Big trouble with ancestral agave syrup
There was sort of mini-boycott of agave syrup among bartenders about a decade ago, fueled by the industrial product contributing to Jalisco’s monoculture of blue weber agave. Or maybe fueled by a feeling that agave should only be used to make spirits – I’m still not 100% clear on that. And then there was the rise of the “new” agave syrup, which is really the original agave syrup, which is made in an entirely pre-industrial manner, in places other than Jalisco, from agaves other than blue weber. And it’s awesome! But it doesn’t taste like the agave syrup bartenders expect. So … what do you do with it? And, for that matter, what do you do with Mezcal that doesn’t taste like smokey Espadin and Tequila that doesn’t taste like the stuff that thwarted you in college?
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 Adam Murphy, an engineer who makes cocktails.
Episode Notes
Want to try ancestral agave syrup? Check out Greg Benson’s Quiote Imports!
Shout outs to Tommy’s Margarita, mint juleps, Topo Chico and Ultramundo Mezcal, and Michael Jordan!
Want to listen to that episode with the margarita taste testing? Check out “Does the Tequila in your margarita matter?”
To sign up for Mi Oaxaca’s online course “Introduction to Mezcal Through Indigenous Worldviews,” which takes place online Tuesdays from October 7 through November 11, click here!