Polytechnic researchers support small producers from various regions of the country to improve their distillation practices to offer competitive advantages and achieve fair profits in commercialization.
Zenaida Alzaga
Amid the growing demand for mezcal consumption in national and international markets, experts from the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN) are assisting small producers of this alcoholic beverage in conducting sensory evaluations to offer high-quality products at fair and competitive prices.
In recent years, Oaxacan mezcal has become an engine of economic development. With 32 species of agave, this state produces approximately 94% of the mezcal required to meet national and export demands in countries such as Germany, Austria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Spain, the United States, France, England, Italy, and Peru, among others.
However, artisanal and ancestral producers lack the necessary tools to improve the quality of their products, which negatively impacts their family economy.
To address this issue, Denise Eugenia Chagoya Jacinto, a student in the Master’s program in Project Management for Solidary Development at the Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigación para el Desarrollo Integral Regional (CIIDIR), Oaxaca Unit, has undertaken an initiative in collaboration with producers from Mexican states that hold the designation for agave-based distillates. The aim is to create a sensory academy to assess mezcal quality.
This initiative will help standardize methodologies for organoleptic evaluation under the Official Mexican Standard NOM-070-SCFI-2016, Alcoholic Beverages-Mezcal-Specifications. Internationally, sensory evaluations exist for various products such as wines, oils, beers, and teas, but mezcal is not yet included.
Through the project “Sensory Studies as a Competitive Advantage for Small Mezcal Producers,” Chagoya Jacinto seeks to improve ancestral and artisanal distillation practices to provide competitive advantages for producers, most of whom are farmers, and to ensure they achieve fair profits in commercialization.
Originally from the municipality of Tlacolula de Matamoros, in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, the graduate student—who is part of the fifth generation of mezcal producers and the first generation of women in the industry—highlighted that historically, the participation of women in the production of this alcoholic beverage has been frowned upon.
To counter this, she helped establish an association called “Women of Mezcal and Maguey of Oaxaca,” composed of regional women interested in sensory evaluation, based on their heightened sensitivity to smell, taste, and sight.
Through the Sensory Academy of Agave (Asagave), the focus is on prioritizing quality over quantity—producing small batches of agave distillate with superior flavor at fair prices. “To meet demand, small producers have resorted to poor practices, such as using cane alcohol or fermentation accelerators for the maguey core,” the specialist noted.
Asagave also verifies the proper cooking and sugar levels to ensure the beverage has a precise body. “The idea is for master mezcaleros to enhance their production and sales techniques, as well as the care of the plant, fermentation, and distillation processes to elevate the organoleptic quality.”
Another crucial aspect, according to the CIIDIR Oaxaca student, is evaluating the type of plant used for mezcal production. She explained that at times, wild or endemic species are utilized, which significantly impacts production costs.
For example, an Agave marmorata (maguey tepeztate) takes up to 35 years to mature. Before reaching this age, it should not be used for mezcal production, as its sugar yield is much lower than Agave angustifolia (maguey espadín), which has a taste similar to tequila and experiences significant price variations.
Additionally, the lifespan of a maguey plant ranges from six to eight years, depending on the region. The tóbala species (papalometl in Mixtec) takes between eight and twelve years to mature. The Agave karwinskii (also known as largo, barril, tobasiche, cirial, or madrecuishe) takes approximately 15 years, while the Agave jabalí requires 18 years. Chagoya Jacinto noted that agave thrives in regions like the Central Valleys, Sierra Sur, and Mixteca of Oaxaca. It can even develop under shade and with good agricultural practices, as it contains lower sugar content when grown at low altitudes. The Isthmus of Tehuantepec and the southern coastal areas of the state are home to the most endemic agave species.
The Polytechnic researcher also emphasized that mezcal consumption is deeply rooted in cultural traditions across various regions of Oaxaca. For instance, in funeral rites, candles are placed around the deceased, and once burned out, their glass containers are used to drink mezcal in honor of the departed.
The word mezcal originates from the Nahuatl term mexcalli, meaning “cooked maguey” (metl, maguey, and ixcalli, cooked), referring to a beverage obtained through the cooking of the plant’s stem and basal leaves.
Regulations apply to both industrial and artisanal or ancestral processes. In both cases, the maguey cores are cooked in a conical stone oven at high temperatures. In artisanal production, the maguey is chopped, milled using a tahona (millstone), and ground with an Egyptian mill or shredder powered by a horse, followed by double distillation in a copper or steel alembic.
In ancestral production, the maguey is ground manually, and during the distillation phase, it is placed in a clay pot, resulting in up to 60% product loss but achieving more concentrated flavors.
On November 28, 1994, the Mexican government published a resolution in the Official Journal of the Federation (DOF), through which the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) granted Denomination of Origin Mezcal protection to the alcoholic beverage produced in several municipalities across states such as Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Michoacán, Oaxaca, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas.
Furthermore, in 1966, the denomination of origin was registered with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) under the Lisbon Agreement, concerning the Protection of Appellations of Origin and Their International Registration.
With the support and guidance of CIIDIR Oaxaca scientists Cirenio Escamirosa Tinoco, Gabino Alberto Martínez Gutiérrez, Patricia Aracely Santiago García, Margarita Racilla Cano, and María Eufemia Pérez Flores, the graduate student is also evaluating the quality of water used in mezcal production. The goal is to analyze its physical, chemical, and sensory impact, as well as the use of endemic yeasts and other innovations that enhance the best flavors in agave distillates.
Currently, Asagave collaborates with the National Chamber of the Mezcal Industry to highlight the importance of organoleptic experience through mezcal tasting and proper consumer presentation. They are even designing a special container to concentrate flavors, ensuring a superior tasting experience and the ideal body for the beverage.
INSTITUTO POLITÉCNICO NACIONAL
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