Village Mescal in Mexico
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Mescal, like tequila, is a spirit made from the succulent leaves of the cactus-like agave. While there are a few commercial producers, mescals are mostly made in the dusty villages of rural Oaxaca, in Mexcio. Stills, which until recently had to be hidden from the tax inspectors, are kept bubbling by the men of the village who guard the local recipes and techniques jealously. For centuries, not a drop of mescal was drunk outside the village it was made in, but since the 1970s, connoisseurs have started to bottle small quantities to sell to those in the know in the US, and now, Europe. The following images were taken in San Pedro Taviche, Oaxaca.