1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:04,559 Speaker 1: And Aztec mythology. The fertility goddess Maya is a personification 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:06,920 Speaker 1: of the agave plant, the source of some of the 3 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:12,000 Speaker 1: most delicious spirits in Mexican culture. Today's episode is about pulque, mescal, 4 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:17,280 Speaker 1: and tequila. My name is Eva Longoria and I am 5 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 1: and welcome to Hungry for History, a podcast that explores 6 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:25,960 Speaker 1: our past and present through food. On every episode, we'll 7 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:29,320 Speaker 1: talk about the history of some of our favorite dishes, ingredients, 8 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:37,120 Speaker 1: and beverages. So make yourself at home. Today's episode is 9 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:40,640 Speaker 1: a couple of my favorite topics. I mean mostly tequila 10 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 1: is my favorite topic, but we're also talking and mescal, 11 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 1: which is mu the moda as we say in Mexico. 12 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:55,480 Speaker 1: It's very in right now. The first of all, this 13 00:00:55,760 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: word spirits I love. Oh yeah, I didn't even connect 14 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:03,360 Speaker 1: that sit. I connected this like I was talking about 15 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: it and I was like, oh my god. Spirit. The 16 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:08,039 Speaker 1: word spirit is so loaded. It's sort of the spirit 17 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: of the plant, you know. But so there's just so 18 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:14,480 Speaker 1: much history and so much soul there. So just starting 19 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:17,680 Speaker 1: with that that that alcohol, most alcohol is called spirit 20 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:21,399 Speaker 1: the spirits, except if it's wine or beer. Yeah, exactly, 21 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 1: because they're they're fermented and bulk is fermented. But in 22 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:31,560 Speaker 1: mythology mast tech mythology, ma Yah who is personified by 23 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 1: the agave plant, so the aga, and she's a goddess 24 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:38,320 Speaker 1: of fertility. She's a goddess of of nourishment, and she's 25 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 1: this figure coming sometimes coming out of the agave or 26 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:44,920 Speaker 1: sometimes holding the You know, that's the logo of my Tequila. 27 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 1: My will I never know this what that is so 28 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: funny that you put it in our episode. I thought 29 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: you put it from my Tequila because nobody she's never 30 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 1: been in a brand. And she's the goddess. She's known 31 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 1: as the goddess of tequila, obviously. And the myth is 32 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 1: that she had this forbidden love with the god of air, 33 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 1: and she created the agave plant to hide their love 34 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 1: from her grandmother, who did not want them to be together. 35 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:15,839 Speaker 1: It was very Romeo and Juliet, and so they would 36 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 1: make love behind this big agave plant. And when the 37 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: grandmother found out, she's sent a bolt of lightning down 38 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:26,400 Speaker 1: to the plant and that's when the agave cracked open, 39 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:29,120 Speaker 1: the pina was cooked, and they found out a sweet 40 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:32,919 Speaker 1: nectar was released from from their love. From their love, 41 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 1: their hidden forbidden love beautiful, and the and the leaves themselves, 42 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 1: the bank us that's supposed to be four hundred, which 43 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 1: represent the four children, her four children, and also the 44 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 1: four hundred ways of being intoxicated. There's only four ways 45 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 1: to be intoxicated. The The interesting thing is four is 46 00:02:55,880 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 1: not a literal number, but it represents infinity. So the 47 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:05,640 Speaker 1: infinite numbers of being intoxicated are her, her leaves. And 48 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 1: this is you know, this is this is the goddess. 