Oaxaca Mezcal Masters Book Launch Urges IEPS Tax Reform

At the Feria del Mezcal Oaxaca 2026, the book *Herencia y Maestría: experiencias de maestras y maestros mezcaleros de Oaxaca* was unveiled. Compiled by Pablo Almuli, it records the lives, knowledge and techniques of 44 mezcal masters from across the state, aiming to preserve cultural heritage and support the thousands of families that depend on artisanal mezcal production.

The presentation was attended by state and federal officials, including Iñigo Arturo Aragón García, subsecretary of Economic Promotion and Investment Attraction of Oaxaca; deputies Miriam de los Ángeles Vásquez Ruiz, Maribel Martínez Ruiz and Irma Juan Carlos; Eduardo Ayala Rodríguez of the Secretariat of Economy; Mayra Patricia Mendoza Urcelay of the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property; and mezcal masters Audencio Ramos Cortés and Valentina Santiago Gutiérrez. Speakers highlighted the sector’s challenges – the special excise tax (IEPS), certification costs and competition from industrial producers – and called for a review of the IEPS, a demand now being examined by a special working group of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies led by deputy Carol Antonio Altamirano.