There's Mezcal for Geeks, and There's Mezcal that Sells
27 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You’re an agave geek. You bleed pulque. The stuff that tastes like blue cheese and jalapeños? Cos...
You Got Your Pulque in my Tepache
20 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Okay, so ... not all agaves are created equal. Some have fewer sugars than others. Like Bruto. So th...
Give That Juice Another Sniff....
13 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do you wash that fruit before you cut it? Add salt after juicing? Freeze it? And before you drink it...
The Perfect Recipe for Mezcal
06 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
An ensamble mezcal is made from a number of different agaves — generally whatever has reached matu...
Puntas and Colas and the Heart of Distillation
30 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When I first started learning about heritage agave spirits, I misunderstood the labels that noted “...
The Many Different Flavors of Mezcal
23 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For decades we’ve seen flavor-wheels for wine, and more recently they’ve been appearing for mezc...
Can You be Allergic to Mezcal?
16 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You want to drink mezcal, but it makes you itch … gives you a headache … turns you bright red. A...
Zero-proof, Non-alcoholic Mexican Cocktails
09 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
One of the hundreds of trends in the world of drinks right now is the zero-proof, nonalcoholic cockt...
Should Mezcaleros Sign Exclusive Contracts?
02 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes the palenquerx who made your mezcal is the brand owner. But that’s rare. Even being a pa...
The Best Gifts for the Biggest Mezcal Fans
23 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Not gonna lie: Liquor.com has an article with a similar title to this week’s episode, and I know t...
Liquid nitrogen cocktails! What could possibly go wrong? (Cocktail MD special)
18 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Liquid nitrogen and dry ice can add some serious Instagram cache to your cocktail … but can also c...
Everyone Talks about Mezcal, but No One Drinks It
11 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Yeah, okay, that title is intentionally misleading. I mean, everyone hasn’t heard of it — if the...
I Brought it Back from Mexico! Can I Serve it in My Bar?
04 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You went down to Mexico on some brand trip. But you managed to break away for a day and visit some i...
A Paloma to Die For? A “Cocktail MD” Special
28 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan Aycock is an emergency-room physician who attended bartending school at the same time he attend...
Tequila Sunrise and Mexican Moonshine
21 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
There’s this thing called a Denomination of Origin. The premise is, “Hey, we’ve got this speci...
Better Soil makes Better Mezcal
14 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When you think about terroir, you think about a place. But that place is made up of soil, and that s...
All Tequila used to be Mezcal, but now Mezcal is becoming Tequila
07 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Over the last few months there have been a flurry of stories in the news that basically boil down to...
Chava's Hair Malfunction
30 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Due to a hair malfunction, this week’s regularly scheduled episode of Agave Road Trip has been bum...
Mezcal on Ice? Hey. that's Nice!
23 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I think I prefer mezcal at room temperature. I mean, I’ve had it cold and didn’t find it as comp...
It's All About the Water
16 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We argue a lot about which element in the production of agave spirits contributes most to the flavor...
I Know Art When I Drink It
09 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Chava spends a lot of time talking with me about the differences in how artisans are treated than ar...
The Secret Origin of Mezcal
02 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mezcal has been “having a moment” for at least fifteen years. The New York Times, Food & Win...
How to Start Your Own Mezcal Brand
26 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It seems like we get emails and calls on a monthly basis from someone looking to start their own mez...
You Can’t Judge a Mezcal by its Bottle
19 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Your friend’s been to Oaxaca, came back with a plastic water bottle of a heritage agave spirit. Th...
The Best Mezcal is the Most Highly Awarded Mezcal
12 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean that this mezcal won double gold in San Francisco? What does it mean to you, to yo...
Welcome to Agave Road Trip
05 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If you're just now joining Agave Road Trip - strap on in! Over the past year we've traveled far and ...
The Golden Age of Mezcal
05 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You’re amazed by how delicious mezcal is. It’s got your attention in a way that no other spirit ...
What is Going on with Bacanora?
29 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Maybe you’ve heard of bacanora, that agave spirit from the north of Mexico. But you probably haven...
Mezcal: The Pick-me-up Alcohol that Makes You Fertile but Doesn’t Cause a Hangover
22 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Before the director of the FDA shows up at my door with a warrant … the title of this episode, tha...
They Make Mezcal in California! Or Do They?
