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While the production process of artisanal mezcal production is relatively easy to understand and involves no modern technology, a deep understanding of terroir and agave varietals as well as a backbreaking amount of work is required to perform it.

When the agave plants are unearthed (many weigh up to a ton), the first step in artisanal mezcal production is to isolate the piña or core of the plant by removing the leaves. At the artisanal level, this process is performed with a machete by a highly skilled worker, as even trace amounts of the leaves will impart an unpalatable bitterness to the finished product. Back at the palenque or distillery, the piñas (so-called because of their resemblance to large pineapples) are then buried underground with hot coals to cook them over a period of several days -- this process converts starch in the plant into fermentable sugars and imparts a characteristic smoky flavor to the finished product. The piñas are then crushed in an earthen basin by a tahona or stone wheel usually drawn by a small horse or donkey, and the resulting mash of husks and sap is then placed in tanks to initiate the fermentation process.

At this point, the fermented agave can either be distilled in a pot still (the traditional method, cf. Cognac & Scotch) or processed in a continuous still, which sacrifices character in favor of smoothness (cf. mass-produced mezcals and major Tequila brands). In artisanal mezcal, a pot still is always used to vaporize the alcohol in the fermented material, and the vapor is condensed into a coil by cold water, and the finished distillate is divided into three parts: the puntos (“heads”) which contain a higher percentage of alcohol (up to 60%) and a higher concentration of flavor congeners, the colas (“tails”) which are lighter and softer, and the inguishe or waste (containing toxic methanol) which is discarded. A skilled artisan will then blend the two usable components (usually in a ratio of 90% puntos to 10% colas) and redistill the solution a second time to remove any additional impurities.