Papalometl 375 mL – David Rivera

Santa María Ixcatlán is running out of two things at once: a language, and an agave.

Tucked into the Cañada region of northwest Oaxaca, on the edge of La Mixteca, Santa María Ixcatlán is home to fewer than 750 people — and the last known speakers of Ixcateco, an ancient language now down to a handful of fluent speakers. It's also one of the only places left in Mexico where mezcal is still fermented in cowhide, a pre-Hispanic method that's all but disappeared everywhere else.

A Young "Boss" Carrying the Tradition Forward

David Rivera, just in his mid-20s, has become the de facto head of his family's production — working alongside his parents and siblings, whose entire livelihood runs on cooperation and shared labor. He crafts mezcal from wild Papalomé (Agave potatorum), the only agave traditionally used in Ixcatlán, cooked in an underground earth oven for three nights, hand-crushed with wooden mallets, fermented in cowhide, and double-distilled — all using methods passed down essentially unchanged for generations.

A Race to Save the Agave

Wild papalometl is getting harder to find every year in Ixcatlán, which means batch sizes keep shrinking. David has taken it upon himself to start replanting both papalometl and tobalá, working with conservation groups to help secure the agave's future in the region — not just his own livelihood, but the survival of the tradition itself.

What to Expect in the Glass

This is a mezcal built on funk and richness — think cured meats, ripe guava, charred pineapple, and sweet corn atole on the nose, moving into a palate loaded with smoky, meaty depth, tropical fruit, and a distinctive savory saltiness that only cowhide fermentation delivers. It's wild, unconventional, and completely unforgettable.

Why This Bottle Matters

Ixcatlán's cowhide-fermentation tradition, and the Ixcateco language and culture behind it, are genuinely at risk of disappearing. Every bottle from a producer like David is both a singular drinking experience and a small act of cultural preservation.

One of the wildest, most distinctive flavor profiles in mezcal — not for the faint of heart, but unforgettable for the curious.