Sombra Mezcal

San Juan is the place to head if you want to see where Sombra Mezcal is produced. Located in the Mezcal-producing region of Oaxaca along the pan-American highway, this tiny village sits in a valley (albeit one at 8,000 feet) packed full of Espadin agave which are harvested at approximately 6-12yrs of age.The agave start off live being grown in the gardens of villagers, who uproot them after 2yrs, binding the leaves and chopping off the roots before leaving in the shade to ‘heal’ for approximately 2 weeks. They are then transplanted in the valley and left along for another 4-10yrs. The harvested pinas are placed in a rock-lined conical pit over hot rocks. Banana leaf mats are used to cover them, then earth is laid on top. After two days baking they are removed and crushed by a horse-drawn mill. The crushed pina are then placed in wooden vats with a little water and fermentation is driven by wild yeasts. A double distillation then follows in a copper pot still.