Oaxaca Mezcal Boom Lifts Incomes, Pressures Resources

In the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico, Indigenous producers of mezcal, a traditional agave spirit once seen as a humble local drink, are navigating a surge in global demand that has boosted rural incomes while straining forests, water resources and age-old crafting methods.

Over the past decade, mezcal production has exploded from about 1 million liters in 2010 to more than 11 million liters in 2024, fueled primarily by exports to the United States, the spirit's top overseas market. Oaxaca accounts for roughly 90 percent of Mexico's total output, with much of the mezcal now reaching bars in cities like New York and Tokyo. The drink is distilled from the agave plant, known locally as maguey, with the most common variety, espadin, maturing in about six years and enabling faster commercial scaling. Premium versions often use rarer wild types such as cuixe and tobalá, which take longer to grow.

This boom has transformed daily life in communities like Soledad Salinas and Santa María Zoquitlán. Producers and farmers report tangible economic gains. Houses that once had thatched roofs now feature cement construction, and families have afforded higher education for their children. "We...