Dr. Ronda Brulotte, Director, University of New Mexico
International Studies Institute and Professor, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies
Thursday, October 29th, 2026, 4:00 p.m.
Botts Hall, Albuquerque Special Collections Library
423 Central NE, Albuquerque, NM (Central & Edith)
Mezcal represents one of Oaxaca’s fastest-growing rural industries, yet it remains relatively new to global markets. Dr. Brulotte will explore how mezcal has emerged as a commodity while remaining embedded within transnational networks of producers, brokers, and consumers across the U.S.-Mexico border and beyond. Though mezcal joins other iconic Mexican foods—corn, chile, chocolate—now commonplace in U.S. markets, its rise is distinctly tied to a new class of global consumers who embrace mezcal within the artisanal food movement. At the same time, mezcal’s growing popularity raises critical questions about industry sustainability and regional development in Oaxaca.
Dr. Ronda Brulotte is Director of UNM’s International Studies Institute and Professor of Geography and Environmental Sciences. An interdisciplinary scholar with training in sociocultural anthropology and Latin American studies, she specializes in craft economies, cultural heritage, and material culture in Mexico. Her publications include Between Art and Artifact: Archaeological Replicas and Cultural Production in Oaxaca, Mexico (University of Texas Press, 2012), Edible Identities: Food as Cultural Heritage (Routledge, 2014, co-edited with Michael A. Di Giovine), and Mezcal in Oaxaca: A Craft Spirit for the Global Marketplace (University of Texas Press, 2025).
Preregistration is required.
$15 for AIA Members; $20 for Non-Members; Students under 30 with ID – Free.
Pay online or mail check made out to AIA by October 27th to: AIA, PO Box 92921, Albuquerque, NM 87199.
