Oaxacan Mezcal in the Global Craft Economy

This presentation by Dr. Ronda Brulotte explores Oaxacan mezcal as a newcomer to the global market. Not only is mezcal Oaxaca’s fastest-growing rural industry, it connects the region to an emergent network of producers, brokers, and consumers across the U.S.- Mexico border and beyond. Mezcal may be joining more well-known foods of Mexican origin commonplace in U.S. markets (corn, chile, chocolate), but its popularity is distinctly tied to the creation of a new class of global food consumers who prize mezcal as craft within the artisanal food movement; at the same time, its growing popularity is spurring questions about the sustainability of the industry.

Ronda Brulotte is Associate Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies and Associate Director for Academic Programs at the Latin American and Iberian Institute at the University of New Mexico.