Oaxaca mezcal tours
  • Tour Overview
  • Who We Are
  • Photos
  • Qualifications
  • Mezcal Blog
  • Cannabis & Mezcal
  • Mezcal Articles
  • Mezcal de Pechuga

Additional Blog Posts Regarding Mezcal Can Be Found Here:

http://www.oaxaca-mezcal.com/alvins-blog
If the article topics do not readily appear on the right side for clicking, simply scroll down to the bottom of this page for a list of article themes, then click on what interests you and the article should appear. 

Who Better to Explain the Business of Mezcal?

11/1/2021

0 Comments

 
Alvin Starkman, M.A., J.D.

Who better to write a book about the business of mezcal than a Oaxacan lawyer who specializes in advising palenqueros, brand owners and prospective agave distillate entrepreneurs, about the quagmire of industry rules, regulations and nuances? In El ABC del Negocio del Mezcal [Carteles Editores, 2021], Blanca Esther Salvador Martínez accomplishes that end in spades.  And who better to put mezcal in its historical and global context than an academic who teaches a class centering upon international marketing? Maestra Salvador Martínez does that as well.

Translated as “The ABCs of the Mezcal Business,” the book is an easy yet detailed read, even for those of us who are not 100% fluent in Spanish. The 100-page publication consists of four well-footnoted chapters, in addition to a preface, introduction, epilogue, glossary and bibliography. The author breaks it all down into close to 90 headings plus charts and diagrams, thus making every point she endeavors to convey relatively simple to digest. And for those wanting to delve further into the subject matter, even the references are categorized; into legislation, books and related documents, websites, and journalistic coverage.

Ms. Salvador Martínez’s initial chapter contextualizes mezcal as a unique spirit by explaining the development and importance of the DO [Denominación de Origen]. Her Roquefort cheese analogy hits home. She then answers those who would be critical of the concept of the NOM [Norma Oficial Mexicana].

The chapter dealing with concerns within the industry is extremely thorough. But it would be wrong to assume that the issues the author identifies are restricted solely to this section of the book. Indeed the problems and pitfalls are woven throughout the remainder of the treatise. Those subsequent chapters primarily address (1) action steps reasonably required as prerequisites for entering the industry, and (2) practical advice.

The book canvases the vagaries of agave production based on:
  • government incursion into the industry;
  • the fickleness of the consumer and how that impacts price of the raw material, when and how much to plant, etc.;
  • agave being at the mercy of plagues, and its owners of crop thievery;
  • the vulnerability of small producers and growers due to lack of education and level of sophistication [explained with respectful objectivity];
  • the sometimes loggerhead between land ownership and rural custom;
  • the onerous requirements of the CRM [Consejo Regulador del Mezcal] as pitted against production of “destilados de agave.”
The foregoing are but some of the considerations about which Ms. Salvador Martínez enlightens the reader.

The mezcal industry is complex. The roadblocks which potentially preclude entry and certainly delay, are numerous. Ms. Salvador Martínez stresses, as a cautionary note, the importance of seeking out different individuals, each an expert in his/her field, rather than adopting a one-stop-shopping attitude when it comes to relying on the advice of others. She quotes Albert Einstein as stating “a smart person resolves a problem, a wise person avoids it.”

Ms. Salvador Martínez accurately pinpoints and explores the barriers to embarking upon a successful business plan, together with resolution mechanisms. However for me it was the ethical dimension which receives comprehensive treatment which most drew my attention. She identifies what I refer to as an inequality of bargaining power to which we all must be cognizant and find a way to reasonably and fairly address.

For the pure imbiber, whether novice or aficionado, the book it important because to a certain extent it is a primer which covers some of those basics in a readable to-the-point fashion. They are the tidbits which are not readily discernable from other literature about mezcal, or from attending a bar or mezcalería and inquiring of those who at first blush appear be in the know.

And to be clear, El ABC del Negocio del Mezcal is a book for more than those contemplating or in the process of getting into the industry. It should also be read by those already integrally involved with the business of mezcal. It encourages the reader to take a step back and re-evaluate why the desire to be or remain in the industry. In order to truly respect mezcal and all those involved in its production from field to bottle, there must be an impetus beyond the spirit as simply a vehicle by which to earn income. And so for all, this book is a must read; once, and again as a refresher. 

Alvin Starkman operates Mezcal Educational Excursions of Oaxaca (www.mezcaleducationaltours.com). When advising prospective agave dsitllate brand owners he works closely with Ms. Salvador Martínez. 



0 Comments
    Picture

    Alvin Starkman owns and operates Mezcal Educational Excursions of Oaxaca. Alvin is licensed by the federal government, holds an M.A. in Social Anthropology, is an accomplished author regarding mezcal and pulque, and has been an aficionado for 25 years.

