My husband is embarking on a new project to start a Mezcal brand, so I’ve started covering that story on our home-related blog KeaneAndCoastal.com. It’s a newer blog I started last year, to cover our home renovation projects, our garden and yard, and life in Atlantic Beach, FL. And now…mezcal!

I’ll be sharing the developing story over there, under the O’Kahan tab. There is a full website in the works for O’kahan LLC, but right now that’s just a “coming soon” page.

UPDATE: O’kahan has a website at: www.OkahanAgave.com!

You can now follow the story at the new website!

O’Kahan Agave: Celtic Spirit, Mexican Fire

The brand will be called O’Kahan Agave, because our last name Keane is the anglicized version of O’Kahan. And agave comes from the plant that mezcal is made from. I like tequila, but I’m going to have to get used to mezcal! It has a distinct smokey flavor that takes some getting used to, if smokey isn’t usually your thing.

My husband Sean loves all things smokey, including whiskey and cheese. He got hooked on mezcal Old Fashions and somewhere along the line decided he wanted to go into business and develop his own mezcal brand.

He decided this at the same time I was closing my brief fling with a new costume accessory business. I realized I didn’t want to spend all my time focusing on a business and dealing with all the million things that go along with it. I had already done that for a very long time with my costume shop, and when I started back up again, I remembered all the reasons I had stepped away.

Sean has never run a small business before, and he doesn’t do social media. He has no idea what he is getting into, and how much time and effort it’s going to take before he ever sees a profit. And how much goes into the very boring business part of taxes, licenses, reports, etc. And then dealing with the customer service part of things can drive anyone crazy. Do I sound apprehensive? Because I am. That’s just me venting a bit. (Sean was not thrilled when he read that)

But I am also supportive of him following a dream and being passionate about something, because he hasn’t really found his “thing” since he retired. I am happy to see him excited about creating something new.

The Next Steps

Sean has a trip to Oaxaca, Mexico in March, where the mezcal will be produced. Mezcal is made primarily in the Oaxaca region of Mexico, but it can also be produced in designated areas of the states of Guerrero, Durango, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas, Tamaulipas, Guanajuato, Michoacán, and Puebla.

The production of mezcal is governed by strict regulations to ensure its authenticity and quality, including the type of agave that can be used and the traditional methods of production. This contributes to the unique and diverse flavors found in different varieties of mezcal.

In Oaxaca he will meet with a Mezcalero who will help him develop the flavor of his mezcal. Next up is logo and bottle design.

So, check out Keane & Coastal if you want to follow the story, or maybe just see what kind of plants I have in my yard or what we are doing to the kitchen next. It’s all home, garden and beachlife + mezcal.