Culinary Tours of Oaxaca, Mexico
         Mezcal Distillery Tours in Oaxaca

Our mezcal distillery tours are conducted by Oaxaca resident Alvin Starkman who has been trained by the federal government of Mexico.  He is a recognized authority on local distilled and fermented beverages, with over 35 articles and one book to his credit, on topics centering upon Mexican craft beer, mezcal, the pre-Hispanic drink pulque, and sustainability (in addition to a further 250 articles about a diversity of Oaxacan cultural traditions). He is also co-author of the only comprehensive full color bilingual mezcal tasting wheel.
 
He is not a tour guide, but rather a seasoned professional trained and licensed to lead excursions into the hills of Oaxaca to teach both Mexican nationals and visitors to the region about agave, mezcal and the pre-Hispanic fermented beverage, pulque.
 
All tours are fully customized to meet the passions, desires and interests of individuals, couples, business partners and groups. They are anywhere from a few hours in duration (the most popular being single day excursions to visit a number of quaint, artisanal factories, known in Oaxaca as palenques) to weeklong vacation packages for ardent spirits aficionados.
 
Our expertise in this area is for those who:
  • are interested in mezcal aroma and flavor nuances and fabrication processes using different species of agave;
  • want to pursue a business plan for the export of mezcal from Oaxaca;
  • are curious about pulque and willing to accompany a native Zapotec family into the countryside to extract aguamiel, the honey water which naturally ferments;
  • are photographers and/or documentary film makers;
  • want their entire visit to Oaxaca to be pre-arranged with an emphasis on the food and drink of the central valleys;
  • are intent upon experiencing the real Mexico, by interacting with the locals – where they live, work and eat.
Contact us regarding these tours at mezcaleducationalexcursions at hotmail dot com.
Culinary Tours of Oaxaca, Mexico, is a unique culinary concept; your Oaxaca experts provide culinary tours of only the city of Oaxaca and the towns and villages of its central valleys. Experiences range from dining in the best restaurants, to learning to cooking from native Zapotec women in the rural homes, to visiting marketplaces, and learning to cook Mexican cuisine from internationally renowned chefs.