The wonderful Read Spear of Cuentacuentos Mezcal offered to interview me over a chat with some coffee in Oaxaca. A month or so later, I’m hosting him and his mezcales for a tasting at my house. This is the chat we had before the amazing tasting. A bit about my life here, but for those interested, this is part of the story. So much more to come. We chat Snapple, seeds, Sotol, and more.
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Ep 321 – Asis Cortes: If You Draw It, They Will Come
Asis Cortes has created some of the most influential brands in Mezcal including: Origen Raiz, El Jolgorio, Agave de Cortes, and most recently DIxeebe. His creative intuitions create beautiful flavors and aesthetics in his labels. At such a young age having accomplished so much, what is next for Asis? He balances tradition and push for new innovations, all the while staying deeply connected to his family. As the world of mezcal is constantly changing, Asis maintains integrity and inspiration. We chat Oaxaca, art, experiences, and social media.
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Ep 320 – Jack Murray: Once Was Found, But Now Is Lost
Jack Murray has imbued Texas with his big Irish energy. With an energetic personality, partially fueled by Red Bull sales in Ireland, Jack has helped shed light on the category of Irish whiskey. As the point person for Tully in Texas, he created staple cocktails, shots, and a mainstay for Irish whiskey behind most Austin bars. COVID shifted his gears and led to some interesting situations as an Irish person with limited status as a citizen in the US. But now, he’s back with a new brand and a new sense of purpose. Lost Irish is a beautiful whiskey that blends many global barrel components. From wine to sherry to…
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Ep 319 – Ben Williams: Always Be Creating
Ben Williams is not new to creating products, companies, or excitement in his community. His family has a rich history of entrepreneurialism in Houston, but sometimes you have to push yourself further. Ben’s fascination with flavor and distillation led him to create the lush and delicious Highway Vodka. Learning how to distill from scratch and often under the cover of moonlight, he chose to use the highly nutritious and rich oiliness of hemp seed to ferment his Vodka. Made from scratch and batch distilled, the resulting distillate is really incredible. We talk about classicism, prejudice, Texas distilling, and more.
