One of the biggest questions surrounding the accusations against Diageo allegedly adulterating its tequila products with cane sugars is how you can test for that in a lab. The short answer is that it takes specialized equipment that costs a lot of money meaning there aren’t too many labs that can test for it. And when tests were developed a few years ago, they initially used agave syrup and fruit juices for the analysis. But today, those tests have become more fine tuned and apparently have gone beyond using syrups and juices in detecting different sugars. But exactly how do those tests work? I asked contributor Omar Muñoz to break it down for our readers and you can read about it in his latest piece.

This lawsuit arrives at an interesting juncture for agave spirits as there is a lot going on behind the scenes that threatens to disrupt production in Mexico. There is the current bottom price of agave that has agaveros across Mexico up in arms. There is a production glut of both tequila and mezcal as the market in the US has softened over the past two years, keeping sales (and demand) relatively flat. There is growing concern over the current Denominación de Origen (DO) system for mezcal that continues to expand to more states in the midst of the production glut. And finally, there are a growing number of voices concerned about the integrity of agave spirits who are more implicitly tying together the concept of “gusto histórico” with economic impacts on rural communities, environmental impacts across regions and the future of agave production in Mexico as the production of non-Mexican agave spirits continues to grow.

The agave spirits market is a multibillion dollar industry that is vital for a lot of parties, from the Mexican government to international conglomerates to everyone in between reliant on jobs and that income. If those lab tests do show an illegal use of non agave sugars it could be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back. The spin doctors are already out there, playing with messaging. If you read between the lines in the Jose Cuervo article linked below, it sounds like they know what might be in those tests as they mention that maybe because the aging barrels used (sherry, rum, whisky, etc) their could be trace amounts of those sugars in the tests. At the end of the day, it all comes down to the consumers and how much they actually care about any of this, which is why it is incumbent upon us to inspire people to care.

Speaking of inspiration… My summer reading list continues to grow and now added to it is Graciela Angeles’ new book Mexcalli. Currently it is only available in Spanish in Mexico but hopefully that will change soon. Contributor Joahna Hernandez’s review makes me think this is exactly the book we need now to understand why agave spirits are more than just a product. And if you get a chance, read Anna Bruce’s profile on Firme Mezcal because it is a beautiful love letter from a proud Chicano to his roots. Finally, due to popular demand Vinik Juré Osés Sulvarán of Expresiones Biocultural is running a summer program for his Anthropology of Maquey and Mezcal workshop. Talk about a class with an incredible reading list! It is online, in English and a good dive into how to better understand culturally what we are drinking.

Saludos,

MEZCAL NEWS

MEZCAL EVENTS

• May 31st, Sabor y Cultura Fest, Chicago

• June 9th-July 14th, Anthropology of Mezcal Workshop, Online

• June 10th-11th - Bar Convent Brooklyn, Brooklyn

• June 27th-30th, Mezcal Culture Fest, Miami

• July 12th-13th, Barra Mexico, Mexico City

• July 20th-25th, Tales of the Cocktail, New Orleans

• SAVE THE DATE: October 5th, Mexico in a Bottle San Diego

• SAVE THE DATE: November 16th, Mexico in a Bottle San Francisco