Inside the Distillery

Mezcal Los Danzantes

Mezcal Alipús

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Los Danzantes Mezcal Distillery

The Los Danzantes Mezcal Distillery was established in 1997 in the hometown of mezcal; Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico. By rescuing all the handcraft and cultural processes in making mezcal, these traditional techniques have been saved from the threat of over-industrialization and mass production methods.

This renovated distillery is nestled inside an ancient distillery which was artfully restored. Take a peek inside - you will be surprised to find an antique Egyptian millstone and some beautiful emotional architecture with a contemporary feel. You will be drawn in by the scent of the roasted agave plants and the taste of a delicious white mezcal poured straight from the still or an aged mezcal settled in French oak barrels.

Fields of agave

What is Mezcal?

Mezcal (or Mescal) is a Mexican spirit distilled from the agave plant. The agave is a succulent plant belonging to the amaryllis (or Lily) family. Making mezcal is a time honored traditional process using a few of the 136 varieties of agave that grow in Mexico such as the uncultivated, wild Tobalá (A. potatorum zuccarini) or the more common Espadin (Angustifolia haw) or "Dob Yee" in the local Zapotec language. Since no fertilisers or pesticides are applied to the plants, the crop is considered to be organic.

Plants take up to 10 years or more to reach maturity, at which point they are ripe and ready to be harvested by cutting the leaves off the stem to reveal the piña (or pineapple-shaped agave hearts), which can weigh more than 100 kilos (220 pounds).

Pineapple-shaped agave hearts

Mezcal vs. Tequila (technology, species, locality)

In an attempt to compare mezcal with it's more industrialized younger brother, tequila, many mezcal enthusiasts quote; "Mezcal is to Tequila as Armagnac is to Cognac".

Tequila is distilled from a distinct variety of agave, the Agave Tequilana weber azul (or Blue Agave), and produced in a region of central Mexico. Whereas mezcal producers still use the same traditional method of roasting agave in small underground wood-fired pits, most tequila is steam-cooked in large stainless-steel vessels. Additionally, Los Danzantes mezcal is distilled in small batches using copper stills, whereas commercial brands of tequila are processed in factories with industrial-sized fermentation and distillation systems. Los Danzantes mezcals are never mass produced but carefully handmade in small quantities by local experts in the indigenous pueblos of Oaxaca.

Mezcal is a delight to the palate, and a pleasure for the already discerning tequila connoisseur, as well as an eye opener for the as yet uninitiated into the delights of sipping these high calibre drinks.

Cutting the leaves off the stem

Bringing a regional contribution from the past to the globalized world of the future

Mezcal is protected as an "Appellation of Origin" similar to special European products of origin such as wine and cheese, known as "Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée" in France, where the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) certify that the production process is carried out following certain rules and only using ingredients from those very specific places. Additionally, the Official Mexican Standard (Norma Oficial Mexicana) acts as a form of support in the process of certification, verification and monitoring of mezcal. Furthermore, Los Danzantes mezcals are fully certified by COMERCAM, the mezcal industry watchdog, guarenteeing the highest possible standards of quality control.

Read more about Mezcal Los Danzantes and Mezcal Alipús here or discover the mystical effect of mezcal for yourself in the following places:

Mexico City

Oaxaca

Transporting agave to the distillery

Destilería Los Danzantes, Palenque: Calle Pino Suárez s/n, Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca.
(951) 518-3066