    Click here to edit.

    Archives

    December 2022
    October 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    September 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    November 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016

    Categories

    All
    Agave Bats Pollination
    Ancestral Mezcal; Categories
    Bar Cantina Mezcal Oaxaca
    Business Of Mezcal
    Buying Mezcal Considerations
    Buying Mezcal In Oaxaca
    Clay Pot Resourcefulness
    Craft Spirits Mezcal
    Cultural Appropriation & Mezcal
    Dogmatism In Mezcal Industry
    Ensambles Mezclas Mezcal
    Exporting Mezcal Importing
    Future Of Artisanal Mezcal
    Global Mezcal Boom
    Guides
    History Of Distillation
    Huatulco Mezcal Zipolite
    Kosher Mezcal
    Marijuana & Mezcal
    Mezcal Cocktails
    Mezcal & Dogmatism
    Mezcal & Education
    Mezcal Export
    Mezcal Fair Trade
    Mezcal History Oaxaca Recicado
    Mezcal: How To Select Brands
    Mezcal In Toronto Ontario Canada
    Mezcal & Methanol
    Mezcal Teotitlan Rugs
    Mezcal Underside
    Migration Mezcal Oaxaca
    Palenquero Esteem
    Pechuga Mezcal Oaxaca
    Pulque Aguamiel Harvest Oaxaca
    Rosario Angeles Minas
    Tasting Notes Mezcal
    The Worm & Aged Mezcal
    Traditional Mezcal
    Unique Palenqueros
    Whiskey Mexico
    Woodcarver & Agave Motif

    Categories

    All
    Agave Bats Pollination
    Ancestral Mezcal; Categories
    Bar Cantina Mezcal Oaxaca
    Business Of Mezcal
    Buying Mezcal Considerations
    Buying Mezcal In Oaxaca
    Clay Pot Resourcefulness
    Craft Spirits Mezcal
    Cultural Appropriation & Mezcal
    Dogmatism In Mezcal Industry
    Ensambles Mezclas Mezcal
    Exporting Mezcal Importing
    Future Of Artisanal Mezcal
    Global Mezcal Boom
    Guides
    History Of Distillation
    Huatulco Mezcal Zipolite
    Kosher Mezcal
    Marijuana & Mezcal
    Mezcal Cocktails
    Mezcal & Dogmatism
    Mezcal & Education
    Mezcal Export
    Mezcal Fair Trade
    Mezcal History Oaxaca Recicado
    Mezcal: How To Select Brands
    Mezcal In Toronto Ontario Canada
    Mezcal & Methanol
    Mezcal Teotitlan Rugs
    Mezcal Underside
    Migration Mezcal Oaxaca
    Palenquero Esteem
    Pechuga Mezcal Oaxaca
    Pulque Aguamiel Harvest Oaxaca
    Rosario Angeles Minas
    Tasting Notes Mezcal
    The Worm & Aged Mezcal
    Traditional Mezcal
    Unique Palenqueros
    Whiskey Mexico
    Woodcarver & Agave Motif

    Categories

    All
    Agave Bats Pollination
    Ancestral Mezcal; Categories
    Bar Cantina Mezcal Oaxaca
    Business Of Mezcal
    Buying Mezcal Considerations
    Buying Mezcal In Oaxaca
    Clay Pot Resourcefulness
    Craft Spirits Mezcal
    Cultural Appropriation & Mezcal
    Dogmatism In Mezcal Industry
    Ensambles Mezclas Mezcal
    Exporting Mezcal Importing
    Future Of Artisanal Mezcal
    Global Mezcal Boom
    Guides
    History Of Distillation
    Huatulco Mezcal Zipolite
    Kosher Mezcal
    Marijuana & Mezcal
    Mezcal Cocktails
    Mezcal & Dogmatism
    Mezcal & Education
    Mezcal Export
    Mezcal Fair Trade
    Mezcal History Oaxaca Recicado
    Mezcal: How To Select Brands
    Mezcal In Toronto Ontario Canada
    Mezcal & Methanol
    Mezcal Teotitlan Rugs
    Mezcal Underside
    Migration Mezcal Oaxaca
    Palenquero Esteem
    Pechuga Mezcal Oaxaca
    Pulque Aguamiel Harvest Oaxaca
    Rosario Angeles Minas
    Tasting Notes Mezcal
    The Worm & Aged Mezcal
    Traditional Mezcal
    Unique Palenqueros
    Whiskey Mexico
    Woodcarver & Agave Motif

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Tour Overview
  • Who We Are
  • Photos
  • Qualifications
  • Mezcal Blog
  • Cannabis & Mezcal
  • Mezcal Articles
  • Mezcal de Pechuga