Most spirits don’t have lot numbers … or lote numbers … or batch numbers. But some (a lot?) do. And what exactly do those numbers mean? Maybe nothing. Maybe a lot.

Scotland is known for Scotch whiskey. Louisville for Bourbon. But award-winning bartenders have opened agave-focused drinking halls in both places. What does it mean when Mezcal finds its way into whisk(e)y country?

Not an episode about agave, agave spirits, or rural Mexico! For this special Christmas episode of Agave Road Trip I offer you the gift of Chuck Cowdery, the “dean of American whiskey writing,” according to the New York Times. When did he have his first drink? When did he have his first whiskey? For whom did he make his first cocktail? All that and more!

This new ad for Cadbury’s Bournville “dark” chocolate is funny. But there’s a cost to that humor, and it isn’t to Cadbury. We take Goliath to task for attacking David in this episode of Agave Road Trip!

There’s a field of blue weber agave in Jalisco that SACRED has purchased. The plan is … well, a secret. But there’s a possible glitch in the secret plan and that glitch is the picudo, a weevil famous for eating agave. Are we going to let a famous weevil interrupt our plan? No — we’re going to bug out!

There’s a restaurant that opened in Queens, New York, a couple months ago with the name Whitexicans. That’s a loaded word – loaded with enough implications of classism and racism that it sparked a protest. But it also sparked a lot of media coverage. So what does it mean that your place of hospitality has an inhospitable name? 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 and Dr. Steven Alvarez of St. John’s University. Episode Notes Shout outs this episode to Ismael Gomez, The Great Gatsby, sound engineer Roy Sierra, the Instagram page of Whitexicans, Steven’s course Taco Literacy, and the neighboring restaurant The Queensboro! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There have been so many things for which to be grateful this year. But, oftentimes, I find myself dwelling on the heartaches and regrets of the year. So Linda and I got together to talk about the great moments, to share on Thanksgiving. And we talk about how to help create more great moments before the year ends. 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 Linda Sullivan of seynasecreto. Episode Notes Shout outs this episode to Dre from Clavel, Chava Rosales at Tequila Cascahuin, Michael Rubel, Leavitt Street Tavern, Women in Spirits, Misty Kalkofen, Del Maguey, Ron Cooper, David Suro, Greg Rutkowski at Finca 18, the raicillero community of Chacala, Jalisco, Paolo Rodriguez, Kendall Jenner, 818 Tequila, Roy Sierra, Mezonte, Ben & Frank glasses, Expendio el Sacualillo, Serafin Morales, Mezcal Alarii, Temo Garcia, DC Chocolate Festival, the Heirloom Cacao Preservation fund. If you’re looking to give thanks, please consider contributing to the Heirloom Cacao Preservation fund or help SACRED underwrite the installation of a bio-digester in San Dionisio Ocotepec! The picture in this episode’s cover is from the inauguration of the well and cistern in Chacala. Included in the photo are Emilio Sengar, Atanasio Guzman, Omar Alejandro Rodriguez Cruz, Greg Rutkowski, Leti Bañuelos, and Adrian Rodriguez Joya, among many others! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the past decade, housing prices in Mexico City have climbed 148%, fueled largely by digital nomads and a tourism boom. More than 26,000 AirBnB units have taken over what would have been apartments for people for whom Mexico City is home. This past summer, that led to protests in the streets: “shattered glass, broken doors and furious graffiti,” according to a story in The Guardian. In our enthusiasm to visit a place, are we displacing the foundation of what makes that place so desirable? The people who live there? Should we not visit?

If you’re a business owner who makes their living serving food or drinks that are rooted in Mexican traditions, or a brand owner who is selling spirits made in Mexico or, perhaps, made somewhere else but rooted in Mexican tradition, what are your obligations — if any — to the people who come from Mexico?

First I heard from Sergio Garnier that the wild lamparillos on his 24,000-acre ranch in Durango skipped a season. Didn’t shoot quiotes. Didn’t go to flower. Then I heard the same about the agaves in Guerrero from Damian Meneses from El Tigre. And Damian and I were in Jalisco together and he told me that the raicilleros were saying the same thing: none or almost none of the agaves are going to seed. So … what’s up?

There’s a lot of talk about ensuring that the mezcaleres get paid fairly, and that’s an important conversation. There’s less talk about the palenqueres getting paid fairly, and that’s also an important conversation that we should be having more often. But there’s zero talk about ensuring the people who own Mezcal brands get paid fairly. So … let’s talk.

I see so many agave enthusiasts visiting Mexico and not checking luggage. And Alvin Starkman, who guides visitors to Oaxaca’s palenques, sees even more. People … what are you doing? Alvin and I attempt to make the case to bring the case.

According to the Comercam, production of Mezcal dropped in 2024. It went from 14.2 million liters in 2022 down to 12.2 million liters in 2023 and, last year, down again to 11.4 million liters. So how does Mezcal find new drinking buddies? 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 Linda Sullivan of seynasecreto and insights from Sammy Halpern of Desolas Mezcal.

The US State Department has changed their safety ratings for Mexico. The only places in the country where, according to the US State Department, you can just go as freely as you might to, say, Washington, DC, would be Campeche and Yucatan. Everywhere else in Mexico it’s suggested that you should “exercise increased caution.” Some places I love to go, like Jalisco, Baja California, Chiapas, and Queretaro, I’m told I should “reconsider travel.” And my beloved Michoacan and Guerrero are “do not travel” zones, according to the US State Department. So … what does this mean for gringx bartenders?

Months ago COMERCAM released the 2024 numbers for Mezcal. But I just finally got around to looking at them. What do they reveal? To me, a lot of questions about the integrity of the numbers! 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 Shawn Miller of PKGD Group. Episode Notes You can find the 2025 Comercam report here and the AMMA site is here. You won’t find any relevant numbers but the CIDAM site is here. Shout outs to Tristan Stephenson of the Curious Bartender Podcast, Dr. Iván Saldaña Oyarzábal, Sergio Garnier at Ultramundo Mezcal, El Acabo Raicilla, and Lalocura. Thanks to Roy Sierra for the episode cover and, as ever, funky sound design! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The technology most of us carry in our pockets allows us to take such good pictures that we often don’t recognize we’re not taking great pictures. Professional photographer Anna Bruce shares her tips and tricks to help you up your documentation game!

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.

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.

“That song makes me not want some mo G4.” That reaction to the music video “Sippin’ on Some G4” by Jeff Hodges and Los Henchmen, while nothing like the majority of commenters, was also not uncommon. Which is interesting, right? Because absolutely nothing changed about the Tequila in the G4 bottle. So … why would anyone stop drinking something they like because of a music video they don’t like?

The impact that a bartender can have on the consumption patterns within a bar is huge. Does great responsibility come with that great power? And if so, what exactly does that responsibility look like? 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 Linda Sullivan of seynasecreto.