TELLING A SMALL PART OF THE BIG STORY OF OAXACA
Almas Viejas is a deep dive into local life and traditional culture through street-level, family-style immersive experiences.
Carmen Vasquez Ruiz and Tony White met in Oaxaca in 2019. Their deep appreciation for the state's complex culture, mutual experiences in the mezcal community and a desire to share their passions with curious travelers lent itself perfectly to the formation of Almas Viejas in 2020. They were happily married in 2023. Since its founding, Almas Viejas has hosted an array of global travelers, received prominent endorsements and steadily grown while staying rooted in its intentions of creating meaningful moments of human connections and cultural appreciation for their guests. They look forward to meeting you soon.
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Carmen Vasquez
Carmen Vasquez Ruiz is a native Oaxaqueña from the town of Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz. She grew up cooking with her mother and grandma, and it remains her favorite pastime when she’s back home. For years, Carmen has been passionately involved in preserving traditional mezcal culture through her influential work with Maestros de Mezcal and her role at Mezcaloteca. If she’s not in the city, you can find her happily at work on the family ranch.
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Tony White
Tony White’s first few trips to Oaxaca came in early 2018 while managing Palenque Mezcaleria in Denver. It was during this time he met his now wife Carmen, who is also involved in the local mezcal community. They began dating, and after selling everything he owned except his books and Clash records, Tony moved to Oaxaca in late 2019. Tony worked as a professional journalist in Colorado for several years, and he continues this work in Oaxaca and Denver as a freelance food and travel writer, author, and photographer.
