Then in one of those events of the MSC, I met the people from Corona Beer, the Mexican lager, right? The most popular Mexican beer. They invited me to work with them, to collaborate with them in the promotion team. I started working with Corona, doing promotions. I’m talking about six months later. So, I stayed another six months. I was having fun. Why not? We called it Ojo de Dios to promote this culture that I hope will last for many years. I know that it’s losing a lot of power because the new kids, the new generations of groups, they are now obviously living closer to the city or the city’s going closer to them. They’re losing their identity. Susan: So, you could, you could live your life drinking a different mezcal, like literally every day of your life.

The opening flight of Mixto Tequila – Blanco delivered a set of Silver medals for El Sueño Tequila Silver and Sierra Tequila Silver. El Sueño Tequila Silver was “light and bright” on the nose, with “delicate citrus and a peppery palate”. Sierra Tequila Silver had a “slight nuttiness”, but was found to be “what you’d expect” from a mixto blanco – “solid”, noted one judge. Susan: So, was it more a mixto that you were drinking? Or were you always, oh, it has to be a 100% agave? I mean, was there a kind of, not the snobbery, but just more of a knowledge even then about the difference in Mexico. Chambers said: “Quality‐wise, this was a solid tasting. And you’re starting to see one or two producers pushing the boundaries of what can be done.” Eduardo: Actually, the one that you have is even more traditional than this one. This one is quite pretentious. I will say

Susan: Now that’s certainly changed. We talked about just in Oaxaca. What other places in Mexico is it made or known and also the different flavor profiles that you might find in each area? Three panels put the majority of entries to the test at the Novotel Hotel in London Bridge. The first group comprised Nicola Carruthers, deputy editor of The Spirits Business magazine, and Michael Fichtner, head bartender at the Coburg Bar at The Connaught hotel in London. Bryan Rodriguez, wine and spirits buyer at Harvey Nichols, chaired the panel. and Salmiana actually is the agave that we used to make pulque. It’s a massive, massive, agave plant with leaves the size of your screen. It’s popularly called verde or green because the notes, when you drink or smell it, are like fresh jalapenos, spinach, kale, asparagus, you know, super, super green.

I was like, “You know what? Let’s do it together. Because I had, in my mind, for many years to build, to create a mezcal brand. I will be all interested if we do it together, if I’m part of it.” And we were like, “Okay, let’s do it.” So, we started talking three years ago. And that’s how we came up with this brand. A Silver medal was given to coffee‐flavoured Sierra Milenario Tequila Cafè. Two more Silver medals were hailed in the Tequila Liqueur round. El Sueño Watermelon Liqueur pleasantly surprised the judges with its “fresh watermelon notes” and some “light earthiness”. Silver winner Horus was likened to a “very well done chocolate cream”. You have mezcal industrial, you have artisanal mezcal, and you have ancestral mezcal, which follows different guidelines and different production methods. So always look on the bottle for artisanal or ancestral. If those words are on the label, then you are safe and also always look for the hologram and actually it has a QR code that you can scan. It’s not close to saturation, but new brands will need to look outside of Oaxaca, where maybe 85% or 90% of mezcal is produced at the moment.” After much consideration, the judges agreed to award the coveted Taste Master title to Sierra Milenario Tequila Extra Añejo. Pushing the boundaries

Susan: Is everyone from all those areas drinking it the same way? Is it always neat, always in a little glass? What time of day? Is it a digestif, an aperitif, or an all-day kind of thing? Or anytime, should I say? Eduardo: No, thank you, Susan. Thank you for the invite. It was a beautiful experience and very happy to be involved. Thank you very much. Tequila has come a long way in the past decade. From its shot‐slamming party days, the spirit has enjoyed a major glow‐up, and is now revered as a serious spirit. And the medals speak for themselves. This year’s Tequila & Mezcal Masters welcomed a record number of entries, which showcased the high calibre of offerings coming from Mexico. In the 100% Agave Mezcal – Joven, a Master medal was awarded to Mezcal Artesanal Noble Coyote – Coyote de Amatlán. Athavia found this to be “quite salty on the nose, with sea aromas”, leading to “lots of character and funky notes” on the palate.