15 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Is it cultural appropriation to make mezcal in California? Or whiskey in Mexico? It’s a throw-down...
Does Mezcal Change When Aged in Glass?
08 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When you age alcohol in wood, it of course takes on the properties of the wood. But what about when ...
The Intersection Between Wine and Mezcal
01 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When we think about spirits, we tend to think of a commodity alcohol that tastes the same from one b...
What Does It Mean, that My Mezcal is an Ensamble?
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes they’re called mezclas, sometimes they're called ensambles, and sometimes that “a” t...
There’s Something about Kendall Jenner in a Huipil
17 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When Kendall Jenner released 818 Tequila, social-media caught fire. It seemed to make a bunch of bar...
I've Got a Theory About Long-growth Agaves
10 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The agave has one mission in life: to reproduce. It spends its life generating the energy it needs t...
Maybe Syrup Isn't All That Simple
03 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Most cocktails call for a sweetener of some type. Maybe there’s a better way to make simple syrup?...
The Birth and Death of the CRM (NOM mini-series #4 of 3)
23 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Okay, to be fair, that title is 100% click-bait. Or, rather, it’s click-bait if you’re one of th...
If You Can't Ferment Raw Agave, How Do We Have Pulque?
20 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I feel like the title of this episode also serves as the description. Unless you don’t know what p...
Why are So Many Mezcaleros Named Don?
13 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I don’t recall in which online forum I saw it, but someone asked the question, "Why are so many me...
The World’s Most Expensive Bottle of Mezcal!
06 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of people are blown away by how expensive mezcal is. But … is it? I mean, is it really? We t...
If They Kill NOM 199, will That Kill Uncertified Agave Spirits? (NOM mini-series #3 of 3)
30 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
NOM 006 defines what tequila is. NOM 070 defines what mezcal is. Bacanora has NOM 168, sotol has NOM...
The Clay Copita: Authentic Hipster Culture?
29 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of mezcal enthusiasts drink their mezcal from clay copitas. Hell, we drink our mezcal from cla...
Who Decides if it’s Mezcal? (NOM mini-series #2 of 3)
23 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mezcal is a Denomination of Origin, kind of like champagne. It’s controlled by the Mexican governm...
The Diffuser: Nature’s Answer to Better Tequila
22 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tequila collectors the world over hate the diffuser, the industrial machine that is used to turn blu...
What's in a NOM? (NOM Miniseries #1 of 3)
16 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Maybe you’ve noticed on the back of your tequila bottles there’s a number preceded by “NOM.”...
Drink More Wild Agave
15 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Some people will tell you that agave is at risk of becoming extinct. They'll tell you that you shoul...
River Rocks, Mountain Rocks, Volcanic Rocks: Mezcal Rocks
08 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We talk a lot about the 400 decisions that palenqueros make in the process of producing heritage aga...
What's Smoke Got to Do with It?
01 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Before you can ferment those agaves to make alcohol, you’ve got to convert the carbohydrates into ...
Looks Like Mexico, Tastes Like India
25 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Clay fermentation vessels … wood-fired pot stills … glass garafones filled with clear liquid. Fr...
To Monte Alban Mezcal, with Love
18 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Those school-boy days of drinking shots in parking lots are gone, but my affection for Monte Alban M...
Tequila vs Mezcal: The Rematch
11 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
John McEvoy wrote what has to be the first English-language book for mezcal geeks: Holy Smoke! It’...
The Only Correct Way to Drink Mezcal
04 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re not pouring a cross on the ground as a gift to the earth … if you’re not bowing to t...
You Can Master the Strange Secrets of Mezcal!
25 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Master this strange power! Sway others at will! This episode of Agave Road Trip shows you in just mi...
MEZcal or meZCAL? How Do You Pronounce It?
18 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Chava and I sit down with a couple of copitas of mezcal … or, rather, he sits down with a copita o...
How Many Agaves Does it Take to Make a Bottle of Mezcal?
11 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It’s crazy enough to think that every other alcohol is made from a sugar source — like grapes, g...
"Milpa" is Spanish for "Regenerative Viticulture"
04 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If you dip your toe into the world of wine, some buzz phrases you’ll see are “regenerative vitic...
Mezcal 2099: The Future of Agave
28 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When we talk about the future of mezcal, the conversation tends to revolve around our fears of agave...
