Sean is getting prepared to leave soon for his mezcal-making adventure in Oaxaca, Mexico. You can follow him along on @okahanagave on Instagram and Facebook.

Sean will be documenting and sharing his trip on social media. He has also hired a camera crew to do professional video which Sean will be sharing on his YouTube channel. (still setting that one up)

Thank you to everyone who has donated to the GoFundMe! You have made this event possible. The fundraiser is still active for those who would like to contribute.

What is Sean Doing in Oaxaca?

Sean wants to be hands-on with his first three batches of mezcal. These will be an Espadin, Tobala and an Ensamble.

Mezcal is made through a traditional and often labor-intensive process that involves harvesting, roasting, fermenting, and distilling agave plants. It’s this no short-cuts approach to crafting each batch that attracted Sean to mezcal.

He will be working in the fields alongside the jimadores to harvest the agave hearts (or piñas), then it will be roasted and crushed by a large stone wheel pulled by a horse or mule. No mechanical crushers are used.

How Mezcal is Made:

1. Harvesting the Agave

The agave plants are cultivated for 7 to 15 years before they are ready for harvest. This is critical because only mature agave plants contain the right amount of sugars necessary for mezcal production.

The jimadores use a specialized tool called a coa, a long-handled blade with a sharp, circular blade at the end, to remove the large, spiky leaves (pencas) from the agave plant. The goal is to get down to the core, or “piña,” which looks similar to a pineapple.

Once the leaves are cut away, the agave heart (piña) is exposed. Depending on the size, the piña can weigh between 40 to 100 kilograms (88 to 220 pounds) or more. The jimadores then cut the piña out of the ground, using the coa to slice through its base, freeing it from the root system.

2. Roasting the Piñas

The piñas are transported to the production site, where they are split into smaller pieces to prepare them for roasting in earthen pit ovens. This is what gives mezcal its signature smokey flavor.

The oven is typically a conical hole in the ground lined with hot stones and covered with the agave hearts, which are buried under layers of earth or fiber to trap the heat. The roasting process can last from 3 to 7 days.

3. Crushing the Roasted Agave

Once the agave is roasted, the piñas are crushed to extract their juice and fibers. Traditionally, this is done using a stone wheel called a tahona that is pulled by a horse or mule. Some modern mezcaleros may use mechanical crushers, but the traditional method is often preferred for artisanal mezcal, and this will be the methos used for O’Kahan Agave.

4. Fermentation

The crushed agave, along with its fibers, is placed in large wooden vats or open containers, where it ferments naturally with the help of wild yeast. Water may be added to the mixture. The fermentation process typically takes 7 to 10 days, during which the sugars in the agave convert into alcohol.

5. Distillation

After fermentation, the liquid is distilled, usually in copper or clay stills. Mezcal is typically distilled twice to achieve the desired alcohol content and purity. Some distillers will distill it a third time for specific flavor profiles.

6. Aging (Optional)

Some mezcals are aged in barrels to develop more complex flavors. Unaged mezcal is called joven (young), while aged versions can be labeled as reposado (rested) if aged for two months to a year or añejo (aged) if aged for over a year.

O’Kahan’s first bottling will be joven mezcal.

7. Bottling

Once the mezcal has reached the desired flavor profile and alcohol content, it is bottled, either as-is or with a worm (actually a larva) in the bottle for certain types of mezcal.

The process of making mezcal can vary slightly depending on the region and the producer, but it remains deeply rooted in tradition. This artisanal method is part of what gives mezcal its unique character, often reflecting the terroir and craftsmanship of the mezcalero.