Mezcal Educational Tours of Oaxaca

08/03/2025

Agave convallis, or more commonly known in Oaxaca as jabalí. One of the characteristics is the amount of sapogenisis in it, which results in a production of a great deal of foam during fermentation (pictured) and distillation. The photo shows a vat of baked and crushed jabalí just after water has been added to the wooden fermentation vat, by palenquera Rosario Ángeles of Santa Catarina Minas. This is indeed a very unique and somewhat unusual characteristic. The entire process of working with this species of agave requires a great deal of care, and typically at least three distillation in order to result in a clear distillate.

06/02/2025

It may not look appetizing, but mole verde con espinazo de puerco (green mole with pork spine), is sometimes prepared by one of my favourite restaurants on one of our mezcal touring routes. And yesterday indeed it served the best of the moles (in my not-so-humble opinion). ¡Que rico! Gracias María Felix y familia.

06/02/2025

A client can request assisting in the process of making mezcal, at virtually any time. Here, earlier in the week, a young Venezuelan agave distillate aficionado client, is assisting Jesus Ángeles, one of the children of Felix Ángeles Arellanes, pour water into the oven baking 5 tons of arroqueño piñas. Today the maguey was removed from the oven, now ready for crushing by hand, fermenting (likely in oak tanks) and finally distilling in clay.

22/01/2025

Yesterday was a day of several firsts, one of which was a client bringing his own crystal wine glass from which to drink mezcal. Here, at the palenque of Felix Ángeles Arellanes in Santa Catarina Minas, he's pouring himself a healthy serving from a jícara. I learn something new every day despite having been around mezcal for well over three decades! The client left two additional glasses with Felix, so future clients will have the option of drinking crystal pours when out with me or Randall. Does the shape and composition enhance the imbibing experience?

25/08/2023

25/08/2023

At this palenque they add a layer of penca pieces before placing the piñas on top of the bagazo.

25/08/2023

A recent visit to a Banhez palenque, warmly welcomed as always.

25/07/2023

En mi rumbo. In my neighbourhood.

23/07/2023

There's something both serene and remarkable about this ex-hacienda, relatively close to Oaxaca, that I have visited on multiple occasions, usually with clients, both photographers and mezcal aficionados.

20/07/2023

Yesterday a client got a little extra, watching Rosario Ángeles adjust the abv of her new batch of agave distillate down to 61%, made with lobster, pineapple and coconut. This was one of her smaller batches of lobster "pechuga," at about only 20 liters, some of which has already been spoken for.

18/07/2023

18/07/2023

Así se vive la calenda de los Mercados.

¡Ya comenzó la fiesta en Oaxaca!

18/07/2023

Es Hoy lunes del Cerro 💕

Puedes disfrutar de las delegaciones en distintos eventos donde se mostrara parte de la escencia de Oaxaca

Putla Villa de Guerrero Presente