ALIPÚS: San Luis del Rio
San Luis del Rio lies towards the mouth of an open-sided canyon, quite a long drive southeast from Oaxaca city. Don Baltazar Cruz Gonzales runs the Cruz family distillery. He came into the Alipús network in 2014. He and his brother Luis have distilled two Mezcalero releases.
San Luis is at 4100 feet, and most of the local agaves are grown at about the same altitude or a bit higher, along the spreading sides of the canyon on the way in. The soils are sandy with lots of rocks, and the climate is hot, meaning lots of flavor. Don Baltazar ferments in 1500-liter pine vats. His mezcals are rich and fruity.
the iglesia
the municipio
THE CIMITERIA
The valley is wide, open, and warm, with sandy soils. The agaves have a lot of flavor.
The delivery of a batch’s worth of espadín, about 7 tons.
The mill. Note the simple pivot: the axis of the millwheel goes through a hole and is held in place by a metal rod.
Photographs by Katherine Lewis