A new copita for the collection
For anyone who has gone down the rabbit hole of collecting mezcal, it is often accompanied by a copita collection. I am not immune and while my go to glass os often the vaso veladora, I always have my eye
Agave poetry
We all know that agaves are truly inspirational plants. They live in dramatic arcs, not surprising given agaves' tragic origen love story of Mayahuel and Quetzalcoatl, so why there isn't more poetry written about them? I recently happened upon a
Quarantine Book Series pt. 6: Protest Graffiti Mexico Oaxaca
This post is part of a series that began with cookbooks but now will include other types of books. On my mind amid the protests that have swept the country has been art, and specifically protest art, which like protest
A virtual program platform for the times – Conversations in Agave
What happens when the world is forced to shut down and all of the usual gathering places and events to learn about agave spirits are shuttered? Well, we get creative and put together an online program platform of interactive talks
Las Nuevas Cronicas del Pulque
I received a fantastic anniversary gift, Las Nuevas Cronicas del Pulque y La Vagancia by Joel Castro. It’s an illustrated romantic story about being a vagabond in Mexico with pulque as liquid inspiration. These are the drunken writings and illustrations
Taking the mezcal out of the box
Puns and seasonality aside I really am stunned by the leaps in mezcal world design. Bottle shapes and label design have always expressed the awesome creativity seeping out of Mexico but now people are creating all sorts of other containers. This last trip to Oaxaca presented me with two: Hopefully this article will prompt still others. Rest assured I'm also working on a piece specifically about label and bottle design so send me your thoughts on those fronts as well. For now I just want to talk about a few boxes.
Wood boxes for alcohol have always been special.
The Donald gets his due
You've probably seen or heard of Ilegal Mezcal's "Donald Eres un Pendejo" campaign in NYC. Well, as of Monday night, it finally came to SF.
Copitas among us!
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Omar Hernanez in his taller[/caption]
If you're really into mezcal you have probably already been acquainted with Omar Hernandez's creations. He's a Oaxaca based ceramicist whose copitas are starting to pop up in bars and restaurants in the United States but cover the walls, shelves, and anything else they'll sit on at his taller at Alcalá 303 in Oaxaca. It's on the main drag just down from Santo Domingo and next door to Oro de Oaxaca which makes it difficult to miss.
On authenticity
A lovely run-in with Sara Deseran at EatDrinkSF’s Taco Knockdown got my writing juices flowing. I was just going to the event, not intending to write about it, take pictures of it, just to enjoy it. A crazy conceit -
How Mexicans get their mezcal
In Mexico lots of people don't pay taxes on their mezcal, they don't see brand labels, and it's probably not certified by COMERCAM: Many Mexicans buy their mezcal in bulk directly from the distiller. Or they depend on the underground