Back in the 1990s, the Mexican government took legal control of the word “mezcal” away from the people who have shepherded mezcal traditions for hundreds of years. But legal control isn’t the same as moral control. But what does it mean to refer to an uncertified agave spirit as mezcal...

Inspired by the Bowl of Zole Brooklyn festival, this episode is all about corn and Mexican alcoholic beverages. This week Jimmy is joined by Gabriel Velazquez Zazueta, Agave Educator at TUYO; Tom Pavlich, Division Manager at B. United Importers; and Patrick Dacy, owner of Dukes Liquor Box. Together they go...

A conversation about agave spirits and the difference that 1% can make.

There’s a lot of moral outrage around the harvesting of agave that hasn’t yet reached maturity. But … when exactly is agave mature? By whose standards? And if the agave is getting harvested before it can produce seeds — which is always the case when you’re using the agave to...

There's a Denomination of Origin for mezcal -- has been since 1997. The Mexican government gets to decide what is and what isn't mezcal. So if the Mexican government doesn't recognize an agave spirit as "mezcal," should we? It's another rhetorical episode of Agave Road Trip! Find extra photos and...

In the past, cheese has generally been paired with wines and craft beers, but today we take a deep dive into the world of Mezcal. Here we'll explore the many options that can surprise us and even tempt us to new levels within the world of Agave spirits. Today we'll...

Maybe you’ve heard of bacanora, that agave spirit from the north of Mexico. But you probably haven’t. Or if you have, you’ve maybe tried one or two. Maybe. And … why is that? In this episode of Agave Road Trip, we try to figure out why bacanora is the agave...

Agave Road Trip sifts through fact and fiction surrounding agave spirits. Hosts Lou Bank and Salvador “Chava” Peribán serve as tour guides for gringo bartenders, sharing firsthand knowledge about heritage agave spirits in rural Mexico. This month, Agave Road Trip celebrates one year on HRN. In commemoration of their first...

Thank you for attending HRN's Mezcal and Tequila Cocktails - Party and Tasting! Keep the party going with these food and beverage podcasts hosted by the HRN personalities you met this evening - Sother Teague (The Speakeasy), Aarón Sánchez, Zarela Martínez (Cooking in Mexican from A to Z), Lou Bank...

Dr. Roberto Zenit is a highly regarded professor at Brown University. Nonetheless, he speaks with us about his recently released study of las perlas, the process by which maestro mezcaleros use the bubbles in their agave spirits to measure the alcohol content and quality of the spirits. Find extra photos...