Drink Carefully to Save Agaves, Rather than Ways that Hurt or Diminish them
Over half of all the 215 species of agaves described to date are among those million species now threatened on the dry, wrinkled face of this earth, the exquisite home that some of us now call Planet Desert. Many of the other thirty-five “mystery” agaves whose taxonomic status is yet
We may be Amazed at How often Agave Spirits Surprises Us with Unforeseen Pleasures
For many of us, our initiation into the culture of tequila, mezcal, and other agave spirits was love at first sip. We intuited that we were entering into an endlessly fascinating domain of Mesoamerican culture, agriculture, folklore, and pleasure, though we could not initially taste or see all the profound
We are Concerned for the Health of the Land, as Well as the Health of the Workers
In our book to be released in May, David Suro & I spend a lot of effort exploring who gains and who loses through the many ways agaves are processed and sold: "We are concerned for the health of the land as well as for the health of the members
Agave Spirits book featured at Tucson Festival of Books
It is hard not to be in awe of the beautiful diversity of the mezcal-producing species variously known as maguey, agaves, or century plants. We wish to see their rainbows of colors, splendor of shapes, and entourage of aromas not only survive but thrive.
If We Drink Any Agave Spirit, We Should Acknowledge Who Brought It to Us
We value the tenacious dedication to their craft that most mezcaleros embody —especially those of Indigenous descent — even though they still suffer from levels of poverty twice that of Mexico’s national average.