u/GraciasOaxaca

There are people who make us feel at home through their mezcal.
Maestra Mezcalera Berta Vásquez, from San Baltazar Chichicapam, Oaxaca, has the remarkable ability to make you experience her warmth long before you taste her mezcal. It is one of her greatest virtues. Her smile, her hospitality, and the way she sees life reflect the spirit of Oaxaca’s mezcal-producing families.
Sharing mezcal is never just about the mezcal itself. When a friendship has been nurtured over many years, it becomes about sharing stories, traditions, meals, and laughter. The true heart of mezcal lives in the people who have dedicated their lives to preserving this legacy, and that is exactly what you experience with every visit.
We will always be grateful to Berta for opening the doors of her home and welcoming us as part of her family.

I visited Reyna Sánchez at the beginning of 2025.

That day she let me taste a cuish mezcal she had distilled in 2018. As soon as I tried it, I immediately recognized the qualities of a mezcal “chingón”.

I asked if she would sell me a medida, about 5 liters. She replied:

“You know, when I distilled that mezcal and realized how “rebueno” it was, I thought to myself: if I make it to 60 years old, this will be the mezcal for my birthday.”

Then she added:

“This year I turn 60 yo. So it’s not for sale. But if you want, you can drink as much as you like. You just have to come to my party.”