From the business owners who keep our economy running, to the artists, scientists, and changemakers who have made lasting contributions to the United States, the Latino community should be celebrated. While it’s important to honor their impact and achievements year-round, National Hispanic Heritage Month is dedicated to it. Running from September 15 through October 15 every year, it's a time to celebrate the many cultures that comprise the Latin American community and the people who make an impact every day.
There are many Latinx-owned brands worthy of your support, and here are just a few food and beverage (and beauty!) brands to learn more about. It’s not just about ownership and entrepreneurship—these brands also celebrate our country’s rich Latinx culture and community.
Agua Bonita
I’m excited about Kayla Castañeda’s company, Agua Bonita, as it honors family and cultural tradition while working to minimize food waste and support the migrant farm worker community. Castañeda’s ancestors, like mine, immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico and found work as migrant farm workers. In the Central Valley of California, her grandfather would bring home ripe fruit from the farms that would otherwise be thrown out, and make fresh agua frescas. When she lost her job during the pandemic, she decided to carry on these traditions and start a company that sells canned agua frescas, with real ingredients and minimal sugar.
Agua Bonita tries to utilize produce that isn’t aesthetic enough for store shelves and donates a portion of every purchase to nonprofits that support migrant farm workers. Try traditional flavors like hibiscus (jamaica in Spanish) or new variations like mango habanero, which was inspired by the popular snack, mango and chamoy.
787 Coffee Co.
787 Coffee Co. was co-founded by Ivan Peña and Sam Sepulveda to help bring back Puerto Rico’s coffee industry and boost employment. 787 grows and roasts coffee on its farm, Hacienda Iluminada Coffee Farm, in Maricao, one of Puerto Rico’s poorest regions, and pays employees living wages.
Purchase coffee and merch at the 787 website and try menu items like a horchata latte or rum-infused cold brew at 787 locations across New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and Texas.
Mayorga Coffee
Martin Mayorga founded Mayorga Coffee as a way to help rebalance the disparities between those who grow food and those who sell it. Mayorga partners directly with farmers across South America for an efficient supply chain. Plus, all coffee is organic. Try the medium roast Nicaragua La Carola from the woman-owned and operated Finca La Carola or the Mayan Blend, which is sourced from Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.
Tia Lupita
Hector Saldivar always loved his mother's homemade hot sauce, and in 2016 he started selling it. Named after his mother, Tia Lupita honors his mom and the recipe that was passed down through generations. The hot sauce only has seven ingredients, without added sugar, binders, or preservatives.
Tia Lupita offers a variety of hot sauces like habanero, chipotle, and salsa verde. To go with the sauces, there are also grain-free tortilla chips made with cactus.
LALO
LALO’s crisp, pure flavor is just as simple as its sleek bottle. The Mexican-owned tequila brand was founded by childhood friends David R Carballido and Eduardo “Lalo” González, who is the grandson of Don Julio González—yes, that Don Julio.
The duo set out to make true tequila with just three ingredients: blue weber agave, yeast, and water, and without any additives or flavors. It’s my go-to blanco tequila because it’s great sipped on its own or mixed in a margarita.
Siete Family Foods
The story of Siete Family Foods starts with a Mexican-American family’s journey toward health. As a teen, co-founder and president Veronica Garza experienced multiple autoimmune conditions, which prompted the family to start exercising, open a CrossFit gym, and and adopt a low-inflammation, elimination diet. Garza didn’t want to trade tortillas for lettuce, so she started making grain-free versions that even her grandma approved of.
Siete offers a variety of products ranging from grain-free tortilla chips and tortillas to taco seasoning and enchilada sauce.
Nopalera
This isn’t a food brand, but all hands that work hard in the kitchen deserve nourishing soaps and lotions. Founded by Sandra Velasquez, Nopalera celebrates Mexican heritage through the country’s traditional scents and native nopal cactus.
The beauty brand sells hair and body products like its Flor De Mayo Cactus Soap and Lotion Bar, which are made with ingredients like prickly pear cactus and jasmine oil. The Dulce De Cuerpo Cactus Cream is one of the most luxurious, hydrating, and aromatic lotions I’ve ever used.
Loisa
Co-founders Kenny Luna and Scott Hattis started Loisa from their New York City kitchens. They set out to create Latin seasoning recipes without any artificial ingredients that they could pass down to their children. The bestsellers are the organic Adobo, Sazón, and Sofrito, but there are plenty of other spices, tools, and utensils you’ll want to add to your pantry.
Juanita’s Foods
Juanita’s roots started in 1946 when George De La Torre and Albert Guerrero started a canning company in California. A few years later, they started canning Ruth Guerrero’s menudo and selling it to supermarkets as Juanita’s Menudo. Over the years, they began selling a range of Mexican products like hominy and pozole, and eventually renamed the brand Juanita’s Foods. Today, the business is still owned by the De La Torre family and you can find a variety of Juanita’s products at grocery stores.
SOMOS Foods
SOMOS was created by three friends who wanted the same quality ingredients for creating Mexican meals at home in the U.S. as they had growing up in Mexico. SOMOS offers a variety of ready-to-eat products like salsa macha, rice and beans, and salsas.
Doña Vega Mezcal
Doña Vega Mezcal was founded by Mexican-American Sonya Vega. The mezcal is produced in Santiago Matatlán by a woman-led team that has produced mezcal for five generations.
Mikuna
Health issues led Ecuadorian former pro athlete Ricky Echanique to adopt a plant-based diet. Echanique, who now lives in Santa Barbara, eventually founded the protein powder brand Mikuna, which utilizes chocho, a bean that has been harvested by Andean farmers for thousands of years. The nutrient-dense protein powder is available in Pure Chocho, Chocolate, and Vanilla flavors.
Melinda’s Hot Sauce
After noticing store-bought hot sauces didn’t taste the same as their homemade ones, brothers Greg and David Figueroa founded Melinda’s. The brand sells a variety of hot sauces and condiments ranging in flavor and heat levels.