49 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 1: And it's about nourishment, and it's about fertili and it's 50 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 1: about love. Yeah, it is about love. Should we make it? 51 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:20,800 Speaker 1: I'm gonna make I'm gonna make you a tequila. I'm 52 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 1: gonna make you a margarita. Okay, A mythologists tell me 53 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 1: a margharita is only limon a gave. Interesting with your tequila, right, 54 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 1: But if you want a blueberry blueberry margaret, it's blueberry 55 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 1: Limon gave. If you want a watermelon margarite, it's watermelon Limon. 56 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: You don't use simple sarah, I don't use I don't 57 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:42,040 Speaker 1: use simple syrup. I don't use triple suck. I don't 58 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: use contro. I don't use a margarita. Mix like really, yeah, 59 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 1: those are not good, So I'm gonna make me one 60 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: one of these. But you like assalted rims, I do 61 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 1: like assalted rooms. This looks beautiful. This is beautiful. This 62 00:03:57,440 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 1: is the salt from the Swiman in the Bay Area 63 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 1: called Chica Salty, and she's been making these amazing salts. 64 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 1: This one is Harmica and Tilo Akiga. Yeah, she has 65 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 1: some really beautiful flavors. Were in my living room making 66 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:16,560 Speaker 1: a margarita, which we transformed he was living room into 67 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:19,280 Speaker 1: a bar. This is going to be the best episode 68 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 1: ever because we're gonna be drinking. I put a lot 69 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 1: of blanco. You never I noticed that you don't measure, No, 70 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:32,479 Speaker 1: you just I don't measure. Don't measure. I just eye 71 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 1: eyeball ounces. I didn't even know that was this was 72 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:39,039 Speaker 1: this thing. Yeah, no idea that was measuring. That was 73 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:41,600 Speaker 1: for measuring. Yeah, I always measure, So I just want 74 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 1: to make sure that they always tastes exactly decent. That 75 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:48,000 Speaker 1: color color, yeah, why is it? So? Is it because 76 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:53,480 Speaker 1: of the simple syrup? That's delicious. It's delicious lime in 77 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 1: a gavey that's really delicious. The thing about tequila is 78 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:00,400 Speaker 1: a lot of people use it in cocktails, um, And 79 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:04,120 Speaker 1: they try to hide the tequila. Hence the margarita mix 80 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 1: and the control and the orange of the corn. That 81 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 1: you want to hide the tequila, you don't. You want 82 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:12,240 Speaker 1: to shine. You want to bring out the flavors of tequila. 83 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:15,600 Speaker 1: That's why we don't do lime salt with our tequila. 84 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:19,600 Speaker 1: Lime salt does not add an advantage that the ram 85 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:24,719 Speaker 1: you um, is that what you mean? No? Meaning shot 86 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:28,880 Speaker 1: like they come from. But I feel like that's like springbark, 87 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 1: it's super springbreak, Like here's a lime in some salt 88 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:36,040 Speaker 1: and lick it off somebody's breast. Yeah, no, no, no, no, no, 89 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:38,839 Speaker 1: it's well. The thing I love about tequila because a 90 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:42,880 Speaker 1: lot of agave will produce mescal, a handful of a 91 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:48,160 Speaker 1: gave will produce blue, but only one gave will produce tequila. 92 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:51,719 Speaker 1: And that's what makes tequila very special. It has to 93 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:55,119 Speaker 1: be this particular plan. And I think, like, um, there's 94 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:58,839 Speaker 1: so many people in the world who love tequila but 95 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:00,920 Speaker 1: hate the country of Mexico, you know what I mean. 96 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 1: And so this bridge of food and culture, UM to 97 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:10,159 Speaker 1: hear the mescal, the people of the mescal makers, to 98 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:13,160 Speaker 1: hear the stories of the tequila makers are normally six 99 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:16,640 Speaker 1: seventh generation tequila makers. They are They've been doing this 100 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:19,159 Speaker 1: for centuries. It's a family. It's a family. I would 101 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:22,800 Speaker 1: love people to have an appreciation for the for this 102 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:25,720 Speaker 1: art form. It's a beautiful art form. They