Agave Road Trip

Show Notes

Below, you’ll see Eric’s capture of the 3 x 3 mezcal tasting that Lou conducted at Tales of the Cocktail 2019. The top row demonstrates the fingerprint of the agave varietal (3 different varietals, same distiller/method). The middle row demonstrates the fingerprint of the mezcalero (same varietal, same methods, 3 different distillers), and the bottom row demonstrates the fingerprint of the “moment” (same mezcalero, same varietal, 3 different open fermented batches).

Utilitarianism & Virtue Ethics for Gringos

One of the biggest questions in the world of agave spirits involves the massive growth that this category has experienced over the past decade. With huge demand for tequila and mezcal coming from the United States and other countries, mezcal producers found themselves in a dilemma: large corporations were coming down to Mexico, buying up palenques and agave resources, and mechanizing what was formerly a tiny, artisanal industry.

This continues to pose a dilemma for many producers: accept buyouts from corporate liquor interests, or fight an ever-rising tide of mechanization and cultural dilution in order to maintain the purity of their craft. From an outside perspective, this situation resembles the classic “trolley problem” (see below).

In the trolley problem, a person sees a trolley hurtling down the track (clearly out of control) and is faced with the choice of allowing it to kill a group of people on one track, or to intervene, and cause it to kill only one person on a different track. In one respect, it might make sense to take a utilitarian approach to this situation by saving multiple lives by sacrificing one. On the other hand, there is an intimate, and painful price to be paid by sacrificing the few for the good of the many.

This is where virtue ethics enters the scene. Virtue ethicists are propelled by the belief that “virtue” and “flourishing” are intertwined. From this perspective, it might be extremely tempting to take a stand in defense of small mezcal producers, hoping to help them preserve their culture and their way of life from the capitalist influence of big liquor.

In the agave spirits trolley problem, one difficulty we encounter is that there are multiple parties “intervening” (corporate distilling operations vs. people who want to protect traditional mezcal) and multiple parties who might have some stake in “flourishing” (artisanal mezcaleros vs. thirsty gringos who want good hooch). So the waters become muddied, and it’s difficult for us to make hard, fast rules that will keep all concerned parties satisfied.

One thing is clear: these problems won’t go away, and it’s important for American consumers to do more listening than talking if we want to make ethical decisions concerning the world of agave spirits.

If you Were a Tool Involved in the Mezcal Process, What Would You Be?

Chava – Of course, the combustion system. I will be the fire in every part of the process.

Drink with Anyone, Past or Present

Lou – It’s gonna sound corny, but Chava. I want to get into a car with some pulque and Chava and have an agave road trip.

Chava – If I say anybody else besides Lou, I’m going to look like a terrible person. But, I supposed I’d love to have a drink with the cop that stopped me and Lou on our way back to Mexico, who asked Lou if he had been drinking pulque. And Lou thought he asked him if he liked pulque, so he just responded, “Si! Si!”

Common or Traditional Cocktail Ingredient You’ve Never Tasted

Chava – I would love to try all the different Baijiu categories that are out there. I lived in China for a while and realized that I didn’t get to try all the types while I was there

Lou – There’s a whole line of fruits you can find at these little mercados in Mexico called “sapotes.” I’ve become obsessed with all the sapotes, but in particular, “sapote amarillo” (yellow sapote). It looks a little like a mango, but inside, it’s dense like egg yolk, and it’s delicious. These fruits really should be used as cocktail ingredients.

Controversial View You Hold in the Spirits/Cocktail World

Lou – I believe you should be able to make mezcal anywhere in the world. I think mezcal should be the name of the category, but it can’t be now because the term is owned by the country of Mexico. When they hear me say this, some people think that I’m trying to take something away from Mexico, but I’m not. My belief is that if you can make something called mezcal anywhere in the world, then many rural Mexican producers who currently can’t call their products “mezcal” would benefit as well.