To understand Maria Jose Currie, a dynamic, creative entrepreneur and fierce advocate for Mexico's indigenous makers, one must examine the vibrant tensions that have shaped her identity. Identifying as an artist at her core since the sixth grade, Currie’s trajectory has been wonderfully nonlinear, illustrated by an academic journey that zigzagged from international business to art, and ultimately to accounting. Born in Hidalgo and raised between the contrasting landscapes of Central Mexico and San Antonio, Texas, she navigated a cultural duality that initially left her with a complex sense of belonging, yet ultimately afforded her the canvas to freely rebel against the restrictive norms of both environments. Whether she was defying the social patriarchy as the only girl on her soccer team or challenging familial patriarchy by working two jobs through high school, she developed an intimate familiarity with conflict and adaptation.
We touched base with Maria to discuss her visionary work at the helm of Del Alma Imports (where she connects artisans with retailers and consumers who know the value of their craftsmanship) and Etla Distilleries (where she seeks to preserve the making of ancestral imbibed spirits). Read on as we talk with Maria about her work bridging the gap between modern business structure and the passionate preservation of indigenous art forms.
MiSA: You have noted that your goal is to stand alongside artisans and show them that their unbelievable work is truly valuable. What steps do you believe everyday consumers need to take to stop participating in the erasure of these centuries-old cultures and start truly valuing the makers?
Currie: This one is hard to answer, mostly because a lot of people are unwilling to let go of convenience. Valuing artisans requires the broader work of valuing handmade items in general and valuing quality. Both quality and handmade are not easily found in the mass production items that feed our consumerism. So our need to get an item quickly needs to be set aside. We have also been conditioned to live with disposable things. Quality pieces should be items that you can hand down, not items you toss and replace with the next fad or seasonal dollar spot decor. We need to be more conscious of our need to consume, more intentional with our purchases, and more aware of how our buying power really does shape the market. Businesses will start to up their quality if people stop buying all of their mediocre goods. It also signals that there is a value shift in what consumers are willing to put their dollars to. All of this impacts artisans because if there is a market for quality and that becomes the norm, there is more of a place for artisans to offer their goods. It also affects them because there is less room for cheap, plagiarized copies of their work, enabling them to sell their work for what it is truly worth.
MiSA: In your CreativeMornings talk, you candidly admit that anger, or "vibrant rage," is your most accessible emotion. How do you channel this intense emotion into a productive force for your advocacy and conservation work?
Currie: Anger can be so productive. Anger is really only bad if we allow it to lead to detrimental actions. What it does for me is make me look around and ask, “What can I do about this?” I don’t like to sit and be angry about something if it can’t lead to some action. So after I determine what I can do and my limitations within that cause, I see what my biggest impact can really be and I start with that. Am I angry about plagiarism? Then I can educate people so that they can more easily recognize the machine made items that they may be unknowingly purchasing. Am I angry about how people are being treated? Then I will do my best to humanize those people and fill the need gap, whether that’s organizing a food drive, collecting clothing donations, advocating for policy change, and simply letting them know that they matter to me. It’s easy to be angry, but we won’t make anything better if we don’t let it push us into productive action.
MiSA: In the food and beverage world, the story behind the spirit is often as vital as its tasting notes. You and your husband, Will, have partnered with the Arellanes family in Oaxaca to bring their artisanal mezcal to the US market. How did this specific partnership come about, and what unique qualities make their craft a "best-in-class" spirit that US consumers need to experience?
Currie: For me, Mexican spirits fall into the artisan craft category just like any other piece of handmade art. So it really just fit! The quality that goes into their distillation process, the story of who they are and why they do this, their roots that make them value the land that produces for them. It’s all full of skill, a rich history, and the true spirit of Oaxaca. They are generations of organic farmers who value their land, water, and crops tremendously. The deep respect they have for the ancestral way of farming and the wisdom in it enables them to do other things with intention. Every part of the rum process, from the use of 100-year-old heirloom sugar cane to the water source to the distillation, is done with intention and care. This sets our rum apart from any other. Truly. I cannot wait for everyone to taste it!
MiSA: You’ve noted that Etla Distilleries was launched not just as a commercial venture, but as a dedicated conservation effort. With the global boom in mezcal popularity often threatening local ecosystems, how is Etla actively working to educate consumers and ensure the conservation of heirloom agave across Mexico?
Currie: Oaxaca is so environmentally conscious that it is not hard to find someone willing to partner with to do this work! Early on, we met a professor at a local university who runs an agricultural program. He is specifically Mexico’s foremost agave expert. The work he has done for conservation of agave species, identification of new species, and education is tremendous! We have been and will continue to work with him to ensure that the agave we select is not only the best quality, but that the farming practices are such that enable the regeneration of more plants. We have also spoken to our mezcalero about moving to an entirely organic crop. In fact, the last distillation was done with organic espadín agaves! We will dedicate space on our page to share more about conservation in the mezcal world and we would certainly want to platform the experts we work with to support their research and projects.
MiSA: A major part of your mission is educating the public on the culture and traditions behind this ancestral spirit. When an American consumer pours their first glass of your artisanal mezcal, what core message do you hope they absorb about the centuries-old practices of the makers behind the bottle?
Currie: I like them to experience the story. Each mezcal is unique, and to taste it, you need to hear about who made it. The common thread that they all have is the deep roots of mezcal that go back thousands of years. It is a ceremonial drink that is still often made for special occasions. With that foundation, each mezcalero brings his own touch. A good mezcalero will value the properties that the agave brings and want that to come forward. They also each know how smoky they prefer it, depending on the variety. They know how much heat it can take in the distillation- some agave types are more forgiving because of their sugar content. I learned some of these things through reading about the chemistry of mezcal, but all of these things are knowledge that has been passed down through generations of mezcaleros before them and is just innate information. Luis, our master distiller, is an 8th-generation mezcalero. He carries the knowledge of all those who came before him. He can taste a mezcal and not only identify the agave variety, but tell you exactly where it was grown. This is part of who they are, and they see it as a unifying force within the communities they live in.
To learn more, visit the Del Alma Imports and Etla Distilleries websites!
Cover Photo: Photography by Luis Martinez.
