Maguey Minis Maguey Minis + Episode Three How do agaves reproduce? In our third installment of Maguey Minis we talk reproduction! Lorena Teran Ibarra explains both sexual and asexual reproductive mechanisms. We dive deep into the ways in which challenging environmental circumstances can initiate this plant’s inherent intelligence, driving it to rep…

Maguey Minis Maguey Minis + Episode Two How do agaves grow? In our second installment of Maguey Minis, Lorena Teran Ibarra explains the anatomy of the agave plant. We begin with the difference between monocots and eudicots and describe the latter’s particular spiral growth patterns. We discuss the leaves or pencas of the plants and touch on some of…

28 + Maguey Minis / Episode One What’s in a name? Introducing our new miniseries all about agave plants! Joining Sabrina is our resident agave educator, Lorena Teran Ibarra. Lore is the director of Copita Project for El Buho Mezcal where she leads the regenerative agriculture and educational programs. In this first episode, we cover the origin of t…

27 + Lorena Terán Ibarra Regenerative Agriculture in Oaxaca Lorena Terán Ibarra is the director of Copita Project for El Buho Mezcal where she leads the regenerative agriculture and educational programs. Initiated by the founders of El Buho, the Copita Project seeks to replenish and preserve the balance of the natural environment while planting cul…

26 + Felix Hernandez Monterroza / Adriana Correa / Fred Sanchez Agua Del Sol Félix Hernandez Monterroza is the founder of Mezcales Cuish and Mezcaleria Cuish; he and his wife Adriana Correa are the co-founders of Agua del Sol. Fred Sanchez is the founder and managing partner of Bad Hombre Importing. Adriana and Felix were super accommodating in spe…

25 + Martha Garza Vazquez Cuero Viejo We are joined by Martha Garza Vazquez the COO of Cuero Viejo Mezcal, produced in the town of Nombre de Dios in the state of Durango. Martha shares the history of Cuero Viejo, a vinata and mezcal brand her father dreamed about for over 40yrs and realized in 2015. We learn about the land where the vinata is locat…

24 + Gabriela Badillo 68 Voices 68 Hearts (originally posted 11/15/20) We are joined by Gabriela Badillo, the creator of Sesenta y Ocho Voces Sesenta y Ocho Corazones. Gabriela is also a co-founder of Hola Combo, a creative studio with a focus on animation, brand identity, and storytelling. Initiated in 2013, 68 voices 68 hearts is an animated seri…

23 + Asis Cortés Mezcal Family History We are pleased to welcome Asis Cortés to the show. Asis comes from 6 generations of Zapotec mezcal producers and maguey cultivators in Matatlan, Oaxaca. This podcast is an excellent opportunity to learn about the history of mezcal culture and production from the perspective of a person whose family has been pr…

21 + Rion Toal Maestros del Mezcal Rion is a co-organizer of the civil association Maestros del Mezcal in Oaxaca. He is the host of the podcast of the same name, Maestros del Mezcal as well as the founder of Of Spine and Vine an importer and distributor of rare beverages. We discussed how Maestros del Mezcal promotes and advocates for the protectio…

21 + Salvador Picazo Chavez La Luna Mezcal Salvador Picazo Chavez is the founder and President of Puente Internacional and the founder of La Luna Mezcal and Gustoso Aguardiente Rum, both produced in Michoacán, Mexico. This is the first interview we have had with a producer from Michoacán but definitely not the first conversation about the State and…

20 + Niki Nakazawa & Leonardo Comercio Neta Spirits / PM Spirits We have two guests with us for this installment of the pod. Niki Nakazawa co-founder of the Agave Spirits Brand NETA and Leonardo Comercio of PM Spirits, an importer and distributor of small-production distillates made by artisan distillers from around the world. Niki has lived in Mex…

19 + Scott Rosenbaum / Spirits Portfolio: Taste, place and the market Quarantine remote podcasting continues with our guest Scott Rosenbaum, Vice President of T. Edward Wine and Spirits. In addition to developing an exceptional spirits portfolio, he also teaches at the IWC and at NYU. If you’ve been listening for a while you might remember that T. …

18 + Ferron Salniker / Mezcal Community Update Welcome to our very first remote recording! Joining us is Ferron Salniker, a freelance journalist and events manager for Mezcalistas. We thought it would be good to check in with Ferron and see how the industry is adapting to this new #stayhome quarantine world. We discuss the current state of the pand…

17 + Elisandro Gonzalez Molina / Tosba Mezcal + PART TWO In PART TWO, we discuss the traditional use of mezcal within Zapotec communities vs. the roll of mezcal in the international market. Elisandro explains some of the experiences he and Edgar have had within their community and how they are implementing initiatives to help support and sustain th…

17 + Elisandro Gonzalez Molina / Tosba Mezcal + PART ONE This is PART ONE of a two-part series. We speak with Elisandro Gonzalez Molina, who along with his cousin Edgar Gonzalez Ramirez, are the producer-owners of Tosba Mezcal. PART ONE focusses on Elisandro and Edgar’s early life. He explains his experience growing up in the Sierra Norte region of…

