Another excellent book that was indexed by Southwest Humanities this year is Ronda L. Brulotte’s Mezcal in Oaxaca: A Craft Spirit for a Global Marketplace (University of Texas Press, 2025). In Mezcal in Oaxaca, Brulotte draws readers into a rich, ethnographic exploration of how mezcal—once dismissed as a rough, low-status drink—has ascended into the global “artisanal” spotlight. Through meticulous fieldwork, she charts how this traditional spirit has become a symbol of rural vitality and Indigenous cultural heritage, even as those very origins are commodified to satisfy the elite craving for “authenticity.” Brulotte expertly contrasts the ideal of an artisanal economy with the messy realities faced by Oaxacan communities, highlighting the pressures of tourism, gentrification, exploitation of women and small-scale producers, and rising migration. Her narrative frames mezcal not just as a beverage, but as a lens into broader tensions between global markets, environmental sustainability, and social equity. For more information about this exciting new title, please see the publisher’s website here.
SOUTHWEST HUMANITIES 