When Fabiola Santiago was born, Oaxaca’s mezcal industry was in trouble. For decades—centuries even—her ancestors had worked with agave, planting, harvesting, and producing the traditional spirit in Santiago, Matatlán, the so-called “world capital of mezcal.” It wasn’t just a job; it was an essential part of their heritage and identity as members of the Indigenous Zapotec community. --- But in the 1980s, an agave shortage, combined with increasing demand for tequila (and other lo...
