Alvin Starkman, M.A., J.D. The naysayers, as well as many pundits and so-called mezcal experts, are critical of the agave distillate industry, lamenting that it is no longer sustainable. They are the same people who blanketly criticize multinational corporations and celebrities owning mezcal brands. They appear to be against big business being in the industry, […]
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Alvin Starkman, M.A., J.D. Last year I participated in a panel discussion in Oaxaca about a new book entitled La E del Mezcal: Exportación, by Dra. Blanca Esther Salvador Martínez. While the other panelists essentially praised the author for writing such an important book and explained how it thoroughly covered all the bases regarding the […]
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In 1897, Carl Lumholtz, the famous Norwegian ethnologist, who spent several years living with remote Indian tribes in Mexico, found that the Huichol Indians in eastern Nayarit distilled agave juice using simple pot stills, the pots being quite unlike any other Spanish or pre-Columbian vessels. By 1944, Henry Bruman, a University of California geographer, had […]
Continue ReadingAh! Nectar of the Gods! Bacchus never had it so good! When I think of tequila, the following things come to mind: a really quaint, clean little Mexican town about 90 minutes from my home; clear liquid in little shot glasses beside red liquid in shot glasses along with a plate of lemon and salt; […]
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Timothy J. Knab Mescal, mescaline, mescal bean, mescal button; what are they? They are all intoxicants, which was what the word mescal meant in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Today mescal generally refers to a type of aguardiente – water with a bite, firewater, a liquor distilled from the agave, a relative of the century plant or maguey commonly used to […]
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The US celebrates National Tequila Day on July 24. Present in the popular margarita, tequila can stand alone as a fine liquor. The popular traditional drink boasts an appellation or denomination of origin. Distilled from the nectar of the Weber blue agave, tequila dates from the 16th century. It may have originated in the Mexican […]
Continue ReadingThis is the quintessential summer drink, perfect before a Mexican-style parillada, or grilled meal. For a delicious change of pace try using Tajin Fruit Seasoning instead of salt to rim the glass. This mixture of powdered chile, salt and dehydrated lime is available online at https://www.mexgrocer.com. 4 ounces white tequila (blanco) 3 ounces tamarind concentrate 1 ounce simple […]
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Just about an hour from Guadalajara, in the state of Jalisco, there’s a little town (population 17,740) with a big reputation: Tequila. Meaning “the rock that cuts” in the Nahuatl language, Tequila is the home of the famous Agave Azul cactus. Under the shadow of an extinct 9,000 foot volcano, this is the only place […]
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The lovers of the curious will find plenty to whet their appetite (and satisfy their thirst) in the small western Mexico town of Tequila. The town lies in the shadow of an imposing 9000 foot volcano which has the distinction of being “drive-in” by virtue of a cobblestone road built for access to the shortwave […]
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“Oh, I don’t know how Mexicans can drink something as strong as tequila!” I’ve heard that remark many times, a statement not entirely in line with what is happening nowadays with our national beverage. With new ideas and regulations on tequila in this country, a revolution has taken place in the world of this Mexican […]
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