Ruben Reyes

Photographer

rubenreyesphoto.com

mezcal

Follow Hire

Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve

Monica Cortés of Casa Cortés, o...roducers in Santiago Matatlán.

Monica Cortés of Casa Cortés, one of the last remaining family-owned producers in Santiago Matatlán.

Square pits that were chiseled ...great-great-great grandfather.

Square pits that were chiseled out of the rock by Miguel Cortés and used for mezcal fermentation in the 1840s, Monica Cortes’ great-great-great grandfather.

A worker for Casa Cortes in Santiago Matatlan, Oaxaca, Mexico

Workers from Mezcal Maguey Sagr...eft to roast for several days.

Workers from Mezcal Maguey Sagrado arranging the piñas, or agave hearts, before being covered and left to roast for several days.

The palenque for Mezcal Matabichos in Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca.

Mezcal store in Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca

Farewell sign on the road towar...ty, Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca.

Farewell sign on the road towards Oaxaca City, Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca.

Graciela Ángeles Carreño in the Real Minero storage room.

A worker from Real Minero sharp...as part of harvesting process.

A worker from Real Minero sharpening his coa, which is a specialized tool with a large round blade used as part of harvesting process.

Real Minero’s storage room, hou...ed mezcal dating back to 2006.

Real Minero’s storage room, housing bottled mezcal dating back to 2006.

Workers from Mezcal Tosba weedi... during the harvesting season.

Workers from Mezcal Tosba weeding out one of the many parcels where they are growing agaves. They have different fields for different agaves and maturation stages, that way ensuring that they will have a fresh crop of agaves during the harvesting season.

One of the multiple agave field...e of years away from maturity.

One of the multiple agave fields belonging to Mezcal Tosba, these plants are about 4 years old and still a couple of years away from maturity.

Edgar González Ramirez, one of ...tinuos supply of agave plants.

Edgar González Ramirez, one of the cofounders of Mezcal Tosba, at one of the multiple agave fields that are part of the harvesting strategies employed by the cousins to ensure a continuos supply of agave plants.

Santos Martinez from Todos Sant...San Lorenzo Albarradas, Oaxaca

Santos Martinez from Todos Santos Mezcaleros, also known as Don Santos, starting the fire in the oven that will be used to distill mezcal produced at his palenque in San Lorenzo Albarradas, Oaxaca

Agave fields outside Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca.