Xila is an Mexican aperitif made from mezcal and seven carefully selected botanicals and spices including carmelized pineapple, ancho chilis, and lavender.
The new Xila Extra Spicy Liqueur 🌶️ launched in Japan in the spring of 2026—and I was there to help get it in the right hands.
I worked with the Mexican founder, Hilhamn Salome, and the local distributor in Japan, to plan, promote, and co-host a launch event for bartenders and industry insiders at the Mexican Embassy in Tokyo.
I wrote the "Extra Spicy Masterclass" to include a number of cocktail ideas and delivered it in English and Spanish, timed around live Japanese translation.
The event introduced the liqueur to a Japanese audience and helped them understand how to incorporate it into cocktails at their bar.
Sixteen slides, a guest bartender from SG Club Tokyo, and a room that came to actually learn something, not just drink free mezcal.