Agaves bloom only once in their lifetime. If left to flower and set seeds it can produce thousands of seeds for new plants. However, plants that have set flowers cannot be used for mezcal production.

For most mezcals & destilados de agave, the piñas (heart of the agave plant) are slow roasted in a stone-lined oven in the ground. The cooking takes several days and the exact time depends on each maestro.

The cooked agave is crushed into fibres and wet pulp to be ready for fermentation. Some maestros use a large stone wheel pulled by a horse, mule, or ox. Mechanical shredders are also common, and some still use the ancestral method of crushing by hand with wooden mallets.

The pulp and juice of the cooked agave is transferred to wood vats where open fermentation takes place. The native wild yeast converts the sugars into alcohol and other chemical compounds that provide aromas and flavors.

There are many variations of stills used for agave spirits such as clay pots, classic copper alembics, and even hollowed out tree trunks. The materials used as well as the shape of a still impacts the final flavor and texture.

When a stream of mezcal is poured into a small vessel it will induce surface bubbles. This method, known as perlas (pearls) by the mezcaleros, is traditionally used to determine the level of alcohol.

Salud! is how you say 'cheers' in Mexico. It literally translates to 'to your health' which goes with the Mexican saying:
"For everything bad, mezcal, and for everything good, as well."