Agave spirits : the past, present, and future of mezcals /

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Bibliographic Details
Author / Creator:	Nabhan, Gary Paul, author.
Edition:	First edition.
Imprint:	New York, N.Y. : W. W. Norton & Company, [2023] ©2023
Description:	308 pages : black and white illustrations ; 24 cm
Language:	English
Subject:	Agaves -- History. Mescal -- History. Mescal industry -- History. Mescal. Mescal industry. History.
Format:	Print Book
URL for this record:	http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/13148162

Hidden Bibliographic Details
Other authors / contributors:	Suro Piñera, David, author. Tapia, René, illustrator.
ISBN:	9780393867107 0393867102 9780393867114
Notes:	Includes bibliographical references (pages 279-288) and index.
Summary:	The agave plant was never destined to become tasteless, cheap tequila. 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 restaurateur David Suro Piñera. 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 Piñera 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 René Alejandro Hernández 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.
Other form:	ebook version : 9780393867114

Table of Contents:

Prologue
Part 1. Mezcal's Historic Legacy
Chapter 1. The Family of Agave Spirits
Chapter 2. Drinking and Thinking Like an Agave
Chapter 3. Biodiversity in a Bottle
Chapter 4. Mezcal as Culture
Chapter 5. The Thorny Problem of Farming Agaves
Chapter 6. The Mezcal Mash
Chapter 7. Blessing the Ferment of Agave-Loving Microbes
Chapter 8. Distilling Agaves Down to Their Essence
Chapter 9. The Tequila Pandemic and Its Discontents
Part 2. The Future of the Humam-Agave Symbiosis
Chapter 10. From Still to Barstool
Chapter 11. Lost Agaves and Their Forgotten Spirits
Chapter 12. The Wild Dance between Agaves and Bats
Chapter 13. An Agave Agriculture
Chapter 14. The Creativity of Maestras Mezcaleras
Chapter 15. Agaves' Essential Workers
Chapter 16. Empowering Bartenders
Epilogue: Policies for a Brighter, More Delicious Future
Acknowledgments
Appendix 1. The Mezcal Manifesto
Appendix 2. Wild Agaves and Cultivated Landraces (Razas Criollas) Distilled into Agave Spirits
Appendix 3. Human-Agave Symbiosis: Domesticated Agave Species Used in Mezcal and Other Distillates
Appendix 4. Plants and Animals Used in Cured or Infused Agave Distillates, in Pechugas, or in Seasoned Salts
Appendix 5. Mezcalexicon: A Folk Vocabulary
Bibliography
Index

Agave spirits : the past, present, and future of mezcals /

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