The difference between celebrating cultural heritage and committing cultural appropriation
Willy Chavarria and Adidas went to China and made "Oaxaca Slip-Ons.” Was it an opportunity to benefit the communities in Mexico who make huaraches? Or was it a multi-cultural slip-up?
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 Fabiola Santiago of Mi Oaxaca. It was recorded a day or two before Mr. Chavarria issued an apology for releasing these huaraches. You can read his apology here.
Chava’s Hair Malfunction
Hey, road trippers! Due to a hair malfunction, this week’s regularly scheduled episode of Agave Road Trip has been bumped to next week. So what will you do in the meantime? Last week Chava and I hosted emergency room doctor Ryan Aycock in a session at Tales of the Cocktail. To learn what you can do – or not do – to keep your customers out of the hospital, click here. And Chava hosted another session, with Anna Nguyen, called “An imperfect guide to the art of celebrating culture(s).” If you want to hear me talk about the carbon trail I leave in my wake on every trip to Mexico, click here. And then head back here next week to see if Chava’s hair dilemma gets solved!
They Make Mezcal in California! Or Do They?
Is it cultural appropriation to make mezcal in California? Or whiskey in Mexico? It’s a throw-down episode of Agave Road Trip this week!
There’s Something about Kendall Jenner in a Huipil
When Kendall Jenner released 818 Tequila, social-media caught fire. It seemed to make a bunch of bartenders mad. Then she appeared on Instagram wearing a huipil and the phrase “cultural appropriation” started to get thrown around. But … for years now, Chava has been begging me to wear one of those traditional Mexican garments. So if I had, would I have been appropriating that culture? In this episode of Agave Road Trip, Chava and I talk about celebrity tequila, cultural appropriation, and how fine I would look in a huipil.