By Alvin Starkman, M.A., J.D. Not to scare the bejesus out of mezcal aficionados, but the industry must be careful as the popularity of the spirit skyrockets, so as not to lose one of its hallmarks, that is the uniqueness of every lot distilled. We still hear and read that no two batches of (artisanal) … Read more
By Alvin Starkman, M.A., J.D. The branding of Kimo Sabe mezcal is brilliant. Perhaps not since the mid 90s when Ron Cooper coined the phrase Single Village Mezcal for his Mezcal del Maguey, has anyone used a name so effectively to attract a particular demographic in the alcohol buying public. Back then it was a … Read more
By Alvin Starkman, M.A., J.D. For a half century if not longer, the state of Oaxaca has been known for its mezcal, in the US, and to a lesser extent further abroad. The region’s pre-Hispanic ruins, colonial architecture, cuisine and craft villages have been noted in travelogues and guide books for some time; but recently … Read more
Mezcalaria,The Cult of Mezcal: Book Review By Alvin Starkman, M.A., J.D. Mezcalaria, Cultura del Mezcal, The Cult of Mezcal (Farolito ediciones, 2012) is the third edition, first bilingual (English-Spanish), of the seminal 2000 publication by author Ulises Torrentera. The book is highly opinionated on the one hand, yet on the other contains a wealth of … Read more