Banhez Mezcal Tasting with Francisco Javier Perez Cruz

TASTING FORMAT
Tastings are free to attend, and last about 20 minutes each. They take place from 5-7pm in small groups in the private tasting room in the basement bar. If you arrive and seats are full, we'll have sample cocktails made with the new Banhez destilados de frutas (mango and pineapple).
BANHEZ MEZCAL
Francisco Javier Perez Cruz saw the hardship that followed families making mezcal. Sure, this was part of their heritage, but life was hard and unsustainable, forcing families to separate. Knowing first-hand what it meant to leave family behind in search of work, he thought that if he could keep the hard-working families together and devise a way for them to work towards a common goal, they could be successful.

After returning to Ejutla with his family, Francisco was appointed treasurer of Ejutla in 1996 and later became Mayor. He honed his skills in cultivating and harvesting espadín agave alongside his mother and brother. In 2024, Francisco was elected President of the National Mezcal Council, securing federal support to develop nurseries and revive distilleries in Ejutla. He established the Consejo Oaxaqueño Del Maguey Mezcal (Oaxaca Mezcal Maguey Council) to provide a collective platform for local mezcal producers.

So, he transformed the traditional mezcal-making organization into a community endeavor, focused on craftsmanship and mutual support - the Banhez Cooperative. Under his leadership, the group is known as the Unión Productores de Agropecuarios del Distrito de Ejutla de Crespo (UPADEC). There are nearly 50 producer families under the Banhez umbrella.

www.banhezmezcal.com

We proudly pour mezcal from the Banhez Cooperative as our "house mezcal" - it is in all cocktails upstairs in the Cantina and is often sipped neat in basement flights.

Your journey doesn't stop at the bottle - discover the people, places, and generations that make Banhez Mezcal extraordinary. See you on Feb 27th!

Host or Publisher PHX Fest