Heritage Mezcal

El aguacate para los mexicanos es salud, lujo y alegría. Practicamente todas las gastronomias del páis lo incluyen, ya sea embarrado, partido, en salsa, y yo lo he visto hasta en licuado. Pero pese a su popularidad, rara vez encuentro algún libro o docuento que explore a detalle esta fruta que nos ha acompañado por miles de años.  Por eso hace unos meses decidí viajar a Uruapan, Michoacán, para en...

In this episode with Doug Richardson, we talk about all things agave. From how to choose the right species if you are working in California, to naming some of the most extravagan agaves that nobody has yet distilled but that may yield some delicious spirits.  For some, planting agaves outside of Mexican soil is a thorny issue, but just as it has happened to grapes, cacao or oranges, I think crops...

Quizás sea un vicio de los malos,  pero siempre me han encantado los productos que son casi invisibles.  Por suerte algunos de ellos ahora empiezan a concentrar fama y atención, como el mezcal, pero otros siguen ninguneados.  A  mi parecer ese es el caso del cacao mexicano,  si bien todos hemos comido y disfrutado de algún tipo de chocolate, conozco a muy poca gente que me pueda hablar de regiones...

One of the most extravagant expressions I've had in a long time is Mauricio Cantú's Sotol, produced in Cuatrociénegas, Coahuila. I had the privilege of visiting this territory, and I can testify that everything up there is unique, from the soil to the technologies they have used over time. I welcome you to this unlikely episode. I hope you enjoy it!

Bienvenidos a Heritage Mezcal en Español. En este episodio con Alan Schubert y Enrique Cesard  nos acercamos a la muy improbable historia de los vinos del Norte, específicamente a la de aquellos producidos en Nuevo León. Si no ha tenido el gusto de probarlo, recomiendo ampliamente pedirse una botella de Pecho Tierra, y si ya lo probaron, pues aquí está la historia completa del como, donde y porqué...

I think a lot about agriculture, in my mind it was the first way in which humans expressed themselves. They planted for survival, but also to meet and expand their desires. They were able to create more deliciousness and more complexity hand in hand with the territory they worked.  The land was loved and it loved us back. Somehow, just very recently,  this relationship was broken. And now it seems...

Coahuila is the third-largest state in all of Mexico. But in many ways, it is a discrete, unknown territory. I personally know very few people who have traveled to Saltillo or who have roamed around the state. Happily, a few months ago, I had the chance to visit Casa Sotol, a project led by Fernanda Arrillaga, which is crafting some of the most exciting juice I've tried in a long time. I won't exp...

La totalidad de México me emociona y me entusiasma, pero siempre tengo algún favorito de temporada, y ahorita Guadalajara trae a mi corazón latiendo fuerte: sus calles, sus museos, la gran oferta de destilados, los infinitos remedios para la cruda. Entre todos los lugares que me encantan en esta capital, uno que creo representan la gran imaginación tapatía es "Mecenas", con sus licores caseros, de...

In this conversation with my dear friend Fabio Raya, we explore many of the ideas we were exposed to at the "VI Simposio Internacional de Agave". This episode includes everything from using agave as livestock silage to developing a comprehensive strategy for using 2 million hectares of Mexican arid land—a full labyrinth. Big shout-out to Fernanda Arrillaga, from Casa Sotol, for hosting us and lett...

Wine has a long history in Mexico, with its introduction arguably dating back to the 16th century. However, it was never massively consumed in the same manner as pulque, beer, or vino de mezcal. There are even annecdotes about communion wine was spiked with coconut spirits (vino de coco) to give it some proper potency. But our relationship with grapes has been changing in recent years. The wines f...

Este es el primer episodio que se graba en español y estoy tremendamente orgulloso de eso.  Para esta nueva realidad paralela bilingüe del podcast, quise empezar con un episodio que resolvió muchas de las dudas que llevaba cargando desde hace tiempo. El sotol, o los sotoles, o los dasylirion, para ser más específico, son algo que me emociona y me intimida. No solamente los sabores me son difíciles...

