DR. ÁLVARO OMAR Hernández Rangel
Director of Operations at ZEA Spiritu
What current trends in your industry do you think are shaping the future?
Key trends include a growing focus on sustainability and traceability, with consumers increasingly aware of the environmental and social impact of products. In addition, innovation in flavors and customization seeking to create unique experiences.
Finally, interest in premium and artisanal products continues to rise, driving demand for high-quality beverages, with more transparent and detailed production processes.
What have been the biggest challenges you have faced in your professional career?
The main challenges that ZEA Spiritu has and continues to face include balancing technical-scientific precision with sensory appreciation, as well as innovating without losing respect for traditions. It is essential to develop flavor profiles that appeal to both consumers and sommeliers, and to communicate in a clear and accessible way without sacrificing technical depth. Overcoming these challenges means integrating science with sensory experience to create a product that captivates both experts and consumers.
“To successfully lead in this industrial sector, it is essential to have deep technical and scientific knowledge, constant innovation and the ability to improve processes.”
Industrial Pharmaceutical Chemist (QFI), Master and PhD “viva voce” in chemical-biological sciences from the IPN.
My professional training has driven innovation and quality control in the spirits industry, allowing me to develop and optimize production methods, from formulation to control of fermentation and distillation processes, ensuring purity and efficiency in each batch. We work in collaboration with producers promoting sustainable practices in corn selection and soil analysis ensuring the use of raw material of the highest quality, in order to celebrate and exalt the corn that our land offers us in a distillate of the highest purity.
In addition, my mastery of advanced techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and chromatography (HPLC-MS, GC) allows us to create unique flavor profiles, fulfilling with the strictest safety and quality regulations demanded by the global market, since ZEA Spiritu’s main focus is on innovation and quality backed by advanced science, collaborating with scientific institutions consolidating the reputation and commitment to the evolution of the industry.