Heritage Mezcal

I think a lot about agriculture, in my mind it was the first way in which humans expressed themselves. They planted for survival, but also to meet and expand their desires.
They were able to create more deliciousness and more complexity hand in hand with the territory they worked.  The land was loved and it loved us back. Somehow, just very recently,  this relationship was broken. And now it seems we've decided to abuse the land and the environments we live in rather than work with them.
In this second episode with Sophia Trapp, we explore how agave and mezcal production could possibly offer some answers to how we can love our land once again. I hope you enjoy it.
If you are as excited as I am about this project, you can visit it in San Miguel de Allende. Some coordination may be needed but you can contact Sophia and their fellow associates at Casagave.com or Cañada de la Virgen on Instagram.
Drink the mezcal and regenerate the land. Nos vemos al rato.

Coahuila is the third-largest state in all of Mexico. But in many ways, it is a discrete, unknown territory. I personally know very few people who have traveled to Saltillo or who have roamed around the state. Happily, a few months ago, I had the chance to visit Casa Sotol, a project led by Fernanda Arrillaga, which is crafting some of the most exciting juice I've tried in a long time. I won't explain much more, but needless to say, start planning a trip to Coahuila to enjoy some very pretty sotol.

La totalidad de México me emociona y me entusiasma, pero siempre tengo algún favorito de temporada, y ahorita Guadalajara trae a mi corazón latiendo fuerte: sus calles, sus museos, la gran oferta de destilados, los infinitos remedios para la cruda. Entre todos los lugares que me encantan en esta capital, uno que creo representan la gran imaginación tapatía es "Mecenas", con sus licores caseros, destilados experimentales y botanas callejeras.
 Hace ya unos meses tuve la oportunidad de sentarme con Santos (recién reconocido como El Bartender Promesa por MXBEST y uno de los fundadores de este bar), a compartir y contarnos sobre la amplitud de este proyecto que se agarra de la historia pero gusta de jugar. Espero disfruten esta conversación y que se den una vuelta para probar su larga oferta de menjurges deliciosos.

In this conversation with my dear friend Fabio Raya, we explore many of the ideas we were exposed to at the "VI Simposio Internacional de Agave". This episode includes everything from using agave as livestock silage to developing a comprehensive strategy for using 2 million hectares of Mexican arid land—a full labyrinth.
Big shout-out to Fernanda Arrillaga, from Casa Sotol, for hosting us and letting us record at her beautiful house in Saltillo.
And huge thanks to Alan and the whole team at Pechotierra for taking us to Jorge Luis Torres Casas vinata to get a proper education on Nuevo León spirits and for allowing us to catch the lovely picture featured in this episode.
Cheers y feliz día de muertos y todos santos.

Wine has a long history in Mexico, with its introduction arguably dating back to the 16th century. However, it was never massively consumed in the same manner as pulque, beer, or vino de mezcal. There are even annecdotes about communion wine was spiked with coconut spirits (vino de coco) to give it some proper potency.

But our relationship with grapes has been changing in recent years. The wines from Baja California have gained a consistent following, and new regions all around Mexico have been exploring the grape varietals and the wine styles that can better suit them. In this episode with @noah.tovares , founder of @vinoschidos.mx, we talked wine for a full hour, hopefully enticing you to start drinking and enjoying Mexican grapes. Saludcita!