William Scanlon
The founder of Heavy Métl Premium Imports, William Scanlan III, graduated from Southern Methodist University, where he majored in Spanish Colonization of Mexico and minored in Latin American Studies, both of which fueled his passion for Mexico and its culture. After receiving an MBA in Entrepreneurship from Saint Edward’s University, Scanlan began traveling throughout Mexico and fell in love with Mexican folk and contemporary art. On one art collecting trip to Mexico he ended up in Oaxaca, a small town in the foothills of the Sierra Madre, where he tried small batch mezcal for the first time.
Scanlan soon became a mezcal enthusiast and moved to Mexico, where he met with industry experts, attended mezcal-related conferences, and studied flavor nuances at tasting seminars to learn more about the production and culture of mezcal. He was amazed by the quality, unique flavors, and deep traditions of mezcal—often produced by the same families since the 1800s. Having learned both Spanish and English at a young age, Scanlan was able to communicate with the local owners of well-made, respected brands in the mezcal market. Scanlan wanted to grow these brands in the United States, but felt there was no way to maintain their authenticity without allowing the families to control the quality. As a result, he founded Heavy Métl and began importing rare, high-quality mezcals. The decades spent perfecting their craft and the care for superior ingredients can be found in every sip.
Today, Scanlan continues to travel to Mexico and works with lifelong mezcal producers to bring high-quality mezcal batches to the United States through Heavy Métl Premium Imports.
Scanlan’s interest in Mexican folk art also connects to his love of mezcal. Over the last eight years, he has amassed an impressive collection of mezcal-related antiquities, including many cantaros de barro negro, which were used to store and transport mezcal; hand-blown glass vessels; and other mezcal containers like decorative clay changos that were sold at dispensaries as keepsakes.
ABOUT HEAVY MÉTL PREMIUM IMPORTS
Launched in 2015, Heavy Métl Premium Imports is a mezcal imports company based in Austin, Texas, that focuses on bringing authentic, high-quality artisanal mezcales to the United States. The company was founded by mezcal enthusiast William Scanlan III. Heavy Métl works with small batch artisanal mezcales, many of which are produced by the same families since the 1800s, to ensure quality and authenticity. The company’s line of products include Real Minero, Rey Campero, and Mezcalosfera by Mezcaloteca. Recently, Scanlan has taken Heavy Metl in another direction and has begun adding other distilled sprits from Mexico like the recently added Clande Sotol and Uruapan Charanda ( a sugarcane distillate from Michoacan). More information on the company can be found at www.heavymetl.com.
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