still use 103 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 1: horses to pull down to pull the rock that presses 104 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:35,840 Speaker 1: the agabe. It's so beautiful. It's artisan. Astian. I mean, 105 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 1: it's again going back to how he started. It's the 106 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 1: spirit of the country, of the country, the spirit of 107 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:47,479 Speaker 1: the country. You mentioned when you were talking about Maya, 108 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 1: well that the pinya is cooked basically, it's you know, 109 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:53,440 Speaker 1: when when the leaves the bank as are cut, it 110 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 1: leaves this giant it looks like a giant pineapple, looks 111 00:06:56,200 --> 00:06:59,120 Speaker 1: like a pineapple. That's why it's called. And you also 112 00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:02,040 Speaker 1: mentioned that the i wan mead, which is this sweet 113 00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:06,320 Speaker 1: you know, honey water that's inside so that yeah, when 114 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 1: you cook it, you can buy chew on it like 115 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:13,480 Speaker 1: a sugarcane. That's what it feels like in texture. Really, 116 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:16,240 Speaker 1: So they cook, they cut the pini in half and 117 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 1: they put it through the orno, the oven, and then 118 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:22,200 Speaker 1: when it comes out, they chop it up again and 119 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:24,600 Speaker 1: those little pieces. You can like chew on it and 120 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:29,280 Speaker 1: it's like sugarcane. That's how sweet it is. That's so interesting. 121 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:32,240 Speaker 1: That's what they press, and the press and press and 122 00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:38,120 Speaker 1: then that becomes tequila. It's super sweet. Soul proceeded preceded 123 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 1: all of this. So so basically this drink is it's 124 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 1: a fermented beverage. So it's a it has about as 125 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:47,320 Speaker 1: much alcohol as a mild beer. It's like think about 126 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:52,960 Speaker 1: it like a little like a boozy fermented drink from 127 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:55,600 Speaker 1: the from the wad, you know, from this sort of 128 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:59,320 Speaker 1: honey water. Um. And this was a ceremonial drink to them, 129 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 1: to the decks, and you know, Preconquest, drunkenness was frowned upon. 130 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 1: You could be put to that. You could be Yes, 131 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:08,200 Speaker 1: you could be put to that. I mean if you 132 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 1: were in public drunk, Yeah, you could not. It was 133 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:13,240 Speaker 1: not you could not get drunk because it was sacred. 134 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:19,200 Speaker 1: It was sacred and drunk being intoxicated, that state of 135 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:24,640 Speaker 1: intoxication was a realm of the gods. So overstepping that boundary, 136 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:27,480 Speaker 1: how dare you step in the of the gods? I 137 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:29,920 Speaker 1: stepped into the realm of the gods. Nightly, let me 138 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:33,040 Speaker 1: tell you, Yeah, it wasn't a while, and that's something 139 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:35,400 Speaker 1: that hey, I'm in the realm of the gods. I'm 140 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:36,960 Speaker 1: in the realm of the God. I can't wait till 141 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 1: the next time I'm drunk, and that's all I'm gonna say. Yes, 142 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:42,320 Speaker 1: But it was also if you did go to this 143 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:45,080 Speaker 1: realm of the gods, you were in the southern space 144 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:48,880 Speaker 1: and be the morning right. The hangover of the next 145 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:53,400 Speaker 1: day was this this rebirth right. So it was this 146 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:58,360 Speaker 1: it was very sacred. And the last five days of 147 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:00,840 Speaker 1: the year in the calendar and the stic calendar, so 148 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:04,160 Speaker 1: your you know, day three sixty to three sixty five 149 00:09:04,240 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 1: were considered dead days and this is when you know, 150 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:10,280 Speaker 1: people would drink. They weren't really sure if the gods 151 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:12,719 Speaker 1: were going to grant another year, so it was sort 152 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 1: of okay. And even children were given to you know, 153 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:21,720 Speaker 1: reach this another state, sort of the state of adulthood. 