Hildegardo 'Japo' Joya, Guardian of Raicilla’s Coastal Soul, Dies at 92 ~ L.A. TACO

Hildegardo ‘Japo’ Joya, Guardian of Raicilla’s Coastal Soul, Dies at 92

Japo had a presence that loomed large everywhere his raicilla landed, whether that was in one of Mexico’s most beloved cumbia mezcal bars, like Guadalajara’s Pare de Sufrir, where people order raicilla by name of the master distiller instead of brands they are associated with. Or in Torrance on Madre’s mezcal menu, where they still have 20 bottles left of a label Japo made for the restaurant. Like the greats in any craft, he created his own style of distilling that no other raicilla has come close to replicating.

The mezcal world is mourning the loss of Hildegardo “Japo” Joya this morning as a raicilla luminary whose coastal Jalisco blood ran thick with agave amarillo and whose body was fortified by nine decades of working the earth.

His masterful distilling style was renowned for its earthy and ocean breeze flavors. The mezcal maestro paved the way for raicilla to become the counterculture agave spirit of choice, beyond commercially sold mezcal. It was known primarily to enthusiasts worldwide thanks to collaborations with coveted agave anthropologist-led brands like Mezonte and Eterno Embrujo.

Joya passed away at 92 peacefully of natural causes in his sleep on Tuesday night at his home of Malpaso in Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco, L.A. TACO confirmed with friends of his family.