Скачать или смотреть Strength in Unity! This Mezcal is made by 45 families | Top 10 Mezcal brands in the world

In this landmark video, I travel to the heart of mezcal country—Oaxaca, Mexico—to uncover one of the world’s most unique spirits and the powerful story behind a cooperative mezcal brand built by 45 local families, much like Amul in India. I got access to Banhez Mezcal, where these families come together under UPADEC to fuel a sustainable, tradition-driven business. From agave fields to bottling, I show you every step and introduce the people whose families own their piece of Mexico’s mezcal legacy.

🌱 A Cooperative Model Like Amul—But for Mezcal
Here in rural Oaxaca, mezcal isn’t just a drink—it’s a way of life. I’ve never seen anything like Banhez, a co-operative uniting over 45 families to make mezcal the right way. Every job—from planting agave and harvesting to roasting, fermentation, distilling, and bottling—is done by co-op member families themselves, ensuring fair pay and true community ownership. If you love the Amul story, you’ll love how Oaxacan mezcaleros are building something equally powerful for the spirit world.

🥃 Agave Harvest to Bottling—Step by Step
Harvest (“La Jima”)
I walked the rocky soils with mezcaleros who pick agaves at full maturity—usually 8 to 14 years old. The jima is pure manual craft: machetes, sweat, and tradition. When I saw the family teamwork, I felt the respect behind every bottle.

Underground Cooking
Right here in the palenque, piñas (agave hearts) are baked for days in pit ovens lined with volcanic rock and hot river stones. This slow cooking brings out caramel and the unmistakable smoky flavor mezcal’s famous for. The aroma alone is worth the journey.

Crushing & Fermentation
Cooked agaves get shredded either by a horse-drawn tahona or wooden mallets, then moved—pulp and all—into big open wooden vats. This is where spring water and wild yeast from the Oaxacan air do their magic. Fermentation timing changes with the mood of the weather. I tasted straight from the vats, and each batch was alive and unique.

Distillation
The mezcal is twice distilled in wood-fired copper or clay pot stills. I managed, with help, to feed the fire and catch the early run from a pechuga batch—distilled with fruit, nuts, and even a chicken breast hanging in the still! Ancient, strange, and totally delicious.

Bottling and Labeling
Bottles were filled and boxed by hand. When you buy Banhez Mezcal, you’re literally drinking the pride of a whole community, not just a brand. I met kids, grandmothers, and everyone in between—each one telling me this business changed their lives.

🏆 Why No Indian Creator Has Gone This Far
I don’t think any Indian content creator has ever gone from wild agave fields to bottling alongside dozens of mezcal-producing families. For me, shooting this in Oaxaca changed my entire perspective on “craft” and “local” in alcobev—it’s deeper, more communal, and more authentic than anything I’ve seen before.