MEZCAL DISTILLERY TOURS IN OAXACA, SOUTHERN MEXICO
Our Oaxaca mezcal tours are a full - time passion, but a part - time "job." Accordingly, if interested, best to contact us immediately and not wait until you are in Oaxaca or only a few weeks in advance of your visit, to be reasonably assured of our availability. If a delay on your part has been unavoidable, we will however certainly do our best to accommodate you on an excursion of tradtional mezcal palenques which produce fine agave distillates.
Remember: Ours was the first company in the state of Oaxaca to offer mezcal tours, beginning when the mezcal boom was merely in its infancy!
Aunque podemos hacer las excursiones en español, si tienes la preferencia por este idioma, podemos recomendar un colega mexicano con mucha experiencia sobre el mezcal.
Our mezcal distillery tours are conducted by Oaxaca residents either Alvin Starkman or Randall Stockton, recognized authorities on local distilled and fermented beverages. Neither Alvin nor Randall are tour guides but rather are seasoned professionals, Alvin a social anthropologist and Randall a fixture in the American bar industry for over 20 years. Both are licensed by the government of Mexico to lead excursions into the hills of Oaxaca to teach both Mexican nationals and visitors to the region about agave, mezcal and pulque - and related cultural adaptations. Specialists in Oaxacan mezcal, they emphasize all aspects of the production of the agave spirit and its innumerable nuances. The lifestyles of its makers are brought home through taking clients into their homesteads in the tiniest quaint villages peppering the region.
Not only was Oaxaca noted as the best city in the world by Travel & Leisure in July, 2022, but our mezcal educational tours were also noted, with the highest accolades: This Mexico Hot Spot Was Just Named the Best City in the World by T+L Readers — and Here's How You Can Plan the Perfect Trip (travelandleisure.com)
Follow the lastest photos and videos of our Oaxaca Mezcal Educational Tours on Instagram: @mezcaled
All our Oaxaca mezcal tours are fully customized to meet the passions, desires and interests of individuals, couples, business partners and groups. We do NOT crowd you into a van with people you do not know, unless you specifically authorize us to do so. If you want to learn about mezcal, purchase at a fraction of retail prices you are accustomed to paying, and/or learn about the culture of rural Zapoteco mezcal distillers and their families, then this is for you. These excursions are anywhere from a few hours in duration (the most popular being single day excursions to visit a number of artisanal and ancestral factories, known in Oaxaca as palenques) up to weeklong vacation packages for the most ardent of spirits, fermented beverage, and Mexican cuisine aficionados.
You don't have to be a spirits aficionado or a mezcal geek, or even much of a drinker, to find a tremendous amount of value in one of our mezcal excursions. In the course of a day we stress the cultural dimension of the artisanal and ancestral distillers (palenqueros) and their families. Occasionally in groups of clients who accompany Alvin or Randall for a day, there are some who just want to learn about rural cultures, meet the people in their homes and workplaces, and of course still learn a little about "the big deal about mezcal." And if you are traveling as a family with relatively young children, we can discuss with you the appropriateness of a touring day with a view to keeping the children interested and enjoying the entire day.
Read the balance of our website to learn how we address the wishes of our clients who:
Feel free to request verbatim unsolicited testimonials from clients who have recently gone on mezcal distillery excursions with us: mezcaleducationaltours-at-hotmail.com.
It's incumbent upon me to counsel about the importance of taking a break from alcohol consumption. This link is not meant to frighten, or sell the program, but rather it's value is in the information it seeks to impart. Drink mezcal and other liquors, but moderation and periodic breaks from imbibing are worthy of consideration: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/takethechallenge?fbclid=IwAR0u0uCnPllVBOcHmA3EYE9wRu3M8xngM7iQ3SgOcuvy5vv98LW8FkPSF1Y
And for those new to the world of mezcal, this link to a working glossary of terms used in the mezcal (and tequila) industry may be helpful: www.rochestercocktailrevival.com/resources.html. Many thanks to the bar community of the Flower City of Rochester, NY, Josh Wortman (www.distillventures.com), Adam Schuman (www.skurnik.com), and special thanks to John Henry (www.johnhenry.co) and the fine folks of El Buho Mezcal (www.elbuhomezcal.com).
