How does maintaining old, manual, and inefficient methods fit into a world striving for operational excellence? It’s about the people, the values, and the profound meaning these methods bring to their work and lives.
When founders, CEOs, and employees genuinely believe in the value provided by their process — not just the product — customers are often willing to pay a premium for that inefficient process. In such cases, inefficiency becomes a significant part of the value proposition, weaving tradition, history, and culture into the production process. This is evident in the artisanal mezcal-making process.
For most of us in the United States, we experience mezcal through commercial techniques designed to produce sufficient quantities for export at reasonable prices. However, this often means missing out on the rich experience of enjoying mezcal crafted through ancestral or artisanal methods, where the process and passion for the drink and its history are shared. Similar to wineries with their diverse grape varieties and production methods, mezcal can be made from over 40 species of agave plants using various distillation techniques, resulting in a wide array of flavors and textures. For most, the introduction to mezcal has been through tequila, a type of mezcal made exclusively from blue agave.
Being raised within a Oaxacan culture, I took for granted the uniqueness of mezcal production. I had primarily encountered the more common types made from Espadin and Tobala agaves, which are widely used due to their faster growth. In contrast, other wild agave species can take up to 30 years to mature, making their use in mezcal rarer.
During a recent trip, I learned about ancestral and artisanal distillation methods. In these methods, efficiency is scarcely a consideration. Instead, the focus is on preserving tradition, history, and culture. Ancestral techniques involve mashing the cooked agave with wooden mallets or a stone and horse, followed by fermentation and distillation in clay pots or wooden containers.
On a visit to La Descendencia distillery in Santa Carina Minas in Oaxaca, I had the opportunity to meet Felix Angeles Arellanes, a fourth-generation mezcalero. His family has been distilling mezcal for over 100 years in clay pots. While Felix described the ensambles (blends) he enjoyed the most and the agave species he preferred, I could sense his contempt for some commercial methods that produce lower quality products. Due to the rarity of his blends and production methods, it was not unexpected to pay over $100 for a bottle. Felix bottles his product in simple plastic bottles with labels, while also selling larger quantities to other distilleries who label them under their own brand. The chance to savor a 10-agave blend or an agave that tastes like banana is worth the price. Perhaps it was also the opportunity to try all 20 types of mezcal Felix produces that made me willing to take more bottles home.
At In Situ Mezcaleria in Oaxaca city, they boast a library of over 190 types of mezcal, blending different distillation methods and agave types. As a customer, learning to appreciate the diversity of mezcal production methods as well as its origins gives me a glimpse into the evolution of indigenous processes, from its raw beginnings around 200 A.D. to the introduction of Spanish distillation processes in the 1600s.
This brings me back to my work as a process expert. I was recently reminded that Kaizen is actually a management philosophy. The problem-solving techniques taught are secondary to the management philosophy on employees. This makes sense when you see companies like Boeing and Toyota lose their way in cost-cutting measures. They forget the origins of building quality by leveraging their employees’ knowledge and contributions into building great companies.
Great products come from employees and employers who believe in their products, share their knowledge, and create innovation without sacrificing their values as an organization. The small mezcaleria in San Cristobal de Minas had a definite air of innovation as they experimented with different wild agave blends and distillation methods.
At the distillery of Mal De Amor/Illegal, I witnessed the evolution of a more modern, large-scale production. With a formal tasting room, a room for aging mezcal in oak barrels, and a blend of old and new techniques, they showed how tradition can coexist with innovation and modern customer requirements.
While there is a stark difference between ancestral and artisanal distilleries, neither is willing to compromise on the methods they believe impact the quality of the final product. This is always the challenge: to balance innovation while promoting continuous learning, leveraging what each person brings to the company while respecting their contribution.
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