That is the attitude.

I spoke with Torrence Swain, who is in charge of Mezcal El Silencio's east coast operations, while seated at the "great table" at Casa Silencio, a 17-ton slab of hand-cut basalt that extends from the hotel's restaurant into the courtyard's greenery. We were working on our laptops while enjoying the million-dollar view and our freshly made guajillos, which is essentially a Latin American espresso martini. Ahead of us, agave-covered fields spread out, and in a truly divine show, the sun peaked through the clouds and bathed a nearby mountain in light. I questioned Swain (also known on Instagram as "Brother Agave") about the effort that went into constructing the Casa. He continued, pointing to the wall behind me, "Watch that? I was a contributor."

This hotel is so deeply ingrained in mezcal that the entire staff at Mezcal El Silencio, the largest mezcal distributor in the US and the company that owns this property, was recruited to assist. In many ways, this hotel is a pioneer in its field. A journey to Mexico is guaranteed to include mezcal and good company, but an integrated strategy for tasting tourism hasn't quite taken off. There are numerous tasting rooms and distillery tours in the desert outside of Oaxaca City, but most travelers who come for mezcal head back to the city at night.

That is until El Silencio proprietors Vicente Cisneros and Fausto Zapata opened a six-room hotel on the premises of their distillery in Xaaga, 30 miles outside the capital. I had the good fortune to see the building before it opened on September 15 and watch its vision come to life. The two, who are both from Mexico City, were raised on weekend visits to this area that was all about spontaneity, fantastic cuisine, and even better drinks. They want Casa Silencio to capture their encounters with Oaxacan hospitality.

Zapata said to me, "There are locations in the world that might be as lovely as Oaxaca, but none more so." "I would always look forward to going out to eat and drink and being in the streets and feeling the energy."

Zapata and Cisneros aimed to imitate alcoholic vacation spots that place visitors right in the middle of production, such as the Napa Valley vineyard hotels and the Scottish Highland distillery lodges with their barley-covered hills. Their analysis was fruitful. Guests learn to speak mezcal fluently at Casa Silencio as part of the full-immersion experience. This was one of three El Silencio distillery facilities in Oaxaca before it was converted into a hotel, and it is currently actively producing mezcal. With professional assistance, of course, I participated in the process personally by smashing the pias, the spikey plants' inner hearts, and smoking agaves that had been gathered from the Casa Silencio grounds.

The architecture of this place incorporates elements from a distillery. To extract the agave juice for fermentation, all mezcal makers employ a sizable tahona or grinding wheel; Casa Silencio has made theirs the center of attention. In the common area, where we did yoga one morning, the big solar-powered wheel can be seen serenely crushing roasted agave.

Alejandro D'Acosta, a Mexican architect best known for his work in the Valle de Guadalupe wine-tasting neighborhood, was hired by Zapata and Cisneros to design the property with sustainability in mind. The walls of Casa Silencio were built using the typical method of rammed earth construction, which uses soil from the property itself, and the ceilings were built from reclaimed Oaxacan wood. Solar energy is used mostly to power the building.

Of course, Oaxaca is a hotbed for the arts, and signs of this can be found all across the city. The six suites have handmade rugs, abstract copper-and-glass light fixtures, and a bottle of El Silencio that is waiting for new visitors, along with a serving of gummy worms that have been mixed with mezcal. My room had two levels, a lofted boudoir, a sitting area with sheepskins and artwork by local artists, and a bathroom with walls made of empty El Silencio bottles that I wore as jewelry throughout my stay. I unlocked my room with a key attached to a black talisman necklace. A square, swimming pool-shaped sculpture with water is next to the structure.

The restaurant and bar culture in the capital is a big reason T+L readers chose Oaxaca as the best city in the world in the World's Best Awards last year. Oaxaca is also well-known for its cuisine and beverages. The state, according to Zapata, has evolved into more than just the "cradle of mezcal" and "the culinary capital of Mexico."

Casa Silencio raises the bar rather than merely affirming Oaxaca's culinary prowess. The objective is to preserve Oaxacan talent in Oaxaca, as the Chief Operating Officer of El Silencio Carlos Ochoa emphasized. The best chefs frequently relocate to Los Angeles or other American cities, but Casa Silencio hires local cooks, mixologists, and other hospitality professionals and supports their development right here in Xanga.

As soon as I set foot on the property, the aroma of slow-grilled ribs and smoked agave engulfed me. Oaxacan cuisine with a Tennessee touch is prepared by head chef Daniel Robles. He serves precisely charred beef tacos, tasting menus that begin with mezcal-infused watermelon, and, at one point, a late-night hot dog that I was unable to refuse. Robles managed the BBQ Pit Oaxaca in the city and spent ten years smoking meat there; his command of Southern tastes and barbecue expertise is obvious.

Rodolfo Castellanos, the winner of Top Chef Mexico, is another illustration of the indigenous brilliance on exhibit at Casa Silencio. Castellanos created an Indigenous-inspired food flight to go with tastings of never-before-seen El Silencio vintages, paying homage to the region's Zapotec heritage with flavors like cacao, recado negro, a traditional Mayan condiment, and queso Oaxaca coupled with guava paste. The nibbles are presented on a piece of silver with rare El Silencio kinds that are exclusive to the hotel, including small-batch to balls and javelins that are mellow and simple to drink. Every mezcal I tested had different flavors once I sampled them with Castellanos' pairings.

It's not just the free-flowing mezcal that makes Casa Silencio feel positively sultry as these afternoon tastings continue into the evening. The prized Black Magic, a charcoal-black spirit with an undisclosed recipe, and other rare El Silencio variants keep arriving, now consumed with friends rather than in reverent quiet. Outside, the agave plant-nest lights start to flicker on. The candles cast a narcotic glow down the large table as the courtyard fire pits begin to crackle. The inviting library and the Rhino Room, a hidden after-hours hangout with tufted leather couches, vintage trunks filled with mezcal bottles, and a silver rhinoceros sculpture hanging on the wall, both call for a nightcap. Even the night sky, which is filled with stars and occasionally becomes brighter with lightning from a distant thunderstorm, is starting to get into the spirit as I make my way back to my room.

It's enough to make me think of a line from Zapata that stood out when I first spoke with him: "Oaxaca is a little bit of mischief, a little bit of improvisation." "We want to share part of that magic with people."