154 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 1: So it was very very very you know, ceremonial, and 155 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:29,080 Speaker 1: it was given like priests would take it before ceremonies 156 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:33,280 Speaker 1: to so that they could you know, become euphoric or sacrificial. 157 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:36,040 Speaker 1: Victims would given would be given it that they could 158 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:40,200 Speaker 1: you imagine having beer. Yeah, like, can I got a 159 00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:43,480 Speaker 1: shot before you sacrifice me to the gods? Yeah? No, 160 00:09:43,679 --> 00:09:47,679 Speaker 1: it's like elderly women could drink it. Elderly woman could 161 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:50,640 Speaker 1: drink it. Yes, they weren't arrested. No, it was okay 162 00:09:50,679 --> 00:09:54,120 Speaker 1: for elderly women. Women. Yeah, I've lived my life, leave 163 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:57,640 Speaker 1: me be. They just had to have somebody, a child 164 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:00,440 Speaker 1: or a grandchild, somebody taking care of them when they 165 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:03,839 Speaker 1: were drinking so they wouldn't do something stupid like fall 166 00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:10,640 Speaker 1: into a hole. Again. Yeah, but you see images in 167 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:13,880 Speaker 1: the different codex is the quotas Borgia has one, and 168 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:16,960 Speaker 1: you have the women, and they're the drawings. They have 169 00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:21,079 Speaker 1: these wrinkled you know faces. Yeah, you've lived your lives 170 00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:24,120 Speaker 1: because you get drunk. Because Bulke proceeded all of this, 171 00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:29,720 Speaker 1: they say, bulk is considered Mescal's mother and Tequila's grandmother, 172 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:34,880 Speaker 1: so Mescal came next, came next. Don't go anywhere, hungry 173 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:51,920 Speaker 1: for history will be right back. Distillation practices were introduced 174 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:55,400 Speaker 1: early on in the conquest, and the first Mescal is 175 00:10:55,400 --> 00:11:00,240 Speaker 1: said to have been made around so pretty early post 176 00:11:00,280 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 1: conquest in when Wahaka. The word misscal comes from the 177 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:07,960 Speaker 1: nowl Misscali, which means oven cooked ave, so they were 178 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:11,199 Speaker 1: cooking all they were cooking as Yeah, so you can 179 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:14,880 Speaker 1: make mescal from like basically tequila is a mescal and 180 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:17,920 Speaker 1: for for years it was called miscal wine or mescal 181 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:21,240 Speaker 1: brandy um. But it's basically, you know, the same things. 182 00:11:21,240 --> 00:11:24,240 Speaker 1: The plant is striptives leaves and it leaves that the 183 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:27,600 Speaker 1: pina which is then baked underground for days and then 184 00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:31,160 Speaker 1: it's crushed with a stone mill and then the crushed 185 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:36,360 Speaker 1: to gave is then um fermented before being distilled. So 186 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:39,560 Speaker 1: it's very you know, it's artisanal, right, So for centuries 187 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:42,880 Speaker 1: it was known as missal brandy um. So it's really 188 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:48,040 Speaker 1: a drink that brings together old traditions of the plant 189 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:51,360 Speaker 1: cooking at the plant. But the cooking of the plant 190 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:56,359 Speaker 1: is the new tradition, right, because was just the fermented 191 00:11:56,720 --> 00:12:01,240 Speaker 1: um the same miss skull is the liquid which binds generations. 192 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:03,480 Speaker 1: Why what does that mean? It brings together the old 193 00:12:03,559 --> 00:12:06,040 Speaker 1: world and the new world, and it really is sort 194 00:12:06,080 --> 00:12:09,040 Speaker 1: of the soul, you know, of of the of the countries. 195 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:11,560 Speaker 1: When Mexico is right, it's a combination of these two 196 00:12:11,559 --> 00:12:15,200 Speaker 1: worlds and it's you know, distilled from this plant that's 197 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:19,040 Speaker 1: that's so you know, ceremonial that it really represents, you know, Mexico. 198 00:12:18,960 --> 00:12:22,599 Speaker 1: But this whole idea of you know, drunkenness. When the Conquest, 199 00:12:22,800 --> 00:12:24,600 Speaker 1: the Europeans were used to getting drunk. I mean they 200 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:28,600 Speaker 1: didn't have any It was like whatever, and it became 201 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:37,439 Speaker 1: drinking became secularized. My great recipe has simple syrup, a 202 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:40,920 Speaker 1: little bit of us blanco. So I'm going to do 203 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:45,120 Speaker 1: half an ounce of triple sec. Let me do it 204 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 1: money and I saw the glass, Yes, sell at the glass. 