moon

TheSantiago MatalanMoon ShiftFrom Oaxaca, MexicoMezcal

Coming soon

Tales of the MoonStory2022-2024

Maestro with horse

There are no coincidences

Agave plant

It comes from a talk of a bartender behind the bar and two passionate food, wine, mezcal and hospitality lovers.

moon crater
MOONSHIFT mezcal

Origins

bat

The bat comes out at night to pollinate the agaves.

The Name

In choosing the name The Moon Shift, we honor the powerful influence of the moon on the natural world— especially its impact on mezcal production.

The Moon Shift is a tribute to this nocturnal life: All of our friends in bars and hospitality around the world who craft cocktails under the same moon, the bats who start their pollination as the night falls, and the mezcal that, like the moon, leaves its textures, colors, and craters as a lasting impression. The Mezcal shifts with the night, bringing a connection between nature, craft, and the mark we all leave behind.

dirt
agave
moon crater
MOONSHIFT mezcal
MOONSHIFT mezcal
texture 8

Origins

MOONSHIFT Mezcal

Luna and ink—textures of the night, hand-pressed in Oaxaca. Bat shadows in black ink, etched by hand, agave-born. Crafted in the darkness, where moon meets artisanal art. Textured like the moon, carved in Oaxaca, kissed by agave. Handmade in night’s embrace—art, agave, and lunar shadows. Etched in black, where bats fly and agaves root, crafted by moonlight. From the moon’s texture to the artist’s hands—Oaxaca in every stroke. Darkness, ink, and agave—woven by hand, sealed by the moon. Where black ink meets the moon, hand-carved by Oaxaca’s finest. Lunar textures, artisan craft—each label tells Oaxaca’s night story.

MOONSHIFT Mezcal
texture

Getting ready for a ride

In every visit to the palenque, we see the deep bond between the maestro and his horses. They’re not just moving the tahona—they’re part of the soul of the process. Their strength, his care—together, they craft mezcal with heart.

Maestro with horse
Maestro with horse
Maestro with horse
Maestro with horse
texture

Hijuelo

agave hijuelo

Shoots that develop at the base of an agave plant once it has been in the field for at least one year.

Quiote

agave quiote

The flowering of the quiote is a sign that the life of the agave has come to an end.

Capón

agave Capón

It means cutting the quiote (the flower stem) when the agave is ripe and leaving it in the ground for another year.

texture
texture

The Process

How we get to the moon

(1). Harvest

harvesting agave 1
harvesting agave 2

This is the process of pruning the agave, the leaves are cut and the root is extracted to leave it clean.

harvesting agave 3
cooking agave

(2). Cooking

A conical stone oven is used to bake the agave piñas

(3). Milling

Milling process

The fibers of the cooked agave are placed inside the mill, made of stone. Inside the mill there is a wheel-shaped stone with an approximate weight of 500 kilos, which is called "Tahona" and is pulled by horses. While it spins in circles and presses the cooked piñas, creating a type of paste.

abstract graphic
abstract graphic
abstract graphic
horse

(4). Fermentation

In fermentation, the real magic happens. The natural yeasts get to work, turning sugars into alcohol and releasing those distinctive aromas and flavors that give our mezcal its character. This is where the maestro shapes the essence of every bottle, creating a mezcal that’s full of life, depth, and complexity.

fermentation
fermentation graphic
fermentation

(5). Distillation

The alcoholic adjustment is the final stage of making artisanal mezcal, in which small portions of the "tips" and "tails" are used to define the final product and obtain the desired alcohol content.

distillation
distillation
texture
glass aging
bottle

Coming soon...