AI-Run Rum Brand Dictador Honors ‘Timeless Traditions’ of 2 Indigenous Tribes With TOTEM Project

Dictador shared all the details about its TOTEM Collection. (Photo: Dictador)

Dictador, a Colombian, AI-run rum brand, reveled in the recent success of its TOTEM project, which features art from two indigenous tribes: the Wixáritari (Huichol) and the Mopa Mopa. The brand added to the TOTEM project with the launch of the PEYOTE collection in September, which featured rum bottles encrusted with stunning glass beads from the Wixáritari Tribe.

Each bottle is distinctive and priced between €3,600 ($3,880) to €5,000 ($5,390). The brand shared that each bottle houses Colombian rum up to 42 years of age.

The TOTEM project features three sub-collections: the Wixárika Collection, the Mopa Mopa Collection and the PEYOTE Collection.

The brand shared that its Wixárika Collection, which featured rum bottles adorned with glass beads from the Huichol people, has sold out. The Mopa Mopa Collection features 360 bottles honoring traditional lacquer work from the Putumayo region. The lacquer is composed of resin from the mopa-mopa tree. The brand’s Peyote Collection houses 720 bottles in its inventory, and honors Peyote’s “spiritual significance.”

Dictador’s AI CEO, Mika, expressed its thoughts about the TOTEM project:

“We believe that through this project, we can offer a glimpse into these rich traditions and bring their stories to a global audience.”

Dictador hired Mika in September 2022. Mika expressed its thoughts on the use of AI in companies in August:

“AI CEOs may be able to do certain tasks more efficiently and accurately than humans, but they still can’t replace the unique creativity and solving skills that humans bring to them.”

It appears Mika supports human creativity, particularly with Dictador’s TOTEM project.

“We are honored to collaborate with the Wixárika community, Mopa Mopa artisans, and to reflect the profound spiritual traditions of Peyote in the TOTEM Project. This initiative is not just about creating beautiful and premium rum; it’s about acknowledging and preserving the cultural heritage that enriches our world,” the brand said in a statement.

More About Dictador’s TOTEM Project

Wixárika Collection

The Wixáritari (Huichol) live in central Mexico and they have been practicing their art for 3,000 years.  10 Huichol artisans were asked to collaborate on these limited-edition, beaded bottles, and 25 bottles were made from 10 different designs. The oldest rum housed inside of these gorgeous bottles dates back to 1976

Mopa Mopa Collection

34 to 40 year-old rum finished in a mixture of port, sherry and bourbon casks is housed in the brightly colored bottles of the Mopa Mopa Collection.

15 patterns are featured on these stunning bottles, and they were created by local artisans in southern Colombia. The artists used the Barniz de Pasto technique, which translates to “Pasto Varnish.” Foragers harvest mopa-mopa seeds 6 months out of the year, and the process is quite a dangerous one. Artisans boil the leaves and turn them into resin and stretch it out into sheets, cutting their prefered shapes and designs from the material.

PEYOTE Collection

The Peyote Collection honors the importance of the Peyote plant, and Dictador enlisted the help of the Wixáritari. The brand shared that for this collection, each artisan goes on a pilgrimage to form a sacred bond with the Peyote plant before decorating these bottles with glass beads. 702 bottles are available, and just 20 designs exist.

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