Normally, Chava and I interview someone for an hour, pull a 90-second quote from that interview, then build an episode by bickering around that quote. But when Chef Rick Bayless agrees to an interview, you just run the whole thing! Although Chema Skandal’s outstanding episode cover suggests that Chef was bitten by a radioactive taco, we get into the real origins of how he went from a childhood in a barbecue restaurant in Oklahoma to building the family-run empire that is Frontera! (Hint: it involves charcoal, walnuts, pecans, and gas station mole!)

Episode cover by Chema Skandal!

This episode of Agave Road Trip is sponsored by Mezcal Ultramundo. Ultramundo is a mezcal brand owned by a family without any real historic connections to mezcal heritage. Instead, their connection is to nature. They own a 24,000-acre ranch that is resplendent with agaves -- specifically maguey lamparillo, a variety that takes something like 15 to 18 years to reach maturity. The botanist they consulted said that if they allowed at least 20% of the mature agave annually to go to seed, the plants would be able to self-regenerate, creating a never-ending supply of lamparillo. So that’s what they’re doing. And the agave they’re harvesting, they’re turning into a delicious mezcal in Nombre de Dios, Durango. Mezcal Ultramundo is available at wholesale in California, and throughout the USA at retail via mail-order. If you want to taste what mezcal could be, if we avoid growth through mono-cropping, check out Ultramundo.

Agave Road Trip is a critically acclaimed, award-winning podcast that helps gringx bartenders better understand agave, agave spirits, and rural Mexico. It’s hosted by Lou Bank and Chava Periban. 

Notes

To learn more about the Frontera Farmer Foundation, click here!

To learn more about the Bayless Family Foundation, click here!

To learn more about SACRED, click here!

To read David Hammond’s article, “How Chef Rick Bayless Is Cooking Up Change Beyond the Kitchen,” in Better magazine, click here!

Alameda Park, where Chef Bayless had his first Mexican sensory experience.

Garibaldi Square, where you can find the mariachi stroll.

Cafe de Tacuba, where Chef had his first real avocado.