Alvin Starkman (M.A., J.D.) owns and operates Mezcal Educational Excursions of Oaxaca (www.mezcaleducationaltours.com). He teaches clients about Mexico’s iconic agave distillate by taking visitors into the villages to learn about mezcal from meeting the distillers and their families at their distilleries and in their homes. Clients can sample, and buy at a fraction of retail prices if so inclined. He also works with documentary film producers, photographers, and those interested in starting their own mezcal brands. Alvin has been a fixture on the Oaxaca mezcal scene for over three decades, and a permanent resident of the city for over 20 years. He has written two books about mezcal, and more than 300 articles about pulque, Oaxacan crafts, sustainability, and agave distillates and their makers.