Professional Development
TEQUILA INTERCHANGE PROJECT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Production & Ecology Residency with Zinacantan
TIP is glad to announce that we were selected as one of the winning proposals for the 2025 Slow Food Negroni Week Fund. This grant program is dedicated to funding networks, individuals and programs that cultivate community, foster equity and justice, and seek a better world for all through food and beverage.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SLOW FOOD NEGRONI WEEK FUND
This program is a collaboration between the Tequila Interchange Project and Zinactantan Agave Spirits. Based in the town of San Diego la Meza Tochimiltzingo, Zinacantan has put together an incredible work study opportunity for hospitality professionals! Selected applicants will spend 9 days working with mezcalera Fabiola Torres Monfil, learning about mezcal history in the region, how they produce mezcal working with the natural environment, and their holistic approach to resource management.
Through funds received through the Slow Food Negroni Week Fund, TIP will be awarding one applicant travel reimbursement for up to $700 as well as $1,500 to compensate for missed wages while participating in the residency.
This once-in-a-lifetime experience will take place in the Spring of 2026, with applicants selecting a preference from a series of available dates listed in the residency application. To be eligible for the TIP Scholarship, participants must complete the residency by 22 April.
Tentative Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Puebla, transport to Cholula
Day2: Spend day in Cholula
Day3: Group travels to Cholula
Day 4 - 8: Work/Stay in San Diego la Meza Tochimiltzingo
Day 9: Return to Puebla
Winner Announced February 5th!
We are pleased to announce the winning applicant for the Tequila Interchange Project sponsorship for the Zinacantan Residency Program is Marissa Gatta, Senior Beverage Director of Westbound and Tap & Bottle in Tucson, Arizona. Through the generosity of the Slow Food Negroni Week Innovation Fund, TIP's new Professional Development Program will cover Marissa's travel and missed wages as she participates in a nine-day immersive experience of staying on-site with the team from Zinacantan. This residency provides a holistic view of how the project approaches their natural resource management, agave cultivation, mezcal production and how they see themselves as one part of the larger ecosystem and work to create a more sustainable future for the agave spirits community.