It is always better to go straight to the source and the source in this case is Faustino Garcia Vasquez from Chichicapa. His family has been making mezcal for many years and he and his son continue the tradition of producing some of the finest. Consequently,
Faustino and his mezcal are getting quite famous and deservedly so.
His village is in the heart of mezcal land, between Mitla and Ocotlan. The countryside is filled with fields of agaves, all at various stages of growth. Every time we go, we catch a different part of the process and this time was no different. They were transferring the fermented agave fiber to the stills or distillation tanks. A very condensed version of the process. They start with green pinas...
That get baked in a covered pit for three days. They are quite sweet at this point, very sugary.
Then broken apart and ground into fibers under this horse-drawn stone.
Then into covered wooden vats, water added.
Several days later, the fibrous agave is transferred to the still. All the liquid from the vats as well.
Here, Faustino uses a paste made from agave, of course, to seal the copper hood.... nothing goes to waste.
The hood set in place.
Pipes attached to cooling tank The finished mezcal condenses and drains into the high lit container
And finally, sealed with more agave paste and cloth.
We were lucky to see this select part of the process. And so happy that this maestro of mezcal, Faustino Garcia Vasquez, is doing so well. His mezcal is some of the very best. Go back to the top and look at that guy's smile!
5 comments:
Amazing portrait.
Hi Chris,
Interesting and EXQUISITE photo essay! I just got back a week ago from Chiapas, and by chance on the first leg of my flight down there, from San Francisco to Mexico City, I sat next to one of the employees of Del Maguey. He was on his way to Oaxaca to join other employees to visit some of their mezcaleros. Nice guy named Max Monroe. If you've sampled the Del Maguey mezcals, do you have a favorite? I want to buy a bottle, but some are pretty pricey for me.
Diane
sorry for deleting my previous comment - had to correct an idiotic typo and didn't see a way to edit
I ran into Max and his group at Faustino's!
I only get from him.... and I don't drink. I just love the plant and the process. Plus, it is the nest gift for many occasions. You can check out Del Maguey and find his and many others.
Thanks.
By the way, I've been puzzling out, sort of enjoying, that idea of a nest gift, until I realized you probably meant best gift and that I'm not the only one whose fingers sometimes hit the wrong keys.
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