Oaxaca has woven itself into the fabric that makes up the inviting and heartbreakingly beautiful country that is Mexico. The state of Oaxaca is known for its art, cuisine, spiritual/religious traditions, and its mezcal. Mezcal is an ancient Mexican, agave based distilled alcoholic beverage. For centuries now, mezcal has been handcrafted by small-scale producers. A village can contain dozens of production houses, called fábricas or palenques, each using methods that have been passed down from generation to generation, some using the same techniques practiced 200 years ago. The simplicity of the practiced techniques in the mezcal industry can be done by almost any person from every walk of life, not matter their education. Oaxaca is the third poorest state in Mexico, being in that current economical standing point, it has become very difficult for not only the national government, but the state government to fund simple infrastructural projects. Although Oaxaca gets an extensive amount of rain during the wet season (early summer through late fall), the city does not have the structures or sanitation necessary to catch the water and use for domestic purposes and so this precious resource just becomes run off.