Oaxaca’s Frankincense

The mystical copal tree grows wild in the valley where we make Eléctrico Mezcal and even grows on the grounds of our palenque in San Baltazar Guelavila.

The name copal comes from the Nahuatl word copalli, meaning incense. The sap leaks through fissures in the bark, looking like wax dripping down a candle. The incense made from the harvested sap is akin to a lighter, fresher form of frankincense and was long considered a protection against sickness and misfortune. It is popular in many Mexican Catholic churches but is also used in more ancient sweat lodges and sacred mushroom ceremonies.

Ancient copal sap is often collected as a paler alternative to amber, and pieces with insects trapped inside can fetch quite high prices. The berries are also prized as a treatment for acne.

However, the copal tree is under threat across Mexico. Its timber is soft, aromatic, light, and flexible, and it sands to a polished finish ideal for carvings. In fact, the tree's gnarled form often inspires the fantastical animals carved from it. But these brightly painted carvings, known as albebrijes, have become so popular in Oaxaca that they have threatened the tree's survival.

All trees are protected in the valley around San Baltazar Guelavila, the home of Eléctrico Mezcal. The land custodians can only gather timber from dead and fallen mature trees and receive heavy fines for felling any tree over 12 years of age.

The valley community proudly maintains the principles of law set by Emiliano Zapata, leader of the 1910-1920 revolution. Zapata said that the land is everything and belongs to the people who work it. So, anyone who wants land in the valley has to maintain it and work it. If they break the laws of the valley, they will be fined or even forfeit the land.

So, the copal trees of San Baltazar Guelavila are treated with love, care, and respect, which is exactly how you should sip Eléctrico Mezcal.