This newsletter comes on the heels of an incredible trip to Michoacan visiting Uruapan and Patzcuaro. I am still processing the trip. Over time I have learned that to get the most out of a journey, I need to be in the journey. Of course there is always a part of me taking note so I can come back to a moment later and reflect on it. If a moment fully resonates, I mark it with a photo or a written note. With this trip there were so many and it’s going to take some time to get it all out there. In the meantime, I leave you with the below pic which exemplifies so much joy that can be found in a moment.

We are halfway through 2025 so it feels a bit weird to dive back into 2024 numbers. It takes a while to collect, sort and create reports and no one knows this better than COMERCAM which released its annual report in late May. I finally had a chance to dig thru the numbers and try and make sense of what they might mean, or what patterns might emerge. Short answer, another year and another slight slowdown in production and exports. What is now abundantly clear is that 2022, which saw a huge production and export year, was an anomaly and to truly understand the growth trajectory of mezcal we need to use 2019 as a base year.

There is no bad news in the report but there are interesting little things including a slowdown in production in Puebla which had seen a big bump in 2022/2023, a bump up in production in Durango and the continued dominance of espadín as the agave of choice for mezcal. The latter points to just how much the market for mezcal is driven by the cocktail market. Another interesting data point, a huge jump in the registration of agave producers, which hopefully isn’t a sign of a bigger agave glut to come, much like what is happening in Jalisco. One hopes the biggest lesson that mezcal would learn from tequila would be how not to repeat that boom and bust cycle of agave production. I have a big breakdown so you can read all the details, as well as some thoughts on what it all might mean.

We’ve got some other great stories to highlight including Khrys Maxwell’s guide on how to train your palate with blind tastings, Tess Rose Lampert’s latest idea for a next level DIY bacanora tasting and Felisa Roger’s look into the new Paranubes’ Cafe de Olla and what a game changer it is.

Finally, check out our Spotlight section which is all about long time contributor Anna Bruce and her new book.

Saludos,

Susan and the Mezcalistas Team

MEZCAL NEWS

MEZCAL EVENTS

• July 12th-13th, Barra Mexico, Mexico City

• July 13th, Women in Spirits, Chicago

• July 20th-25th, Tales of the Cocktail, New Orleans

• August 23rd, Tequila, Mezcal and More Book Launch, London

• September 21st, Copita Mexican Spirits Festival, St. Louis

• September 27th, Piña Agavera, Madrid (Spain)

• SAVE THE DATE: October 5th, Mexico in a Bottle San Diego

• SAVE THE DATE: November 16th, Mexico in a Bottle San Francisco