Onofre was born in Bramaderos, Miahuatlán in June 1981. He is the son of Don Alberto Ortiz and Doña Elena Bernardina Ortiz Franco, who are also from Bramaderos. His grandfather Rutilo Ortiz Ibarra and his great-grandfather Julian Ortiz were also dedicated to the production of Mezcal, although only for personal and family consumption since in those years its sale was minimal. For many years, Onofre has produced mezcal using the palenque that his father built. He has an underground oven that can hold 14 tons of agave, 8 encino and pine tinas or fermentation tanks, and five 350 liter copper pot stills. After cooking the agave they cut agvae down by machete into small pieces they can then put through a hand mill. After this they completely submerge the agave fibers with large rocks in the tanks so the fibers are completely in contact with water for the full fermentation. His annual production is limited to being between 7-10 thousand liters. He only uses capon or "straw" maguey, as he calls it.