In celebration of Día de Los Muertos, Espolòn Tequila teamed up with skateboarder Paul Rodriguez, R & B artist Girl Ultra and esteemed L.A. photographer Estevan Oriol to showcase how their Mexican heritage has inspired them to be who they are today. The trio ponder about death, tequila and the holiday.
“Us Mexicans find irony in death,” Girl Ultra explains. “The way I like to celebrate Day of the Dead, it’s a very intimate situation. The way tequila relates to Día de Los Muertos to me— tequila smells of the warmth of how us Mexicans are. It creates something so special.”
In his spotlight, Oriol reflects on the joy his photography brings others. Over his career, he has captured a range of entertainers, from Al Pacino to Snoop Sogg to Kim Kardashian West and collaborated with Cypress Hill, Eminem and Blink-182 on music videos and album covers.
“When I drink tequila, we either drink it to the memory of people that we love that have passed away or we’re drinking it to celebrate good times,” he says.
“My mom and to my homies, rest in peace,” Oriol says, raising a glass.
The Día de Los Muertos campaign furthers Espolòn’s mission to craft a tequila in tribute to Mexican culture. Though each bottle captures a different moment from history, all honor 19th-century artist José Guadalupe Posada who was most famous for his calaveras that highlighted the social injustices of his time.
Espolòn also was kind enough to share an on-theme cocktail recipe for you to recreate right at home to celebrate Día de Los Muertos, which takes place Nov. 1 to Nov. 2. See how to make an Espolòn Marigold Margarita below— an ode to the flowers that guide spirits to their altars.
Espolòn Marigold Margarita
Ingredients:
2 oz Espolòn Blanco
.5 oz Monin Hibiscus Syrup
1 oz orange juice
.5 oz lime juice
Method:
1. Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice
2. Shake and strain over fresh ice into a rocks glass with a spicy salt rim