Meet your guide in Oaxaca City and begin the journey toward one of the state's traditional mezcal-producing communities. Along the way, your local guide—born and raised in Oaxaca—will introduce you to the region's remarkable cultural diversity, the sovereignty of many Indigenous communities, and the ongoing efforts to preserve their traditions, customs, and ancestral languages. Understanding this living heritage provides the foundation for the experience ahead.
Most visitors to Oaxaca will attend a mezcal tasting. Very few will have the opportunity to participate in creating a mezcal traditionally produced for Day of the Dead.
Hosted by Daniel, a young maestro mezcalero who proudly credits his parents—especially his mother, Epifania—for passing down generations of mezcal knowledge, this experience offers rare access to a family tradition closely connected to the season's celebrations.
At the heart of the experience is the preparation of a seasonal mezcal de pechuga, distilled with fruits, spices, and other ingredients that have long been associated with important family celebrations and Day of the Dead observances. You'll help wash, prepare, and chop the ingredients while learning how each contributes to the mezcal's flavor and why this tradition continues to hold such an important place in Oaxacan culture.
While the mezcal develops its distinctive character, we'll visit one of the family's agave fields to explore both cultivated and wild agave species. Learn how different varieties are identified, how they grow, why some are farmed while others are sustainably harvested in the wild, and how each influences the final spirit.
Back at the palenque, enjoy a traditional family lunch and take home the mezcal you helped create.
To conclude the day, we'll make a short drive to the Day of the Dead altar we assembled the previous afternoon, where we'll leave an offering as local families do to honor those who came before us.
Unlike standard mezcal tours, this experience follows a real production schedule rather than a demonstration for visitors. The family must coordinate the distillation, gather seasonal ingredients, prepare the limited batch you'll help finish, and reserve time in their working palenque during one of the busiest periods of the year.
For that reason, this experience is offered **only once—on October 30**. Reservations close on **October 1** so the family has sufficient time to prepare while preserving the authenticity of their tradition. If you're looking for more than a tasting and want to become part of a genuine Oaxacan family celebration, this is an experience few travelers will ever have the opportunity to share.
Return comfortably to Oaxaca City as we recap the day's highlights—from preparing mezcal and exploring agave fields to sharing a family meal and honoring loved ones at a traditional altar. You'll arrive with ample time to unwind before experiencing an evening muerteada.
