by Gary Paul Nabhan (Author), David Suro Piñera (Author)
All tequilas are mezcals; all mezcals are made from agaves; and every bottle of mezcal is the remarkable result of collaborations among agave entrepreneurs, botanists, distillers, beverage distributors, bartenders, and more. How these groups come together in this "spirits world" is the subject of this fascinating new book by the acclaimed ethnobotanist Gary Paul Nabhan and the pioneering restauranteur David Suro Pi?era. Join them as they delight in the diversity of the distillate agave spirits, as they endeavor to track down the more distant kin in the family of agaves, and as, along the way, they reveal the stunning innovations that have been transforming the industry around tequilas and mezcals in recent decades.
The result of the authors' fieldwork and on-the-ground interviews with mezcaleros in eight Mexican states, Agave Spirits shows how traditional methods of mezcal production are inspiring a new generation of individuals, including women, both in and beyond the industry. And as they reach back into a rich, centuries-long history, Nabhan and Suro Pi?era make clear that understanding the story behind a bottle of mezcal, more than any other drink, will not only reveal what lies ahead for the tradition--including its ability to adapt in the face of the climate crisis--but will also enrich the drinking experience for readers.
Essential reading for mezcal connoisseurs and amateurs interested in unlocking the past of a delightful distillate, Agave Spirits tells the tale of the most flavorful and memorable spirits humankind has ever sipped and savored.
Featuring twelve illustrations by Ren? Alejandro Hern?ndez Tapia and indices that list common and scientific names for agave species, as well as the names of plants, animals, and domesticated agaves used in the production of distillates.
Back Jacket
Praise for Gary Paul Nabhan and David Suro Pi?era
"Agave Spirits invites the reader to a place of wonder and learning all at the same time. It is a captivating journey into the past, present, and future of artisanal mezcals. It's a book about Mexican history and archeology, plant botany and climate change, the promises of mezcal and its kindred spirits, with prose that leaps from the page."
--Pati Jinich, chef, author, PBS host of La Frontera and Pati's Mexican Table
"Any book with ethnobotanist Nabhan's name on it is going to be worth a read."
--NPR's Splendid Table
"Lyricism... infuses [Nabhan's] prose, a rhapsody tempered by hard botanical science."
--San Francisco Chronicle
"A brilliant businessman, Suro Pi?era has made it his life's mission to preserve and promote the tequila industry, a surprisingly complex industry that is in danger of losing so much of its heritage."
--Little Rock Foodcast
"Restaurateur David Suro Pi?era is on a mission to save tequila."
--Edible Philly