On a beautiful fall afternoon, I took a trek to visit the palenque of maestro mezcalero Alberto Martinez. The awe inspiring view and perfect weather was accompanied by delicious food and mezcal. After settling in over a few drams, I had the privilege of interviewing Alberto. With the translation help of Jason Paul Cox of Cinco Sentidos, here is Alberto’s story. You can taste the wisdom and skill in every sip of his clay distilled mezcal.
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Ep 339 – Alberto Espinosa: Stimulating All The Senses
Alberto Espinosa is pensive, hospitable, and superbly present. He has created a style of tasting for mezcal that is inclusive, thoughtful, and above all else, connective. His two Mezcal tasting rooms (one in Oaxaca and one in CDMX) are simply called Recia. These rooms are curated with every sense in mind and feature some of the best mezcales in the world. We chat about introspection, creativity, balance, and the absence of arrogance.
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Ep 338 – Jeff Duckhorn: Standing Among The Giants
Jeff Duckhorn is the master distiller for Redwood Empire Whiskey. His career trajectory shows that sometimes if you’re crunching numbers in the back of the room, they might eventually ask you to run the still. With a deep concern for the environment, balance, and attention to detail, Jeff crafts delicious whiskey in Sonoma County, California. As the whiskey markets become even more saturated with MGP marks, Jeff flourishes with unique blends and bottled in bond creations. We chat classical music, food waste, malt whiskey, and more.
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Ep 335 – Niki Nakazawa: The Latest from NETA Spirits
Some years ago, I was able to speak with Niki Nakazawa of NETA spirits about her life, mezcal beginnings, and pop up life. Now that travel is back, tastings are back, and she makes her first trip to Austin, things are about to get good. We chat Oaxaca, rent, education, sustainability, and the beautiful town of Logoche.
