Xicala Mezcal is produced at Destileria Tlacolula, which has been producing mezcal since 1920. Xicala Mezcal is produced with the 100% agave Espadin grown in the Valley of Tlacolula Oaxaca. This mezcal is cooked in an underground pit and then crushed with a tahona pulled by a mule. After the agave is ground, it is then stored in wooden barrels with a combination of hot and cold water to ferment for eight days. The fermented agave is then mashed and distilled. The first distillation yields low-grade alcohol (20 to 25% APV). The heads and tails from the distillation run are removed. Only the heart of the distillation is kept and it is distilled for a second time to render the final product, which is about 43% APV. Just as in the first distillation, the heads and tails are removed and only the heart is saved. The spirit is then rested for a few months in steel tanks before being bottled. Each bottle of Xicala is adorned with a handcrafted Alebrije.