Before I dive into the issue of tariffs, tickets for Mexico in a Bottle Chicago are now on sale. Be sure to jump on our special flash sale tickets before they are all gone - they go fast so act now! If you are an industry person, reach out as we have a special deal for you.

I happened to be in Mexico when President Trump announced that he would impose a 25% import tax on all goods coming from Mexico beginning February 4th. I was on an industry trip in Jalisco and we had an incredibly full itinerary, so I found myself texting and emailing importers and trade specialists at random times to get information about what was happening. Big brands were looking at absorbing most of the tariff, smaller brands were scrambling to figure out how much they could absorb, and a few others were concerned this would cause them to go under. For trade specialists, there was a lot of head scratching as the tariffs seemed to be a violation of the updated NAFTA agreement Trump himself had negotiated when he was last in office. In short, it was a mess and no one was really sure what would happen on Tuesday.

By the time I boarded my plane on Monday, I had enough information to write an in depth piece, and spent the flight doing just that. By the time I landed 3.5 hours later, the piece was obsolete, the tariffs had been rescinded for at least the next month. I’ll hold on to the quotes just in case we go thru this fire drill again next month. One thing is for certain, the whole exercise was a terrible waste of time and money for all parties involved and if the intent is to make the US appear stronger, the opposite is being achieved.

Meanwhile, as tariffs and deportations and the renaming of geographical sites dominate the news cycle, I/Mezcalistas remain focused on publishing stories that begin conversations that will eventually reach a larger audience as larger publications pick up these stories from us. These are important stories, like our most recent piece on biopiracy. Contributor Joahna Hernandez spent several months not only researching the history of bioprospecting, biopiracy and more, but also talking to several people on both sides of the US/Mexico border to get greater context on this very complex and contentious topic.

We also have a terrific interview with Misty Kalkofen as part of our In Their Own Words series. Misty has done so much over the past decade plus to educate industry and consumer alike about agave spirits. And she has also mentored so many people now on the front lines of agave education, me included!

Finally, and just in time for Valentine’s Day, Tess Rose Lampert has a great rundown of eight mezcals that pair perfectly with chocolate and make for great ideas for a true gift of love.

Saludos,

MEZCAL NEWS

MEZCAL EVENTS

• February 8th, Bowl of ‘Zole, Boston

• March 1st and 2nd, MezcalFest, Mexico City

• March 20th, Bowl of ‘Zole, Denver

• DATE CHANGE!! March 31st, Mexico in a Bottle, Washington, DC

• SAVE THE DATE: April 10th-13th, Agave Heritage Festival, Tucson

• April 27th, Mexico in a Bottle, Chicago

• SAVE THE DATE: June 5th-9th, Mexico in a Bottle Durango