The sustainability series: cultivating wild maguey
Several years ago, when doing some background on Mezcal Vago, I heard about a grand, wild agave cultivation project happening somewhere in Sola de Vega, a region known for its tobala. I knew there had been success with cultivating tobala,
Hijuelos, seeds, bulbils – Or how your agave is grown
Agaves are really strange plants because they reproduce in three ways, none of them exclusive. They sprout little clones of themselves from their bases; these are most commonly called hijuelos and can be produced throughout an agave's lifecycle. If you
Save the maguey by drinking its distillate
Lots of good information in this article about the plight of the maguey. While that does a good job of framing the issue which we've written about as well, you also have an opportunity to support the recovery of wild
Sacramento and silvestres
I spent a recent weekend in Sacramento visiting friends and sampling the local mezcal scene. We couldn't find a ton of action but there are promising developments on the horizon. There are some excellent places to drink tequila and where there's
Silvestres and espadin tasting
We just finished our third tasting this time focused entirely on mezcals that we brought back from a recent trip to Oaxaca. We paired off silvestres and espadins for comparison and contrast. All are in the traditional Oaxacan style. We tasted: 1)
Back to where it all began
The road to Teotitlan del Valle has changed a lot since I was first there in 2003. The pueblo sits off the main highway that heads south from Oaxaca toward the Istmo. It's only about 30 minutes from the city
Arroqueño, I think I love you
I've always been partial to the silvestres - madrecuixe, tobala, tobaziche. Their flavors are so complex and one is never like another. But I have to say, sr. arroqueño has stolen my heart. Across several different palenques, visits to mezcalerias,