The VinePair Podcast: The Complex Impact of the Mezcal Boom
Roughly two years ago, VinePair managing editor and “Cocktail College” host Tim McKirdy received an invite from Los Angeles-based restauranteur Ivan Vasquez to travel down to Oaxaca and get a behind-the- scenes look at the mezcal industry. During the trip, the two visited various maestros mezcaleros and learned about how many are holding on to traditional production methods in an effort to craft responsibly and sustainably made mezcal.
However, as McKirdy learned, if the demand for mezcal continues at its current pace, it’s likely that many of these techniques and methods will soon become unviable. As such, McKirdy and Vasquez used their time in Oaxaca to record a podcast miniseries in which they unpack the current state of mezcal and attempt to answer a few questions about the spirit’s future: To what extent can cocktails and mezcal coexist? What are the benefits of the “cocktailification” of mezcal for the people who make it and the places where it’s produced? And will it be possible for the mezcal industry to preserve the spirit’s complex identity in the midst of the changing landscape?
On this episode of the “VinePair Podcast,” Joanna and Zach are joined by Tim McKirdy to discuss VinePair’s new podcast miniseries, “Mezcal’s Untold Past, Soaring Present, and Fragile Future.” What has the rapid growth and globalized demand done to the landscape of Oaxaca, and how has it changed mezcal itself? Tune in to hear Tim reveal a bit about the process of making the podcast and share his thoughts on what the series hopes to reveal.
Zach is drinking: Hot Charlotte
Joanna is drinking: Broth
Tim is drinking: Croissant-infused Kir Royale
Listen Online
The article The VinePair Podcast: The Complex Impact of the Mezcal Boom appeared first on VinePair.