Oaxaca Mezcal Tours is Alvin Starkman, owner of “Mezcal Educational Excursions of Oaxaca.” He is a mezcal specialist. That is all that he does. His associates are the artisanal producers he takes his clients to visit, to interact with, to learn from, and to photograph. When you commit to a day of learning, sampling and experiencing the real Oaxaca from the perspective of its rural, ethnically Zapotec inhabitants who produce mezcal, you should feel confident; confident that you’ll be spending your time with someone who has been both a visitor to and a resident of Oaxaca for the past quarter century. Indeed Alvin has spent 25 years cultivating relationships with palenqueros and their families, the past 15 years as a permanent resident of the city, all the while increasing and improving his knowledge base.
Ethical Mezcal Tourism: Alvin Starkman believes in ethical tourism. By this he means:
There are very few mezcal experts around, and we should be cautious of those who consider themselves as such. Though many consider him an expert, Alvin considers himself an authority-in-training, despite having authored a book about mezcal (“Mezcal in the Global Spirits Market: Unrivaled Complexity, Innumerable Nuances”), written over 40 articles about the agave spirit, and co-authored the only quality, bilingual, full colour mezcal tasting wheel..He has also assisted social anthropologists in conducting their research on mezcal, crafts and tourism.
As a more general cautionary note, whether using Alvin's services, or those of others purporting to be licensed to teach about crafts, ruins, mezcal or other cultural aspects of the central valleys of Oaxaca, if you have any doubts whatsoever, request from the prospective service provider documentary evidence that the individual or company is duly licensed by the appropriate governmental branch, and check their reviews on tripadvisor.com or other online sites.
Contact Alvin at oaxacamezcaltours at hotmail dot com to learn more about what he offers, testimonials, and cost.
Ethical Mezcal Tourism: Alvin Starkman believes in ethical tourism. By this he means:
- Treating the producers of agave distillates and their family members fairly and with the utmost respect.
- Never requesting or accepting a commission or any other benefit from the palenqueros in exchange for sales or bringing them prospective customers or exporters of their mezcal.
- Typically providing snacks, toys or other types of modest gifts for the children of the distillers.
- Suggesting to the palenqueros more efficient, environmentally sensitive production methods.
- Helping the palenqueros to set appropriate pricing if their price per liter appears too little, through assisting in determining what fair pricing consists of considering their actual costs of production (though the ultimate price paid will always be a mere fraction of what it would be anywhere outside of Mexico or even Oaxaca).
There are very few mezcal experts around, and we should be cautious of those who consider themselves as such. Though many consider him an expert, Alvin considers himself an authority-in-training, despite having authored a book about mezcal (“Mezcal in the Global Spirits Market: Unrivaled Complexity, Innumerable Nuances”), written over 40 articles about the agave spirit, and co-authored the only quality, bilingual, full colour mezcal tasting wheel..He has also assisted social anthropologists in conducting their research on mezcal, crafts and tourism.
As a more general cautionary note, whether using Alvin's services, or those of others purporting to be licensed to teach about crafts, ruins, mezcal or other cultural aspects of the central valleys of Oaxaca, if you have any doubts whatsoever, request from the prospective service provider documentary evidence that the individual or company is duly licensed by the appropriate governmental branch, and check their reviews on tripadvisor.com or other online sites.
Contact Alvin at oaxacamezcaltours at hotmail dot com to learn more about what he offers, testimonials, and cost.
