Wahaka Mezcal: The Spirit of Oaxaca Soaked In Tradition

Wahaka Mezcal is a mezcal producer located in the state Oaxaca. 

“The spirit of Oaxaca. Soaked in tradition.” Is the tagline for Wahaka Mezcal.

“Wa-ha-ka” is the phonetic way to say Oaxaca and is a cheeky name that this company decided to use.

The Story Of Wahaka Mezcal

According to Mezcal Reviews, Wahaka Mezcal is the result of several childhood friends from Mexico City who turned their passion for Mexico’s oldest distilled spirit into a sustainably produced, community-focused, and internationally recognized brand.

In 2010, they set out to find Mexico’s finest mezcal. After months of intensely researching, traveling, and tasting their way through Oaxaca, they found kindred spirits in maestro mezcalero Alberto “Beto” Morales Mendez and his family, who, for five generations, have been perfecting the art of making mezcal in San Dionisio Ocotepec, a tiny village in the Central Valley of Oaxaca.

Together they created Wahaka, and with it, a new model for mezcal brands, one that was as committed to making an award-winning product as it was supporting the community from which it flourishes. Unlike any other spirit, mezcal is a product of its terroir—and you can taste the Spirit of Oaxaca in every drop of this artisanally crafted, small-batch elixir.”

Space Huichol Wahaka Mezcal

The Values of Wahaka Mezcal

Wahaka Mezcal is focused on mezcal tradition. 

Because of this, they do not use any machinery and adhere to the most traditional methods possible.

Anything that says “mass production” is the opposite of who they are. 

The Wahaka Mezcal Distillery

Located at Nacional, 70497 San Dionisio Ocotepec, Oaxaca the Wahaka Mezcal palenque is a rustic scene reminiscent of early mezcal production.

If you get there during production you will be able to smell the smoked agave and the fermented bagazo and appreciate everything that goes into their mezcal. 

The Wahaka Mezcal Process

Wahaka Mezcal has strict standards when it comes to every aspect of their production and is defined in six steps.

1. Cultivation - Their espadin supplier is Alberto Morales who has a farm that uses sustainable and organic methods of producing agave.
2. Harvesting - Their experienced cortadores meticulously cut the agave leaves with their coa and machetes.
3. Cooking - The agave piñas are then placed in the preheated orno, earthen pits lined with rock and ocote wood.
4. Milling - Wahaka Mezcal uses a tahona for milling the cooked agave.
5. Fermenting - They use open air wooden oak vats for the fermentation process without any added yeast. 
6. Distilling - They use copper and clay stills.

The Distillations of Wahaka Mezcal

Wahaka Mezcal Espadin

40% ALC. VOL. (80 PROOF)

• Type of agave: Estate-farmed Espadín and is harvested after 7 to 8 years
• Soil/ habitat: Varied soils, terrains, and altitudes
• Region: Farmed in San Dionisio Ocotepec, in the district of Tlacolula, Oaxaca
• Oven: Cooked between 3 to 5 days in an earthen pit using pine wood
• Mill: Crushed in tahona (circular millstone)
• Fermentation: between 10 and 12 days in pine vats including wild (natural) yeast
• Distillation: Twice distilled in copper stills
• Aging: None

Wahaka Mezcal Abocado Con Gusano

40% ALC. VOL. (80 PROOF)

• Type of agave: Estate-farmed Espadín which is harvested after 7 to 8 years
• Soil/ habitat: Varied soils, terrains, and altitudes
• Region: Farmed in San Dionisio Ocotepec, in the district of Tlacolula, Oaxaca
• Oven: Cooked for about 3 to 5 days in an earthen pit with pine wood
• Mill: Crushed in tahona (circular millstone)
• Fermentation: between 10 and 12 days in pine vats including wild (natural) yeast
• Distillation: Twice distilled in copper stills
• Aging: 4-6 months in re-charred American oak barrels with agave worms

Wahaka Mezcal Ensamble

40% ALC. VOL. (80 PROOF)

• Type of agave: 50% estate-farmed Espadín, 25% wild Tobalá, 25% wild Madre-Cuishe
• Soil/ habitat: Varied soils, terrains, and altitudes
• Region: Farmed in San Dionisio Ocotepec, in the district of Tlacolula, Oaxaca
• Oven: Cooked for about 3 to 5 days in an earthen pit using pine wood
• Mill: Crushed in tahona (circular millstone)
• Fermentation: between 10 and 12 days in pine vats including wild (natural) yeast
• Distillation: Twice distilled in copper stills
• Aging: None

Wahaka Mezcal Madre-Cuishe

42% ALC. VOL. (84 PROOF)

• Type of agave: Madre-Cuishe grown in the wild, harvested after 12 years
• Soil/ habitat: Yellow soil in the lowlands with arid terrain
• Region: Cultivated in San Dionisio Ocotepec, Oaxaca in the district of Tlacolula
• Oven: Cooked for 3-5 days in an earthen pit using ocote (pine) wood
• Mill: Crushed in tahona (circular millstone)
• Fermentation: 10-12 days in pine vats with wild (natural) yeast
• Distillation: Twice distilled in copper stills
• Aging: None

Wahaka Mezcal Tobalá

42% ALC. VOL. (84 PROOF)

• Type of agave: Tobalá grown in the wild, harvested after 12 years
• Soil/ habitat: Yellow soil in the highlands with mountainous terrain
• Region: Cultivated in San Dionisio Ocotepec, Oaxaca in the district of Tlacolula
• Oven: Cooked for 3-5 days in an earthen pit using ocote (pine) wood
• Mill: Crushed in tahona (circular millstone)
• Fermentation: 10-12 days in pine vats with wild (natural) yeast
• Distillation: Twice distilled in copper stills
• Aging: None

Red Clay Mezcaleros shown in photo.

We highly recommend that you try Wahaka Mezcal and all of their distillations.

Like Wahaka Mezcal, we have mezcal copitas and jicaras, from this region of Oaxaca that adhere to the same tradition as Wahaka Mezcal.

They have set the standard of what quality mezcal should be and keep those standards in every aspect of their production.

If you are ever in Oaxaca, don’t forget to visit the Oaxaca Mezcal palenque as well.

If you are interested in learning more about mezcal and and want to checkout other articles like this one, click here. 

Last Updated: 04/20/22

Sincerely,

Greg Rutkowski, President