I’ve spoken a lot about the 400 decisions that mezcalerxs make, but I’ve not applied that to Tequila. In an early episode of this podcast, Chava spoke about how he loved that Tequila was restricted to a single agave variety, in that it made it more interesting to see how specific techniques impacted flavor and aroma. And I was dismissive. But a few recent interactions have changed my view. It’s a years-in-the-making episode of Agave Road Trip! Agave Road Trip is a critically acclaimed, award-winning podcast that helps gringx bartenders better understand agave, agave spirits, and rural Mexico. This episode is hosted by Lou Bank with special guest Linda Sullivan of seynasecreto with insights from John DeRosier of Cambio Tequila and Rodrigo Mestas of Tequila Torrente.

Don’t read this wrong — I think it’s right that there is a National Bartenders Day. But I think that simplified name oversimplifies the people who serve us — serve us drinks, serve us food, serve us hospitality. I hash that out with Bridget Albert, cohost of the Served Up podcast, in this episode of Agave Road Trip! Agave Road Trip is a critically acclaimed, award-winning podcast that helps gringx bartenders better understand agave, agave spirits, and rural Mexico. This episode is hosted by Lou Bank with special guest Bridget Albert of the Served Up podcast.

It’s more resilient than agave and it’s the perfect thing to pair with your Tequila and Mezcal. In this episode of Agave Road Trip, we celebrate nopales and how they can fit into a set of simple bar offerings! Agave Road Trip is a critically acclaimed, award-winning podcast that helps gringx bartenders better understand agave, agave spirits, and rural Mexico. This episode is hosted by Lou Bank with special guest Lyanne Alfaro of Moneda Moves

The additive-free-Tequila movement was launched by Grover and Scarlet Sanschagrin of Tequila Matchmaker. As it’s gained steam, it’s gotten the pair – and the movement – sideways with the CRT, the body that regulates Tequila. How sideways? Well, it includes a raid on the couple’s home and threatening letters to brands who are using the “additive-free” language – or third parties using the language on their behalf. So what’s the solution? I think I have one, and explain it all in this episode of Agave Road Trip! Agave Road Trip is a critically acclaimed, award-winning podcast that helps gringx bartenders better understand agave, agave spirits, and rural Mexico. This episode is hosted by Lou Bank with special guest Linda Sullivan of seynasecreto with wisdom from Tequila-geek royalty Khrys Maxwell.

I love these agave spirits that are made using pre-industrial methods, and I’ll often talk about the value – if not the actual cost – being greater because of the inefficiencies. But a cost that I’ve only recently recognized is the very real human cost. Agave Road Trip is a critically acclaimed, award-winning podcast that helps gringx bartenders better understand agave, agave spirits, and rural Mexico. This episode is hosted by Lou Bank with special guest Linda Sullivan of seynasecreto.

An article in Food & Wine highlighted a crisis in craft distilleries in the USA. I think there's a lot of overlap between that crisis and what so many of these families in rural Mexico are experiencing — the discomfort of trying to preserve something that's art-focused in a world that’s more commodity-focused. But is the market even built for that? We try to suss it out in this episode of Agave Road Trip! Agave Road Trip is a critically acclaimed, award-winning podcast that helps gringx bartenders better understand agave, agave spirits, and rural Mexico. This episode is hosted by Lou Bank with special guest Jordan Tepper of Apologue Spirited Liqueurs with insights from Morten LJ Koch of Mezcal Chulele.

Both Tequila and Mezcal are Denominations of Origin — Bacanora and Raicilla, too. Meaning: the Mexican government owns those word and if you want to use them in commerce, you need to follow their rules, including paying for certification. But what happens when you don’t use those words? When you simply call your agave spirit and “agave spirit”? By any other name, this is still an episode of Agave Road Trip!

I’ll admit, when I hear people describe agave spirits as “smooth,” I blanch. To me, smooth is the opposite of complex, and what I’m looking for in my agave spirits is that: complex. But … what about everything else I consume? Is it unreasonable … hypocritical … to expect people to want complexity from their Tequilas, Mezcals, Sotols? And am I even correct in my view of what “smooth” means to most people? Agave Road Trip is a critically acclaimed, award-winning podcast that helps gringx bartenders better understand agave, agave spirits, and rural Mexico. This episode is hosted by Lou Bank with special guest Linda Sullivan of seynasecreto with insights from Francisco Prieto of Hacienda de Chihuahua Sotol and whiskey legend Chuck Cowdery.

Pickled eggs and pigs feet have disappeared from bars across the USA. You can sometimes find corn nuts and some places offer free popcorn. But I think it’s time for a bar snack revolution! We started with tinned fish a few weeks ago and now we’re back with an argument in support of chocolate. Joining me for this leg of the bar-snack campaign is James Beard Award-winning journalist Rowan Jacobsen, whose book Wild Chocolate is out now! Agave Road Trip is a critically acclaimed, award-winning podcast that helps gringx bartenders better understand agave, agave spirits, and rural Mexico. This episode is hosted by Lou Bank with special guest Rowan Jacobsen.

People in the Tequila chat groups get pretty outraged by things like diffusers and additives, and the basis for their outrage tends to be that these things aren’t traditional. But if it’s tradition they’re looking for, why aren’t they drinking Mezcal? Isn’t that more traditional than Tequila? And what exactly is tradition? It’s the most authentic episode of Agave Road Trip ever! Agave Road Trip is a critically acclaimed, award-winning podcast that helps gringx bartenders better understand agave, agave spirits, and rural Mexico. This episode is hosted by Lou Bank with special guest Linda Sullivan of seynasecreto with wisdom from master potter Rufina Ruiz Lopez!