oaxaca

The art of making mezcal

My favourite kind of shoots are the ones where my interests line up. Sometimes the stars align and you get blessed by the photo gods with a dream gig like documenting the art of making mezcal in Oaxaca… oh and the client asks you to shoot the whole thing on film.

I am new to mezcal, considering it’s been around for over a hundred years now. My first experiences drinking it were in Canada, and the mezcal that makes its way up here is not necessarily the best… I still was fond of the smokiness, especially in a cocktail and it soon became a favourite spirit to consume. Once I learned a little bit more about it, I started to dream up going to Oaxaca to see how it’s made and get to connect with the spirit. Luckily for me, a friend of mine in LA called me up to join in on a shoot, documenting the process.

Esfuerzo Mezcal is the artisanal product of Margarito Garcia Cruz, and his son Temo. It’s a family owned and operated palenque about an hour outside of Oaxaca Centro. A beautiful area, with rolling hills and mountains of agave. Here are some of my favourite shots from the shoot and the video that was created alongside.