The mezcal journey begins under the warm Oaxacan sun. Young agaves are carefully nurtured for up to seven or eight years. Only when the agaves reach maturity do we begin the harvest. The leaves are cut and discarded, allowing us to remove the hearts (piñas) – the source of the agave’s sugary sweetness.

A raging fire is started in a large underground pit, after which stones are placed over the glowing embers. The agave piñas are split and carefully piled on top of the hot stones and then covered with fiber tarps, bagaso (spent agave fiber), and soil. This primitive pressure cooker is left for several days, breaking down the heavy starches to sugars and imparting the smokey flavor distinct to mezcal.

After the cooking is complete, we remove the roasted agaves – which are now softened and sweet. Using a traditional stone mill (tahona) or mechanical shredders, the roasted piñas are crushed into small fibers, releasing the sweet juices necessary for fermentation.

Fermentation breathes life into mezcal. We combine the shredded agave fibers and sugary juices in large pine wood barrels with fresh water. Native yeasts interact with the mixture in the open-air vats. This dance of microorganisms unfolds over days, creating alcohol.

Fruit, the Yotobi secret sauce. The fruit is selected for quality and ripeness by peeling the skin off the oranges, husks, and leaves from the pineapples and discarding the watermelon rinds. The fruit pulp is cut into smaller pieces and set aside for use in distillation.`

Distillation is where mezcal's spirit is refined. We add the fermented agave juices and fibers to copper pot stills. Heat is applied to the still, and the vapors generated are condensed and captured. The liquid from the first distill is added to a clean still for the second distillation; only this time, we add fruit. The head and heart are carefully removed – leaving behind perfectly balanced Yotobi mezcal.