16 + Jason Paul Cox / Cinco Sentidos In this episode, we talk with Jason Paul Cox. Jason is the owner of Cinco Sentidos, a small batch agave spirits brand specializing in artisanal and ancestral single expression mezcals. Cinco Sentidos tends to be a sought-after brand due to the limited number of expressions that make it to a few lucky US States. …

15 + Dalton Kreiss & Hanna Woodside / Maguey Melate In this episode, we talk with the founders and owners of Maguey Melate, a subscription-based agave spirits club. Dalton and Hanna explain how and why they decided to create a bi-monthly subscription model. We discuss what it’s like to build a business from scratch and how the creation of the signa…

14 + Field Notes / Michoacán We are excited to announce that this episode is the first in an ongoing series we are calling Field Notes. These are conversations we have with friends and colleagues who have recently returned from trips to Mexico researching Mezcal and agave distillate production. Today's edition features Michoacán. Our guest is Tess …

13 + German Guttierez / Lágrimas de Dolores / we want to represent everything that Durango is German Gutiérrez Gamboa joins us, who along with his family, owns and operates Hacienda Lagrimas de Dolores in Durango, Mexico. They bottle their mezcals under the name Lagrimas de Dolores. In addition to producing their own expressions, Lagrimas de Dolore…

12 + Ferron Salniker / Women in Mezcal / it’s about origins not trends This episode focuses on women in mezcal. Ferron Salniker joins us to share her experiences traveling in Mexico and researching women in the industry. Ferron tells each producer’s story; how they came to mezcal, the obstacles they face and what their goals are for the future of t…

10 + Alex Jandernoa & Mariah Kunkel / Banhez Mezcal Artesanal / That's how I ended up with a portrait of Ejutla on my chest In this episode we discuss the mezcal brand Banhez with Mariah and Alex. Mariah is the Brand Development Manager for Banhez. Alex until recently was the Banhez Brand Manager (Mexico), and is now the Director of Education for B…

9 + Spirited Conversations / Does Big Mezcal = Bad, Looking Beyond Oaxaca We are so pleased to share the audio from the recent Spirited Conversations panel discussion hosted by the Mezcal Collaborative. This event was held on June 10, 2019, at Rosa Mexicano in Manhattan. The topic was: Does Big Mezcal = Bad, Looking Beyond Oaxaca. Moderated by Tess…

8 + James Schroeder / Understanding Mezcal In this episode, we speak to the author James Schroeder about his book: Understanding Mezcal. Jay has written a comprehensive guide explaining the confusing and complicated world of agave spirits. This book is a must-read for anyone who loves sipping mezcal! Each of the nine chapters contains concise and d…

7 + Noah Arenstein / I don’t even see Espadins as less complicated anymore Noah Arenstein joins us to discuss his approach to curating an agave distillate menu. Owner of the late great Madre Mescaleria in Brooklyn, Noah is currently GM at the Michelin starred restaurant Claro in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn. He offers a well-rounded explana…

6 + Rio Chenery / I wish more people knew about this beautiful thing Rio Chenery is the producer and owner of Estancia Raicilla located in the town of La Estancia de Landeros in the state of Jalisco where they produce raicilla using the traditional production practices of the region. Raicilla is a lesser know agave distillate, that for all intents …

5 + José María Dondé Rangel / There is always a mezcal for everybody José María or Chema as he is known came by to share his particular perspective working within the mezcal and agave spirits industry. Until recently, Chema had been behind the bar at Cosme (the Mexican fine dining restaurant created by chef’s Enrique Olvera and Daniela Soto-Innes) …

4 + Justin Lane Briggs / Curating a diverse mezcal portfolio Justin stopped by to talk about his work as a spirits specialist and educator at Skurnik wines and his unique approach to working with agave distillate brands. We discussed how industry and community are not mutually exclusive and how a diverse and robust portfolio can create the space to…

Durango Part 2 This is the second episode in a two-part series about Tess’s recent trip to Durango. In this installment, Tess talks about Casa Cortez and how they have forged family-like relationships with their producers to offer a variety of terroir-driven mezcal expressions. She explains the difficulties producers in Durango experienced in getti…

Durango Part 1 Tess is back to talk about her recent trip to Durango! In this episode, Tess discusses the difference in production styles between Oaxaca and Durango. She explains the characteristics of the Cenizo (Durangensis) agave which is endemic to the area. We learn about several vinatas Tess visited including Lagrimas de Dolores and the head …

In this episode, we take a deep dive into the many uses and cultural significance of agave plants in pre-Hispanic culture. Dave explains why this historical context is important to know when talking about Mezcal. We also discuss two pre-Hispanic beverages: Aguamiel and Pulque (both of which are still harvested and made today!). Dave Lather is one o…

In this episode, we introduce you to Tess. We learn about how she became involved in the agave industry and we discuss the classes she teaches in and around New York. She explains the etymology of the word Mezcal and why we sometimes use the term agave distillate. We talk about the terroir of mezcal in relationship to Italian wine and discuss some …