Edgar Gonzalez: Mezcalero!

In the highland rainforest, four hours Northeast of Oaxaca, and just outside of the Zapotec village of San Cristobal Lachirioag, Edgar Gonzalez is recovering an ancient tradition while combatting the culture destroying loss of young people from his community. At his homegrown "palenque" or distillery, he, his family, and a growing group of workers are again handcrafting the sacred spirit of their forefathers- Mezcal!

With agaves grown from the seeds of five wild varieties found in the surrounding forest, a still built near the ruins of a “palenque” abandoned in the jungle for more than one hundred years, wild yeast from the surrounding tropical fruit trees, and Zapotec blessings, the resulting mezcal is a local, sustainably produced product, that is distributed internationally, while inspiring a renaissance in traditional village based commerce and employment.

For more about Tosba Mezcal: mezcaltosba.com