Michael Barton
Sales Manager
Illegal Mezcal
“Booze is sexier to sell than drain cleaner, less sexy than Ferraris, but at the end of the day you’re just trying to find common ground with someone.”
As a kid from Chicago, mixing gin and tonics on Grandpa’s knee and fighting his siblings with cocktail swords, it’s no surprise that Michael Barton of Ilegal Mezcal found himself a career in the liquor world.
We’ve been working with Michael and the team at Ilegal on a special project which we plan to launch next year, and could not be more excited to share his story.
Ilegal has roots in Antigua Guatemala, which is where our newest product is from, making it the perfect week to introduce you to our friend over at Ilegal Mezcal.
Before Ilegal, Michael spent a short time working in politics where he really tuned up his already thriving interpersonal skills and transitioned into sales.
“Booze is sexier to sell than drain cleaner, less sexy than Ferraris, but at the end of the day you’re just trying to find common ground with someone. Which sounds just like politics with extra steps.”
Ilegal is pretty small so everyone wears a ton of hats...Michael being one who has acquired many of them. He started as “brand ambassador,” but every person who works for this company does that job every single day, from the CEO on down – they never lose that title or that willingness to pound pavement and share their passion for mezcal with the world.
Ilegal is committed to sustainability and biodiversity, which is a factor that drove Michael to continue education at ECU for Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality. The spirits and beverage industries face unique challenges when it comes to environmental, ethical and practical standpoints, and Michael wants to be at the center of that movement.
In the liquor industry, and even the mezcal world, there are many options when it comes to representing brands. We asked Michael ‘Why Ilegal” to which he simply replied; “Why not?”
“There’s a million mezcals out there right now vying for supremacy in the American market and I do want to be clear – I think you should drink every single one. I haven’t, but I will always keep trying. But I always come home to Ilegal: on balance, on flavor, and – this may be biased – but no group of people in booze is as committed to their causes and their communities as this team is. I think that makes an already tasty beverage that much sweeter.”
Watermelon season is right around the corner so be sure to grab some Ilegal Mezcal and have yourself a Michael Barton original cocktail, a Mezcal & Watermelon – possibly the greatest cocktail nobody knows about. Plus, nothing beats throwing a spigot into a big ‘ol melon when you’ve made some punch for a lil backyard shindig.