22 + Rion Toal / Maestros del Mezcal

Hey Hey Agave

21 + Rion Toal

Maestros del Mezcal

Rion is a co-organizer of the civil association Maestros del Mezcal in Oaxaca. He is the host of the podcast of the same name, Maestros del Mezcal as well as the founder of Of Spine and Vine an importer and distributor of rare beverages.

We discussed how Maestros del Mezcal promotes and advocates for the protection of traditional mezcal in Oaxaca and the surrounding states in Mexico. This social project has been in existence for over two decades but was officially formed in 2009. The association provides financial and technical support to producers to help improve their palenques, replant agave in danger of extinction, and reforest trees used for fuel in the production of mezcal. They also hold public tasting events that promote traditionally produced mezcal and are importing some of these expressions under the label Maestros del Mezcal.

The association is behind the proposition “Ley de Desarollo Sustentable de Maguey-Mezcal”, which is a proposed law aimed to manage all aspects of traditional mezcal production in Mexico. Currently in preliminary stages within the governmental process, its scope would essentially supersede the CRM and put in place new standards for the regulation of traditional mezcal as defined by the proposition.

Rion has been living in Oaxaca since 2009. His vast knowledge of agave plants in the region is remarkable, we learned so much! Of particular interest is the species called Lyoba, which is predominantly found in the Tlacolula region and is commonly referred to as “coyote”. We also discussed the map he created that depicts the agaves endemic to the regions of Oaxaca. He’s working on making a print version available - in the meantime, you can see it here.

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Music: @milagroverdebk

Editing: Brittany Prater

Production: Sabrina Lessard and Gabriel Velazquez Zazueta