They organize this big event where you have a table and someone to assist you. It’s like speed dating. Suddenly every 15 minutes, you have a new producer and they come to you, and you have a timer. They present the brand and then they go, and they present the brand and then they go. From there, the competition moved onto Flavoured Tequila, where a Gold medal was handed to 1800 Coconut, with its “inviting, fresh coconut” aroma and “agave notes on the finish”. Susan: I love it. We’re going to get onto mezcal now, because that’s what we’re here to talk about. But do you remember the first time that you were that like, was it a lightning bolt moment, when you had the first mezcal and said, “Oh my God. Why haven’t I been drinking this all these years? Two Gold medals were given to “classic, earthy” Matra Mezcal and “very smooth” Mezcal Artesanal Noble Coyote Espadín‐Tobalá, with “ripe banana” notes. A Silver medal went to Mezcal Artesanal Noble Coyote Jabalí.

The añejo options in the super‐premium contingent were also impressive – with two reaching the Master standard. Sierra Tequila Antiguo was deemed to be Masterworthy, with its “brilliant nose full of earthy spice, pepper” and “very well integrated oak” that “beautifully supports the spirit”. El Mayor Tequila Añejo also secured the top Master accolade. Smith found “bright agave on the nose, salted caramel notes; great balance of spirit and wood”.

So, I was like, I have to do it. It has to be me. I cannot let anybody else do it. So, I founded, I started the Tequila and Mezcal Fest in 2014 with the objective to educate the consumer and the trade and to promote the category of tequila and mezcal. Sadly 9 out of 10 people in the UK, if you mentioned tequila, they remembered those days at university. You know, doing shots of the tequila, which surely wasn’t a 100% good quality tequila. Susan: I love that the Mexican comes to the UK for the summer. It’s supposed to be the reverse. No? A complex Joven that’s incredibly smooth from using a conical earthen oven with mesquite wood to cook the Tobalá agave. A volcanic stone ensures the product is milled before it ferments naturally. The result is crisp and bright with dried herbs, honey and earthy notes. In the more costly super‐premium price range, a Master was awarded to Olmeca Altos Reposado. Athavia noted the “fantastic integration of the oak on the palate”, which she said gave the Tequila “body, texture and a hint of sweetness”.There’s cause for optimism embedded in mezcal’s regulations, believes Eduardo Gomez, sales director of Mexican food retailer Mexgrocer, and founder of Ojo de Dios mezcal. “There will definitely be more industrialisation in the process as a consequence of demand, but the good news is that if mezcal is artisanal or ancestral by DO [denomination of origin], producers must follow the process in the regulations that have been established by the NOM [official Mexican standard],” he says. Eduardo: Exactly. They believe that is a protector in the Huichol culture, which means also the power to see and understand things unknown. It’s very powerful in that group, in the indigenous group. Fortunately, mezcal is in a good position to maintain not only its image, but its traditional methods and heritage too, and it has no shortage of brands committed to this goal. For Moreno, Koch’s 14 years of experience and the fact that it is a fully Oaxacan brand are points in its favour. “We have learned to plan, with a focus on where the category is moving forward,” he says. “We have the necessary supply of agave plants to meet demand. We’re a brand that organically has an agave future.” Susan: Yeah. I love, I love mezcal. I love anything made from an agave. The flavor to me is so wonderful. It’s so easy to drink. I think they’re the easiest spirits to drink for me. I don’t feel like I’m drinking alcohol because they’re so smooth. How long did it take you to get that perfect equation? There are perhaps some lessons, even cautionary tales, to be learnt from Tequila, but in some ways mezcal is unique, and so are some of the hurdles it’s facing. The hype for mezcal is real, but it remains a fraction of the size of Tequila. According to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, in 2021 global mezcal volumes were 3% of those of Tequila.