Certified Tacos
21 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Some restaurants in the USA are serving what they call tacos, but they’re skipping the certificati...
Another Freaking Gringo Looking for Jabali…
14 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For hundreds of years, mezcaleros believed that you could not use maguey jabali (agave convallis) to...
Modern Bar Cart take-over
07 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Not an actual episode of Agave Road Trip, but a cleverly disguised episode of Modern Bar Cart, Eric ...
The Mezcal with the Chicken — Pechuga!
31 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Maybe you’ve heard stories of a weird mezcal that is made with chicken. Maybe you’ve heard that ...
Did Mezcal Save Fiestas, or Did Fiestas Save Mezcal?
24 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The religious fiestas in rural Mexico are often colored by the heritage agave spirits made in the co...
Mezcal Cocktails, Cocktail Mezcal
17 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Some mezcal geeks use the term “cocktail mezcal” as an insult. But we know you love cocktails! S...
Bad Mezcal
10 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the cleanest spirit you can drink! It’s made from the best sugar source in the world! It’...
Who Says It's Not Mezcal?
03 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Mezcal can only be made from the heart of the agave. Or … wait? It can be made from the leaves? An...
Heads, Hearts, and Tails: Where You Cut Matters
24 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Most people think that when you distill a spirit, what comes out of that still goes directly into th...
How to Drive in Mexico Without Getting Killed - S2E11
19 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I tell a lot of stories about driving through Mexico — about the dried-up riverbeds that serve as ...
The Difference Between Tequila and Mezcal - S2E10
12 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What’s the difference between tequila and mezcal? Is all tequila really mezcal? Is all mezcal made...
Mercado Day in Mexico - S2E9
05 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
All of the fruits and spices and flowers and herbs and meats and magic of Mexico show up in the merc...
How Much Can I Bring Back? - S2E8
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
You’re headed to Mexico! Excited to drink agave spirits in their natural habitat! More excited to ...
How to Drink Spirits Neat - S2E7
22 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The margarita is almost certainly Mexico’s greatest ambassador. But how do you move from drinking ...
15 Days to Distill - S2E6
15 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Many men and women in rural Mexico started learning to make agave spirits when they were 10 or 11 ye...
What’s Heritage, Anyway? - S2E5
08 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The traditional methods of making agave spirits in Yutanduchi de Guerrero, in Oaxaca’s Mixteca reg...
No Tequila is Mezcal - S2E4
01 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Maybe someone told you that all tequila is mezcal but not all mezcal is tequila. Hell, maybe you rea...
Gringo Guero - S2E3
24 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Some folks are wondering what we mean when we say “gringo.” Here’s the deal….Heritage Radio ...
The Arnold Palmer of Pulque - S2E2
17 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Before there was mezcal, there was pulque: the undistilled, fermented sap of the uncooked agave. If ...
What's in My Tequila? - S2E1
10 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Some tequila bottles say they're 100% blue agave. Others don't. So ... what exactly is in those bott...
Perlas Before Swine - S1E9
06 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Roberto Zenit is a highly regarded professor at Brown University. Nonetheless, he speaks with us...
Hasta Pronto! - S1E8
17 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The season wrap includes Tecate I.V. drips, bartender super powers, and the value of time in rural M...
Oh, Wood You? - S1E7
17 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
To age or not to age, that is the question. And Lou and Chava attempt to answer it, along with mezca...
Be Still My Heart - S1E6
16 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is where we separate the alcohol from the water – we talk about distillation with mezcale...
Fantastic Fermentation - S1E5
16 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We give a nutshell explanation of how agave turns from sugar to alcohol and are joined on the occasi...
The Grind - S1E4
16 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After you cook your agave, you’ve gotta mill it – make tiny, little pieces of those giant, cooke...
Get Roasted - S1E3
16 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
That agave won’t just start fermenting, you know. You’ve gotta make it delicious for yeast befor...
What is Agave? - S1E2
16 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We give a nutshell explanation of how agave turns from sugar to alcohol and are joined on the occas...
Jump In! - S1E1
09 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We introduce ourselves and the series, but mainly because we felt obligated to do it. We think...
Coming Soon, from HRN: Agave Road Trip
08 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Coming soon from Heritage Radio Network:Agave Road Trip provides gringo bartenders with firsthand kn...