205 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:51,520 Speaker 1: And then I'm going to do the juice of one line, 206 00:12:51,920 --> 00:12:54,000 Speaker 1: which is about announced from doing a little bit of 207 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:56,040 Speaker 1: a govit. How this is so thick, just like a 208 00:12:56,200 --> 00:13:00,520 Speaker 1: quarter like just I think we got at it on 209 00:13:00,559 --> 00:13:06,200 Speaker 1: the microphone. I know, I'm good. Said that. And now 210 00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:12,240 Speaker 1: I'm going to add two ounces of tequila. That's what 211 00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:14,679 Speaker 1: I did. That's what you did, but maybe you did 212 00:13:14,720 --> 00:13:17,760 Speaker 1: like more than that. I bought two ounces, you know 213 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:20,960 Speaker 1: the other sides two ounces? Oh it is, Yeah, that's 214 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:22,840 Speaker 1: what I learned this. I'm telling you, I had no 215 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:26,680 Speaker 1: idea that is too well, this is two ounces. Yeah, okay, 216 00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:27,880 Speaker 1: So I'm not going to fill it all the way 217 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:33,600 Speaker 1: I think that's really I have like three and then 218 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:37,040 Speaker 1: you're the ice, and then my eyes and then I'm 219 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:38,840 Speaker 1: going to shake. I just don't have a lid, so 220 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:43,240 Speaker 1: just hold it with your hands. Okay, this is so exciting. 221 00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:46,960 Speaker 1: I love that you're supposed to shake, shake, shake until 222 00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:48,839 Speaker 1: you feel like you're gonna get frost bite. And that 223 00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:52,560 Speaker 1: that's when you know. That's great. Take dirt. That's called 224 00:13:52,559 --> 00:13:54,400 Speaker 1: a dirty poor when you just pour all the ice 225 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:57,240 Speaker 1: and everything. Yeah. I usually do separately, but hey, this 226 00:13:57,320 --> 00:13:59,360 Speaker 1: is good. How is it? I want to I want 227 00:13:59,360 --> 00:14:02,959 Speaker 1: to see what you've been mm hmmm, that's good. I 228 00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:06,760 Speaker 1: taste that orange liquor. Let me see taste. I feel 229 00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:08,200 Speaker 1: like I put too much of glovey in mine. Now 230 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:11,480 Speaker 1: you can taste the orange liquor. I let them both. 231 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:13,559 Speaker 1: I love them both. Oh my god, I don't know 232 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:18,240 Speaker 1: what who is dangerous? Like we just switching if we 233 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:25,480 Speaker 1: didn't do all. Come, I really love your margaritas. I'm 234 00:14:25,480 --> 00:14:30,200 Speaker 1: gonna start making it like m h wait, tell me 235 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:33,600 Speaker 1: what's the history of the margarita. There's like two different theories. 236 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:38,120 Speaker 1: But there's a cocktail historian named David Wondrich, and there's 237 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:41,200 Speaker 1: this really interesting book written in the nineteenth century American 238 00:14:41,680 --> 00:14:44,680 Speaker 1: book it's called The Bartender's Guide by a man named 239 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:48,360 Speaker 1: Jerry Thomas, has written in the nineteenth century and one 240 00:14:48,360 --> 00:14:50,280 Speaker 1: of the it has a list of the earth. Margarite 241 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:52,360 Speaker 1: has been around since the eighteen hundreds. No, but there 242 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:56,040 Speaker 1: is a really cocktail called a daisy, okay, and it 243 00:14:56,160 --> 00:14:59,480 Speaker 1: was made with line, you know, citrus, juice, gin or 244 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:02,080 Speaker 1: whiske all cocktails in the nineteenth century and their gin 245 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:06,920 Speaker 1: basically gin or whiskey and brandy. And it had you know, 246 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:10,320 Speaker 1: basically the spirit. It had granadine and it had citrus 247 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:12,040 Speaker 1: and that's it. And it was called a daisy and 248 00:15:12,040 --> 00:15:15,480 Speaker 1: it was a classic American cocktail. So legend has it 249 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 1: that during Prohibition somebody went to Ti Koran across supported 250 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:21,840 Speaker 1: and ordered a daisy and the barteer grabbed a bottle 251 00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:25,080 Speaker 1: of tequila and called it margharita. Daisy and Margharita that's 252 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:28,760 Speaker 1: the same, it's the flower. Did you get into tequila? Like? Why? 253 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 1: I think I was approached so many times to do 254 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:33,160 Speaker 1: it tequila because I'm Mexican. They're like your Mexican, you 255 