Ventura’s agave spirits revolution
Distance learning in the agave spirits world. Ventura Spirits is the third Californian distiller that I know of to experiment with agave spirits. Their process and experience say as much about CA and the US as it does about the expanding
Where your mezcal comes from and why it matters
As I was wandering around Mexico in a Bottle, San Francisco in November, a conversation that Susan and I have been having for years popped into my head. Of all the brands, bottles, and representatives on hand no one was
On the mezcal road in San Luis Potosi – Part 2
Part one of this two part series can be found here. La Ruta del Mezcal - Day 2 The next morning we were met by Miguel Angel of San Luis Autentico, a tour agency offering a variety of tours for any visit
On the mezcal road in San Luis Potosi – Part 1
This is the first part of a two part series. The second part can be found here. The first thing I noticed were the lack of topes (speed bumps) as we left the San Luis Potosi airport in our rental car.
The Dia del Mezcalero Experience
When I first heard about CNI Brands' Dia del Mezcalero last year, I was equally curious and skeptical of what a trip to Oaxaca with more than 30 people in the industry could possibly be like. Rumor said rough, with
Back to the future with ensembles
We’ve been through a few different eras of mezcal now in the United States (and I’m saying the US because as we all know, there are ample histories of mezcal in Mexico that are very different) and many appear to
The infancy of agave distilling in the U.S.
I’ve been writing about agave distilling projects in California and sotol distillation in Texas for some time because they’re expanding the world of mezcal. Those projects are interesting for what they are in and of themselves and because of questions
Journey to the Sierra Mixe with Cuish
There is nothing quite like the Star Wars soundtrack to make a journey from Oaxaca City to the Sierra Mixe more dramatic. It would have been a drive through the sierra like any other: the highway was closed so along
Agave spirits come to California
Driving down the road to Craig Reynolds’ agave roast out this past Sunday. I passed groves of walnuts, olives, and grapes all powered by a chunk of the big irrigation canal that makes California such an agricultural powerhouse. All of that along with the freeway that I was speeding down are examples of what makes (at least made, see recent debates about America’s crumbling infrastructure) the United States such an economic powerhouse. In contrast, when you go to Oaxaca the most basic things can’t be depended on, least of all roads and irrigation. And yet, here I was driving up a dirt driveway that wouldn’t have been to of place in Oaxaca to an agave roast that relied on native Oaxaca talent to make it happen. No matter how far you travel some things are fundamental, and especially so in the agave spirits universe where know how is the critical component, the rest is just dressing.
Abocado
Abocado not avocado, let's get that straight right out of the chute. They're vastly different words for vastly different things. Abocado is one of those funny words that has vastly different meanings depending on the context. In the word of