Oaxaca and Mezcal: A Guide to the Palenques of Southern Mexico

Tequila is made in factories; much of the best mezcal is still made in a palenque — a family distillery where agave hearts are roasted in an earth pit, crushed by a stone wheel turned by a horse or mule, fermented in open vats and distilled in small stills. Oaxaca is where most of it comes from, and visiting a palenque is one of the great drinks experiences anywhere.

How mezcal is made

1. Harvest: the agave’s heart, the piña, is cut after many years of growth — longer still for wild varieties.
2. Roast: piñas are cooked for days in a pit lined with hot stones and covered with earth. This is where mezcal’s smoke comes from.
3. Crush: a stone wheel called a tahona, or mallets by hand.
4. Ferment and distil: in wooden vats with wild yeasts, then in copper or clay stills.

Espadín and the wild ones

Espadín is the cultivated workhorse behind most mezcal. The fascination is the wild agaves — tobalá, tepeztate and others — slow-growing, scarce and wildly different in flavour. Tasting an espadín and a wild agave side by side at the palenque is the best introduction there is.

Visiting the palenques

Santiago Matatlán calls itself the world capital of mezcal, and the road there is lined with family distilleries. Go with a local guide or a mezcal-focused tour: the best palenques aren’t signposted, the families appreciate introductions, and a guide can translate the conversation, which is half the experience. Combine it with Mitla’s ruins and the Tule tree on the same road.

Tasting like a local

Mezcal is sipped, not shot — traditionally from a small cup called a jícara or a veladora glass, often with orange slices and sal de gusano (worm salt). Kiss it, don’t throw it back.

In the city

Oaxaca de Juárez has excellent mezcalerías where you can taste dozens of producers in an evening, plus one of Mexico’s great food scenes — mole, tlayudas and the markets. Two or three nights in the city plus a day in the valley is a strong short trip.

Getting around

The valley roads are straightforward but the day involves tasting. Book a guide who drives, or a private driver — a common, affordable arrangement in Oaxaca. See getting around tasting regions without driving.

Questions visitors ask

Can I bring mezcal home?

Usually yes, within your home country’s allowance — pack it in checked luggage. See our bottles guide.

Is Día de Muertos a good time to visit?

It’s extraordinary — and the busiest week of the year. Book everything months ahead.