Craft distillers, who have dedicated their lives to the process, aim to safeguard mezcal's future with measures including seed banks and efforts to showcase artisanal methods
Sosima Olivera, who is member of a collective that runs the mezcal factory Tres Colibries (Three Hummingbirds), moves a clay pot used for distillation at the factory in Villa Sola de Vega, Oaxaca State, Mexico.
Image: Pedro Pardo / AFP
With just a look, Sosima Olivera knows when her cherished agave plants will be ready to make mezcal, tequila's lesser-known Mexican cousin whose fast-growing popularity is raising fears of overexploitation.
The mezcal boom means a greater need for the land, water and firewood used to produce the smoky spirit, said Olivera.
"This excess demand from national and international markets has consequences. If more plants are needed, of course there's more exploitation," said the 50-year-old, who heads a producers' collective.