In the shadow of the Sierra Madre mountains of southern Mexico, small boys come to the Scorpion mezcal distillery in Oaxaca with jars of live scorpions they have hunted in the barren hills of the valley. “We turn over the stones they hide under and grab them by the tail,” 10-year-old Luis explains.
The distillery puts a scorpion in every bottle of mezcal, and on a good day Luis catches as many as 100 with his bare hands. He has been stung many times, but scoffs at the pain – “it is nothing,” he says. His machismo is part of the mystique of mezcal, an 80-proof spirit produced from agave, a spiky-leaved succulent plant (not a cactus, as tradition had it) that thrives in the harshest conditions.
Like agave, the indigenous people of Oaxaca are tenacious. They have held on to their ancient culture despite centuries of hostility from church and state. In remote villages no Spanish is spoken, and 16 native languages are still in daily use by almost half of the population of Oaxaca, an area roughly the size of Portugal.
The city of Oaxaca is one of the most perfectly preserved and architecturally harmonious colonial cities in Latin America. Once a year groups representing all parts of the state come together here for the Guelaguetza Festival to honour Centeotl, the goddess of tender maize. For two weeks in July an intoxicating mix of music, song, and dance take over the elegant plazas and shady parks of the city.
For ten pesos (about $1) the public can sample mezcal from more than 40 artisan distillers. Mezcal is an integral part of Oaxacan culture, and has been produced here for hundreds of years, although it only gained denomination of origin status in February this year. Tequila – its better- known rival – is a type of mezcal from the Mexican state of Jalisco that is now largely manufactured in bulk using factory techniques. Tequila can be produced only from blue agave, but more than 15 varieties are allowed in mezcal. The acknowledged “king of mezcal” is made from the prized tobala plant, which grows mainly in the wild. The espadin variety is the most widely cultivated in Oaxaca, taking 7-10 years to mature.
Agave can grow almost anywhere, emitting an acid through its roots that breaks down stony soil into its component minerals. Such is its propensity to reproduce that it has three means of propagation: seeds from its stalk, shoots from its roots or the stalk when it is cut.
Since long before the Spanish conquest, native people have used the heart of the agave to produce alcohol, and the valley of Oaxaca is the site of one of the earliest cities in Mesoamerica, Monte Alban. First established about 500 BC, it was the centre of a thriving Zapotec culture until it was mysteriously abandoned about 750 AD. Its dramatic setting 400 metres above the valley floor and unexplained abandonment makes it the Machu Pichu of Mexico.
Heading along the mezcal trail towards Tlacalula, the “spiritual cradle” of mezcal, the road is lined with small plots of maize and agave tilled by ox-drawn ploughs. Dozens of family-owned distilleries (known as palenques) welcome visitors. At the Espina Dorada distillery, Placido Hernandez’s family have produced mezcal for generations. Surrounded by mounds of freshly cut agave hearts that resemble enormous pineapples, he explains how the process has not changed since his grandfather’s day.
Mezcal is still processed and distilled using wood fires. The hearts of agave are brought in from the fields, cooked for five days in an underground oven covered with soil, then crushed in a massive stone mill driven by horse or mule power. The mash is fermented in wooden vats before the double distillation in hand-beaten copper stills. The best mezcal is aged in oak barrels for a year or more.
Worms that burrow into the leaves and heart of the agave are its greatest natural enemy.
Some distillers put a worm – prized as an aphrodisiac – in every bottle. The worm gives mezcal a slightly smoky flavour and is also dried and mixed into a special salt. Oaxacans are not squeamish about eating insects. Children can be seen in the fields with small nets scooping up grasshoppers that are grilled with minced onions. Crickets and ant eggs are also to be found on the menu.
The smooth flavour of aged mezcal is sometimes compared to fine single malt whiskies – but that macho appeal is never far from the surface.
