Agave Spirits: The Past, Present and Future of Mezcals
In the production of mezcal, there may be as many as forty-two species of agaves, in twenty-four Mexican states; and well over two hundred folk varieties recognized. The main used species are Agave salmiana, Agave angustifolia, Agave cupreata, Agave esperrimia Jacobi, Agave webericela, Agave durangensis, and Agave potatorum.

To fully understand agave and its natural benefits, let's take a closer look at how it is made.
Health Benefits of Agave
Oaxaca, in southern Mexico, is the best place to try the country’s renowned mezcal.
Oaxaca Plays a Vital Role
What is mezcal? Colloquially mezcal means anything roasted from the agave plant.
Touring Mezcal Country
Exploring and celebrating the cultural, commercial, and culinary significance of the agave across borders.
Agave Heritage Festival
Mezcal is an alcoholic beverage with a different odor and taste, when it is rested or aged in oak wood.
Fermented Beverages
It's not the taste of a single food, but how it links back to a place. It's recipes and ingredients.
The Flavor of TucsonMezcal Recipes
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Coming Soon
We will have more recipes added, when Agave Spirits: The Past, Present and Future of Mezcals is published. Stay tuned! In the mean time, visit…
Mezcal-Marinated Fajitas
The mezcal and fish sauce in these fajitas make for a surprisingly good combination. You’ll get a smoky, earthy flavor from the mezcal, while the…
Mezcal-Marinated Steak Tacos
In this taco recipe, the steak gets a double dose of flavor from a marinade made with mezcal and the sauce from canned chipotle chiles.…
Pan-Roasted Shrimp With Tomatoes and Arbol Chiles
Shrimp are like cotton balls, absorbing the flavor of whatever they bathe in. Whitney Otawka developed this dish for Cinco y Diez in Athens, Ga.…
Salmon with Bacanora
1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon butter Salmon fillet 2 tablespoons ground black pepper 3 tablespoons Santa Cruz Chili pepper 2 onces Bacanora ( Mezcal…
Spiced Pineapple-Agave Tepache
Tepache is a mildly alcoholic probiotic beverage that is fermented but not distilled. This version draws upon the inulins of two CAM succulents—rather than cane…
Spicy Mezcal Drumstick Skewers
Tired of all the big meals are similar flavors that the holidays bring? Spice things up a bit with these Spicy Mezcal Drumstick Skewers. Marinated…
Spicy Shredded "Chicken" Tofu Tacos w/ Chipotle Crema and Mezcal Lime Corn
And you thought vegans didn't have fun. Today, we are going to be working on a rendition of a chicken tacos…made out of tofu. Prep…
In the news
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09 Apr
How Agaves Have Shaped Landscapes & Cultures in the Old Pueblo
Read moreThis month, in a new proclamation, the Mayor of Tucson Regina Romero and Kevin Dahl of the City Council will celebrate the deep connections Tucsonans
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13 Mar
The Role of Agaves in Presilience at the Food/Water/Energy Nexus
Read moreEmpowering Arid Cities in the US/Mexico Borderlands, to Use Succulent Crops in Regenerative Perennial Food Systems as Means to Reverse & Halt Climate Change
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11 Feb
Why Metro Tucson is the American City with the Greatest Agave Diversity
Read moreMetro Tucson harbors a minimum of 113 agave species in its streets, parks, gardens, and nurseries, more than half of all the agaves described in
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28 Jan
Planting the Seeds for Tomorrow: The Tumamoc Resilience Garden
Read moreThe Tumamoc Resilience Garden at the base of Tumamoc Hill will be an inspirational setting where the community can have hands-on participation in how to live in
What people are saying about mezcal
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Hopefully it’s giving opportunities to new regions to share in the monumental success of the category. Spread the love, spread their traditions.
Ivan Vasquez -
There’s something magical and spiritual about the way mezcal is made, because it’s under the ground.
Sonya Auvray Vega -
If we don’t teach the mezcaleros to grow, the industry will go like tequila.
Santiago Suárez