A Limited Edition Mezcal Celebrating Art, Heritage, and the Spirit of Oaxaca
Agua del Sol x Eric Mancha Present “Mujer del Istmo”
When the world shifted in 2020, LA-based artist Eric Mancha traveled to Oaxaca, drawn to its rich indigenous culture. There, he discovered mezcal and the people who carry its traditions. “You gotta respect the mezcal,” he recalls. Inspired by his time in Oaxaca, Mancha created “Mujer del Istmo” (“Woman from the Isthmus”), honoring the Zapotec women of Tehuantepec: vibrant, strong, and central to community life.
Where Art Meets Ancestral Craft
When the world paused in 2020, Mancha traveled from Los Angeles to Oaxaca, drawn by its color, complexity, and living traditions. There, he encountered mezcal not as a beverage, but as a form of cultural expression. “You gotta respect the mezcal,” he says. “It’s a practice of patience, balance, and community—just like painting.”
That connection became “Mujer del Istmo” (“Woman from the Isthmus”), a visual homage to the Zapotec women of Tehuantepec, celebrated for their matriarchal strength and central role in Oaxacan society. The piece now graces each bottle of Agua del Sol’s limited release—transforming every pour into a collaboration between makers of spirit and makers of image.
A Collaboration Rooted in Respect
Rhythms of Agave Cultivation
Mancha’s creative journey led him to Agua del Sol’s palenque in San Guillermo Miahuatlán, where he spent time with maestros Francisco and Raúl García. Immersed in the rhythms of agave cultivation and distillation, he documented his experience in a series of photographs showing the intersection of artistry and ritual.
Mezcal meets Visual Storytelling
It was here that Mujer del Istmo took full form: a union of traditional mezcal-making and visual storytelling, of Oaxaca and Los Angeles, of cultural preservation and creative reinvention.
A Dialogue Between Worlds
Mujer del Istmo is more than a collectible—it’s a conversation between two disciplines. For Agua del Sol, it’s an invitation to explore mezcal not just as a liquid, but as a living archive of memory and craft. For Mancha, it’s a return to roots through collaboration and respect.
Limited Release Artwork
Every bottle carries Mancha’s painting—an evocation of identity, migration, and the enduring matriarchal energy of Oaxaca’s Isthmus.
A Dialogue Between Worlds
Mujer del Istmo is more than a collectible—it’s a conversation between two disciplines. For Agua del Sol, it’s an invitation to explore mezcal not just as a liquid, but as a living archive of memory and craft. For Mancha, it’s a return to roots through collaboration and respect.
Together, they capture the spirit of Oaxaca: vivid, layered, and alive.