Los Danzantes started Alipus to provide a market for family artisan distilleries. There are still hundreds of small mezcal distilleries in Oaxaca, and a number of them make fabulous product. Hector Vasquez and later Karina Abad Rojas have worked closely with selected small producers to improve their distillation methods and help them with the complex paperwork required to certify their mezcals for export. Alipús Mezcal originated in 1999 as a ‘social impact project’ that sought to support traditional producers and their lands in several regions. Today they work with nine mezcal producers in Oaxaca, all of which contribute to the development of rural economies.