There are so many things that you could do with your life. You could dedicate decades to science, get into politics, and figure out how to reach world peace, and then there are flavors and pleasures.  Which seems less important, a luxury amongst needs.  Yet, there are companies paying millions of dollars to develop and protect specific formulations. People go crazy about securing a reservation at...

Aging agave spirits (with the exception of tequila) is still a taboo, something you talk about using your softest voice not to gain some pretty vocal enemies. Yet, the influence of barrels (and clay vessels) has been critical to the evolution of spirits, wine, and beer for at least a few thousand years. While there are very sophisticated studies dedicated to better understanding this piece of tech...

Mezcal is equally fascinating and terrifying for those who may not be familiar with it. Some are curious but too shy to venture beyond a cocktail, while others can take significant chances, to the point that one day, they may even become fellow agave nerds. To promote the right environment where curiosity can bloom, the person handing these spirits has to be gentle and firm. Capable of sharing mez...

The agave spirits multiverse is as exciting as ever. The conversation has been expanding year after year, bringing to light new regions, agaves and production techniques. But, at least personally, certain places have been more prolific than others. As I've stated in previous episodes, I have an ongoing romance with Salmiana, and I've been exploring the Bajío region with passion for the last few ye...

Lately, I’ve been in a little bit of a conundrum. I’ve been asking myself what the most important aspect of mezcal is that I should be talking about. Should I focus on the history, the culture, the market, the flavors, or the technicalities? After much thinking, I realized that I should attempt to cover all of this and more. Because that is the only way to approach such a complex spirit. So, I am...

Chihuahua is not only Mexico's largest state but also full of neverending stories. The first episode I ever recorded about this state was more of an ode: two people who had recently found Chihuahua and had become hardcore fans overnight. But, after that, I wanted to record with someone that had deep roots and a fine-tuned expertise in the territory. This conversation with Alessandra Camino has bec...

More and more I've been thinking that we could summarize agave as the lovely culmination of three main variables: agave, yeast and water. In this podcast I believe we've explored in great depth agave and yeast, but we had only superficially touched on water. There are plenty of themes to explore within this realm, but given the times we live in, I thought that exploring reasonable ways of using th...

There are so many things that we just do. We don't know where did they start or why do we do them . Pure social inertia.  Sharing drinks at a bar, at least for me, is one of those things.  Many people in other places socialize or party differently. But in the West, cheering over cocktails,  beers, or mezcalitos, if you are lucky, is the norm. In this conversation with Kraig Rovensky we explore the...

In this episode with Fabiola Santiago, President and Executive Director at Mi Oaxaca (an NGO which aims to “preserve Oaxaca’s indigenous food and beverage cultures through narrative change, education and collaboration with compatible organizations across borders”) we talk about so many things that I believe are critical for the future of mezcal. Things like how terrenos comunales work, the impact...

It  is undeniable that mezcal has become a poster child in the alcohol world. A spirit that in a way brings us hope, because it is a reflection of many biocultural legacies. , Those  beautiful relationships that are slowly formed between humans and their environments if both sides decide to respect and enhance each other. Yet, as pretty as all of this sounds, sharing mezcal is an incredible challe...

Methanol is one of the scariest things I can possibly imagine. We’ve all read stories about people getting intoxicated. Losing their sight and sometimes even their lives. And with all of that as a backdrop I’ve always wondered: why is it that after sampling hundreds of agave and dasylirion spirits that have never been tested, have I never had any problems with this?  That answer belongs to a longe...

Spirits are quite a weird thing. They are everywhere; you engage with them constantly at bars, concerts and restaurants and yet, it is rather difficult to share your thoughts and ideas about them. People get shy and weird when you try to dissect the origin, flavors or implications of a spirit. - Why can’t you just shut up and have fun! -  I’ve been shouted at many, many times.  That is why I find...

In this episode on Heritage Mezcal, I had the opportunity to have a delightful conversation with Eric Zandona. He is an incredibly booze-informed gentleman, and the organizer of the ADI’S International Spirits Competition, which, if you were to ask me, offers a great chance for brands of all sizes to break into the US market. Especially if you have something that may shock the nerds. They are not...