Explore Agave Spirits Beyond Tequila

The sun was setting over the mountains in Oaxaca’s southern Sierra Madre as we pulled in front of the ranch belonging to Victor Ramos, one of the region’s legendary mezcal makers. Behind the house, Ramos was busy trimming cooked agave hearts in preparation for crushing. Behind him, big pots of fermented agave juice steamed over an open fire, the distilled essence dripping from a small...