Santiago Matatlán
A small town billed as the 'World Capital of Mezcal', with traditional distilleries along the roads where you can watch agave crushed by stone mills and sample the spirit.
Santiago Matatlán lies about 45 km southeast of Oaxaca City, south of Mitla, and is the main center of mezcal production. A sign at the town entrance reads 'World Capital of Mezcal.' The traditional distilleries, called palenques, still bake agave hearts in earthen pits, crush them with horse-drawn stone mills, ferment them in wooden vats, and distill them in copper pots. Most distilleries welcome visitors and offer free tastings. Mezcal is high in alcohol, so taste in moderation, and drivers should not drink at all. The town is often combined with Hierve el Agua and Mitla into an eastern day tour.
Opening hours
Distillery approx. 09:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Mitla
- Hierve el Agua
- Yagul
- Tlacolula Sunday Market
- Teotitlán del Valle
- Dainzú
- Ocotlán de Morelos
- Árbol del Tule