Does a study of sourdough starts upend geographic diversity in fermentation theories?
In the world of bread baking and fermentation, a recently released academic study entitled "The diversity and function of sourdough starter microbiomes:" was a splash of ice cold water. It is a sacrosanct belief among bakers that geography plays a
Sí se puede – the Aguerrido story
I have heard many times that we Mexicans are resilient people mostly because of the tough times we have been through: economic crises, earthquakes, hurricanes, to name a few. Events that usually bring out our strength to get up the
In Situ: Investing In Community & Education In 2020
It’s difficult to convey in words just how special In Situ is. Nothing short of a Oaxacan institution, owners of the infamous mezcaleria, Ulises Torrentera and Sandra Ortiz Brenna are two of the most knowledgeable, and humble, people you can talk
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
A special Mezcal Tosba collaboration
A funny little thing passed across my desk this morning and had this happened BC (before Coronavirus) I would have flagged it and gotten back to it eventually. But with more time on my hands I can actually read more
The intersection of feminism, mezcal, and economic development
The below post is by contributing author Joahna Hernandez who is based in CDMX. She is the founder of Manos de Maiz, a binational company that provides fresh ground masa to restaurants in D.C. and corn based foods in CDMX. Doña
Bacanora: Another great Mexican distilling tradition
My trip last year to Tucson’s Agave Heritage Festival was amazing for so many reasons but one of the most tasty was an in depth introduction to bacanora. Bacanora is a tiny mezcal appellation in the mountains of Sonora. Not
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
Ivan Saldaña and the bright future of Casa Lumbre Spirits
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" _builder_version="3.19.17"][et_pb_row _builder_version="3.19.17"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="3.19.17"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.19.17"]Disclaimer: In August of 2019, I was invited by Casa Lumbre Spirits, the parent company of Montelobos Mezcal, to join their industry trip to Mexico for their annual Dia de los Muertos celebration in
So you want to grow agave
Let’s say you want to make mezcal or just learn how to propagate agave. There are plenty of resources out there but now there’s a pamphlet that is designed just for you. It’s in Spanish so that may deter some,