From mole negro and mezcal on family altars to candlelit cemetery vigils and all-night muerteadas, Oaxaca's Día de Muertos brings families together to honor the departed. Local guide Luis Enrique Zárate shares his family's traditions and favorite places to experience the celebration.

El Hijuelo is an intimate Oaxaca City mezcal bar where Bogar Olaya pours his own Tzitzitmitl label alongside small-batch mezcales from producers across the state.

From serious tasting rooms and rare agave spirits to inventive cocktails and late-night mezcal bars, these are seven of our favorite places to drink and learn about mezcal in Oaxaca.