00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 1: should have tequila brand. And I was like, I'm not 256 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:38,360 Speaker 1: slapping my name on something and this brand came to me. Um, 257 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:40,760 Speaker 1: I mean not, this brand wasn't even a brand yet. 258 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:44,480 Speaker 1: They just came to me this amazing woman. We have 259 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:48,760 Speaker 1: a female master distiller, which is super rare, and our 260 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:51,760 Speaker 1: CEO of the company as a woman. The CEO of 261 00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:55,760 Speaker 1: the distillery is a woman. Um. The distillery is Mexican owned, 262 00:15:56,040 --> 00:15:58,720 Speaker 1: which I was like, wait, yeah, they're all Mexican on 263 00:15:58,760 --> 00:16:00,880 Speaker 1: there go no most to not in their own by 264 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:03,160 Speaker 1: a mari Amarican conglomerates that have gone down there and 265 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:06,280 Speaker 1: bought up the gobe fields and so so the money 266 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:10,240 Speaker 1: doesn't stay in the region. And I was like, oh, interesting. 267 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:14,040 Speaker 1: And so it's just a super Mexican forward tequila, which 268 00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 1: I'm like, duh, Aquila should be Mexican, should be made 269 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:20,000 Speaker 1: by Mexican, sold by Mexicans, and they Mexican should profit 270 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:22,400 Speaker 1: from it. And it was a female forward brand and 271 00:16:22,640 --> 00:16:25,920 Speaker 1: in a very mucho space, and I was like, okay, 272 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:28,120 Speaker 1: I'm interested. So I leaned in because of all of that, 273 00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:31,920 Speaker 1: and then I tasted it. It's so creamy, super creamy, 274 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:35,400 Speaker 1: not sweet, but smooth it is, and you have those 275 00:16:35,480 --> 00:16:42,680 Speaker 1: cognac notes of vanilla caramel depending on the blanco. And 276 00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:46,200 Speaker 1: it was the first time, like I said, I noticed 277 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:48,400 Speaker 1: notes in a tequila. So that's how I got interested. 278 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:50,920 Speaker 1: And then after that, now I'm like a tequila connaser, 279 00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:53,640 Speaker 1: Like now I taste everything, I drink everything. I'm like, 280 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:55,080 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, what is that? What is this? What 281 00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:58,760 Speaker 1: is that crystallino versus you know extra? And yeho's what 282 00:16:58,800 --> 00:17:01,680 Speaker 1: makes it an extra? And yeah, like it's fascinating. I 283 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:04,920 Speaker 1: finally understood like the notes and how I was like, 284 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:07,160 Speaker 1: how can tequila have notes like wine? Like I don't 285 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:09,960 Speaker 1: get it. I don't get it. And it's so much 286 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:14,560 Speaker 1: more complex. It's a chemical mixture. I mean it is. 287 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:16,080 Speaker 1: You've got to get rid of the acetone and the 288 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:20,600 Speaker 1: ethanol and the alcohol. And you know, each barrel has 289 00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:23,520 Speaker 1: the head, the tail and the heart, and the tail 290 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:27,240 Speaker 1: is like all the toxins and stuff, bad stuff, and 291 00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:30,960 Speaker 1: the head is all your hangover basically ethanol alcohol, but 292 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:34,000 Speaker 1: it's a little sweeter. So you need a tequila master 293 00:17:34,119 --> 00:17:37,560 Speaker 1: who really pulls out the heart of the barrel, but 294 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:39,480 Speaker 1: a little bit ahead, maybe a little bit of tail 295 00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:41,480 Speaker 1: if you want a little this or that. Like there's 296 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:44,280 Speaker 1: it's a whole science and U and so you usually 297 00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:46,159 Speaker 1: have to have a chemical engineering degree, and there's a 298 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:52,000 Speaker 1: school in Guadalakata that specializes in this degree. Um because 299 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:54,840 Speaker 1: that's where tequila comes from. Yeah, here's the other thing 300 00:17:54,840 --> 00:17:58,360 Speaker 1: people don't know about tequila. Tequila it has to be 301 00:17:58,560 --> 00:18:01,440 Speaker 1: it has to be from the blue agave, from Jalisco, 302 00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:03,920 Speaker 1: from the region here, from the region, just like champagne, 303 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:11,480 Speaker 1: Just like champagne. Exactly, exactly. When we come back, Ivan Vasquez, 304 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:14,600 Speaker 1: owner of Mother Restaurant in Los Angeles, tells us about 305 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:18,080 Speaker 1: Mescal and how deeply rooted it is in Wahacan culture. 