Mezcal is unlike other spirits you find on the market. It comes from a deep cultural legacy and is made from a plant, the agave, that like maiz (corn) is embedded in the history and culture of Mexico. To honor this spirit and to drink it respectively it is important for you, the consumer, to know your mezcal: where it comes from, how it is made and who the people are that craft this amazing elixir.
Community
It takes a community to make mezcal.
- Customs and knowledge are passed down through generations.
- Growing demand for mezcal impacts not only the environment, but also the economic and cultural balances that exist in each community where mezcal is made.
- Each community where mezcal is made has its own unique styles and approaches to making mezcal.
Traceability
It takes several steps to go from plant to glass.
- Mezcal does not arrive in your glass out of nowhere being able to “trace” it to its origin is key to maintaining its place within a larger culture so that it does not become just another commodity.
- It all begins with the agave and understanding where it comes from and where it goes next.
- Being able to identify the maker, his or her process and where they are making the mezcal and who the stakeholders are should be information clearly available.
Sustainability
It takes more than planting agave to be sustainable.
- Sin maguey, no hay mezcal (without agave there is no mezcal). But how agave is grown is key to it being sustainable.
- Managing inputs (water, agave, wood) and managing outputs (viñaza, bagazo – by product waste) has to be part of any mezcal making.
- Economic viability, from farmer to producer to importer to distributor is also a key component to the sustainability of mezcal.
- And finally, without clear datapoints, sustainability is just another word.