Oaxaca Mezcal Fair

Held each July in the capital of Oaxaca as part of the wider Guelaguetza celebrations, the Mezcal Fair stands among the most important annual events for a spirit that has become one of Mexico's most internationally celebrated exports. Producers travel from across Oaxaca's key mezcal-growing regions, including Santiago Matatlán, San Dionisio Ocotepec, Miahuatlán and Tlacolula, to showcase the full range of the agave-based spirit directly to visitors and industry professionals alike.

The fair allows visitors to taste and buy directly from the producers themselves, attend workshops covering mixology and distillation techniques, and learn about the wide diversity of agave varieties used across different mezcal styles — a level of technical depth rarely available outside the region itself. Talks on production methods, regulation and marketing round out a programme designed to support Oaxaca's small and medium-sized mezcal businesses specifically, distinguishing the fair from more purely consumer-facing tasting events.

Held alongside Oaxaca's Festival de los Moles, which showcases the region's famous sauces during the same Guelaguetza season, the Mezcal Fair gives visitors a genuine, concentrated introduction to two of the products that define Oaxaca's status as one of Mexico's great culinary destinations, both rooted in techniques and traditions that predate the Spanish conquest.