June, 2024: Mezcal Tours and COVID-19: Coronavirus is now almost a non-factor in the state of Oaxaca. But we must still recognize that not all Oaxacans are fully vaccinated, certainly children, so we must be careful and respectful of local means of dealing with the pandemic. Since Oaxacan artisans in particular continue to struggle financially from the pandemic, we continue with our merchandizing page on this website to help them, so consider having a look at it ... please, on their behalf and on behalf of the two charities your purchases support.
Not only was Oaxaca noted as the best city in the world by Travel & Leisure in July, 2022, but our mezcal educational tours were also noted, with the highest accolades: This Mexico Hot Spot Was Just Named the Best City in the World by T+L Readers — and Here's How You Can Plan the Perfect Trip (travelandleisure.com)
Follow the lastest photos and videos of our Oaxaca Mezcal Educational Tours on Instagram: @mezcaled
All our Oaxaca mezcal tours are fully customized to meet the passions, desires and interests of individuals, couples, business partners and groups. We do NOT crowd you into a van with people you do not know, unless you specifically authorize us to do so. If you want to learn about mezcal, purchase at a fraction of retail prices you are accustomed to paying, and/or learn about the culture of rural Zapoteco mezcal distillers and their families, then this is for you. These excursions are anywhere from a few hours in duration (the most popular being single day excursions to visit a number of artisanal and ancestral factories, known in Oaxaca as palenques) up to weeklong vacation packages for the most ardent of spirits, fermented beverage, and Mexican cuisine aficionados.
You don't have to be a spirits aficionado or a mezcal geek, or even much of a drinker, to find a tremendous amount of value in one of our mezcal excursions. In the course of a day we stress the cultural dimension of the artisanal and ancestral distillers (palenqueros) and their families. Occasionally in groups of clients who accompany Alvin or Randall for a day, there are some who just want to learn about rural cultures, meet the people in their homes and workplaces, and of course still learn a little about "the big deal about mezcal." And if you are traveling as a family with relatively young children, we can discuss with you the appropriateness of a touring day with a view to keeping the children interested and enjoying the entire day.
Read the balance of our website to learn how we address the wishes of our clients who:
- are interested in mezcal aroma and flavor nuances and distillation processes using different species of agave;
- want to pursue a business plan for the export of mezcal from Oaxaca;
- are in the business - bar owners, bartenders, Mexican restaurant owners, and those wanting to open a mezcaleria or a related enterprise and are looking for assitance in deciding upon a number of certified mezcals to promote and sell;
- are curious about pulque and willing to accompany a native Zapotec family into the countryside to extract aguamiel, the naturally fermenting honey water;
- are photographers and/or documentary film makers, videographers;
- are spirits aficionados and have sampled mezcal, are intrigued, and simply want to learn more, at the source;
- want their entire visit to Oaxaca to be pre-arranged with an emphasis on the food and drink of the central valleys;
- are intent upon experiencing the real Mexico, by interacting with the locals – where they live, work, eat and drink.
Feel free to request verbatim unsolicited testimonials from clients who have recently gone on mezcal distillery excursions with us: mezcaleducationaltours-at-hotmail.com.
It's incumbent upon me to counsel about the importance of taking a break from alcohol consumption. This link is not meant to frighten, or sell the program, but rather it's value is in the information it seeks to impart. Drink mezcal and other liquors, but moderation and periodic breaks from imbibing are worthy of consideration: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/takethechallenge?fbclid=IwAR0u0uCnPllVBOcHmA3EYE9wRu3M8xngM7iQ3SgOcuvy5vv98LW8FkPSF1Y
And for those new to the world of mezcal, this link to a working glossary of terms used in the mezcal (and tequila) industry may be helpful: www.rochestercocktailrevival.com/resources.html. Many thanks to the bar community of the Flower City of Rochester, NY, Josh Wortman (www.distillventures.com), Adam Schuman (www.skurnik.com), and special thanks to John Henry (www.johnhenry.co) and the fine folks of El Buho Mezcal (www.elbuhomezcal.com).
June, 2024: Mezcal Tours and COVID-19: Coronavirus is now almost a non-factor in the state of Oaxaca. But we must still recognize that not all Oaxacans are fully vaccinated, certainly children, so we must be careful and respectful of local means of dealing with the pandemic. Since Oaxacan artisans in particular continue to struggle financially from the pandemic, we continue with our merchandizing page on this website to help them, so consider having a look at it ... please, on their behalf and on behalf of the two charities your purchases support.
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