for brands, and the challenges of introducing an artisanal spirit to the international market.