The World of Mezcal
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North American bar professionals are getting creative with cacti, ranging from nopal martinis to garumbillo cocktails. Laurel Miller on these thoughtful bar programs and what to be aware of when cacti is in the mix. For thousands of years, the Indigenous peoples of Mexico and the American Southwest have relied upon cacti and their fruit… The post Cactus cocktails? Cactaceae is inspiring a new…
I think I first fell in love with Mexico City in college when I read Where the Air is Clear by Carlos Fuentes, but it was probably before that. Sometime in the 1970s when my parents hosted dinner parties and there was always a stream of foreign service and political exiles who spoke of the… The post Mexico City and beyond: A new Mezcalistas tour experience appeared first on Mezcalistas .
I spent years in advertising. There’s a phrase from that world I never let go of: “Truth in advertising”. The good kind of advertising isn’t lying with style. It isn’t borrowing somebody else’s landscape, grandmother, Indigenous reference, and renting it out as a commercial shortcut. The good kind of advertising, and marketing in general, makes… The post Truth in Advertising: Why agave spirits…
A growing interest in artisanal Mexican rum surges just as many of the country’s aguardiente traditions are on the brink of distinction. Manlio Peña explores the history, cultural significance, and economics of Mexico’s cane traditions. A quiet irony is at work in the Mexican sugarcane countryside. At the precise moment when specialized markets in France,… The post The last trapiches: The sleeping…
This is a brief story on how an almost forgotten cactus wine taught me that microbes have better memories than people. When I started my PhD at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in Mexico, I thought I could take on the whole world in a sip. I signed up for every seminar, every… The post Sipping a cactus fruit: a meditation on culture, biology, and yeast appeared first on…
As an intro to our reposado round-up, Felisa Rogers contemplates her reposado roots. I would imagine that many of our readers share something in common. We weren’t all fortunate enough to grow up in mezcal country, and the first agave spirit we ever drank straight was a tequila reposado. I don’t remember that first night… The post Reposado round-up: 8 tasting notes across 3 agave spirit categories…
In his journey from brand founder to brand developer and importer, CDMX native Raza Zaidi has become an influential force in the realm of Mexican craft spirits. Joahna Hernandez explores how Raza’s unique background has played into his work, and then we hear from Raza in his own words. I didn’t fully recognize it until… The post In their own words: Raza Zaidi, building identity through Mexican…
When it comes to tequila and mezcal bars, there are some true gems in New York’s Hudson Valley. Many of the region’s best tequila and mezcal bars marry true farm-to-table values and the local produce of the fertile river valley with worldly beverage concepts. Since the landscape is more spread out than urban environments, it’s… The post Where to drink mezcal and tequila in the Hudson Valley…
Visiting a palenque is a transformative experience. We celebrate the smoke, the earth, and the hand of the maestro mezcalero. Every magical sip of mezcal can evoke those sights, sounds–and definitely smells. If you’ve ever visited an active palenque, you’ll have caught the sour barnyard whiff of vinazas, or vinasse, the liquid waste from making… The post Biodigesters are effective for processing…
As Mexico has made its exhilarating run through the first knock-out round, the Internet has been flooded with amusing memes and reels that capture Mexico’s transcendent and prodigious penchant for partying. We all know this is a rare and special talent, and also that drinking during the World Cup requires a game plan. You’ve got… The post What to drink for the Mexico/England match appeared first…
