See how mezcal is made in Mexico

SANTA MARIA ZOQUITLAN, Mexico (AP) — Mexico’s agave spirit mezcal is still produced much as it has been for generations. The work is slow and physical, guided by knowledge passed down within Indigenous families.

In many villages in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, the country’s largest mezcal producer, the spirit has long been used as a home remedy and offered as a gesture of hospitality. It is at every wedding, funeral and community celebration. It remains not only a drink, but part of daily life.