The Agua del Sol project arose at a meeting of master mezcaler@s at the Mezcaleria CUISH. We discussed that "now in Oaxacan restau rants, a pour of mezcal is more expensive than one of wine or whis key." Thus, we enter a paradox: It is now more difficult for local consumers to afford their native spirits, since exporting them is more profitable than selling them domestically due to high tax rates. Even worse, tradition gives way to arbitrary government regulations when brands pursue "mezcal" certification. <br /><br />Bottled as a Destilado de Agave, Agua del Sol maintains tradition and abides by gusto historico, or local proofing, as it is not bound by the red tape involved with "mezcal” certification. We make these heritage agave spirits accessible to local communities once again by keeping a part of every batch for domestic consumption and selling them locally in five and ten-liter custom hand-made garrafones. <br /><br />Created by the famed CUISH mezcal cooperative, Agua del Sol collaborates with multiple producers beyond its original partners to include others from the Maestros del Mezcal organization. <br /><br />AGUA DEL SOL <br /><br />Maguey: Espadín<br /><br />Agave: Angustifolia<br /><br />Master Distiller: Mtro. Pedro García<br /><br />Producing Community: Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca<br /><br />Cooking: Roasted in a stone-lined earthen oven<br /><br />Milling: Horse-drawn tahona mill<br /><br />Fermentation: Natural spring water and wild yeasts in <br /><br />ESPADÍN A. Angustifolia