Mezcal producers preserve traditional methods as demand for liquor grows | 60 Minutes

Mezcal Production and Popularity

• Mezcal production has increased significantly in the past decade. (20s)
• Mezcal became more popular in the 1980s and 1990s, with brands like Illegal gaining popularity. (3m29s)

Mezcal Production in Oaxaca

• The majority of mezcal is produced in Oaxaca, Mexico, by family-owned distilleries. (34s)
• The partnership between Rexer and the brothers Armando and Alvaro now produces 3,000 bottles of mezcal a day, almost all of them for export. (8m46s)

Mezcal Production and Distribution

• Rexer made a promise to brothers Armando and Alvaro that if they produced mezcal, he would sell it globally. (8m1s)
• The partnership expanded when Bardi, a global spirits company, acquired Ilegal Mezcal, the brand owned by Rexer. (10m40s)

Family Traditions in Mezcal Production

• Graciela Ángeles Carreño, a leader in the mezcal industry, comes from a family that has been making mezcal for generations, with her great-grandmother selling it discreetly due to a lack of regulations at the time. (15m2s)
• The production of mezcal at the Cardeno family distillery involves using clay pots and yields 11,000 liters annually, equivalent to 8,000 bottles, with many priced at over $100. (15m42s)

Traditional Methods and Certification

• While the Perez family produces mezcal using traditional methods in the appropriate region, they choose not to seek official certification, viewing the regulations as potentially compromising the authenticity of their product. (19m21s)

Environmental Concerns and Sustainability

• Mezcal production has risen by 700% in the last 10 years, leading to the disappearance of some agave species. (20m57s)
• Graciela Ángeles Carreño cultivates 12 varieties of agave seeds at her nursery to address this issue. (21m4s)
• Carreño expresses concern about the environmental and cultural costs associated with the global popularity of mezcal, emphasizing the need to moderate production rates. (21m34s)