306 00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:34,920 Speaker 1: Welcome back to Hungry for history. We couldn't be more 307 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:37,560 Speaker 1: excited for you to hear from Ivan Vasquez. He is 308 00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:40,639 Speaker 1: the owner of Mother Restaurant in Los Angeles. He was 309 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:43,800 Speaker 1: born and raised in Wahaca, Mexico, and has a deep 310 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:50,919 Speaker 1: love and appreciation for Misscal. My name is in my 311 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:53,680 Speaker 1: passionate from Mescal. It started since I was at your child. 312 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:56,240 Speaker 1: I grew up with my grandpa and he had a 313 00:18:56,240 --> 00:19:00,680 Speaker 1: mini expandios, a small liqual bar shop in the community 314 00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:04,800 Speaker 1: and he used to selve Mescal. Two locals being at 315 00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:09,720 Speaker 1: his shop helping him out. I remember listening to the 316 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:12,560 Speaker 1: conversations with the master from escalleto that I used to 317 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:16,960 Speaker 1: selve scalp to my grandpa about how he learned how 318 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:20,760 Speaker 1: to make me scan through previous generations, and I saw 319 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:23,800 Speaker 1: how hard it was. And according to my mom, my 320 00:19:23,880 --> 00:19:26,920 Speaker 1: first mescal was probably at the age of eight years old, 321 00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:30,320 Speaker 1: a little ship that my grandpa gave me to try. 322 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:33,960 Speaker 1: And when I came to the United States and I 323 00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:37,840 Speaker 1: realized that mescal was available in Los Angeles because we 324 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:42,120 Speaker 1: needed it for celebrations. There was no celebration without scarlets. 325 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:45,120 Speaker 1: He was part of our culture. It's part of our tradition. 326 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:50,119 Speaker 1: It's like getting our cheese, are cla ulas, are molly. 327 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:53,280 Speaker 1: And I learned how to respect it even more because 328 00:19:53,440 --> 00:19:56,600 Speaker 1: I understood that it was a state toward life here 329 00:19:56,960 --> 00:20:03,640 Speaker 1: even though we were in a different country, we as 330 00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:09,840 Speaker 1: humans and consumers called probably mark the end of a sculpturationality. 331 00:20:09,960 --> 00:20:13,520 Speaker 1: You wouldn't appreciate it, you wouldn't educate ourselves, and he 332 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:18,240 Speaker 1: wouldn't educate others about these beautiful spirit that we have 333 00:20:18,359 --> 00:20:22,240 Speaker 1: the pleasure and this moment to enjoy. And I call 334 00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:26,320 Speaker 1: this the Golden Era because we have the greatest mescal 335 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:30,760 Speaker 1: available for us now. Only in America, but as in 336 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:34,520 Speaker 1: Mexico and some parts of your people are enjoying the 337 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:39,040 Speaker 1: best mescal ever and many years because each mescalero family 338 00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:42,919 Speaker 1: they're trying to give you the best mescal because they 339 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:46,719 Speaker 1: know what's happening with mescal and everybody is going crazy 340 00:20:46,800 --> 00:20:49,920 Speaker 1: for mescal, so they're trying to send the best batches, 341 00:20:50,440 --> 00:20:54,160 Speaker 1: the best product, the best production, the best of the best. 342 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:57,200 Speaker 1: It's available for us. And this is the golden generation. 343 00:20:57,520 --> 00:20:59,360 Speaker 1: I don't know what's going to happen in the next generation, 344 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:02,440 Speaker 1: but it's important and that we keep making people aware 345 00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:06,240 Speaker 1: and keep educating people so they can appreciate the spirits 346 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:11,960 Speaker 1: because I'm afraid that industrial miscal might be killing traditional 347 00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:16,240 Speaker 1: miscal in the near future. With respect and tradition, that's 348 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:21,800 Speaker 1: the only way to keep this a pretty lay. Oh 349 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:23,800 Speaker 1: my god, I have the most amazing miscal story. So 350 00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:26,120 Speaker 1: I'm in Wahaka and there was this little old lady 351 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:29,480 Speaker 1: that makes the best mescal of this particular town, and 352 00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:33,159 Speaker 1: they call her Labruca because they're like, why is she 353 00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:36,359 Speaker 1: selling more? Why does hers come out different? Labru Co 354 00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:39,439 Speaker 1: means the witch. They think she's doing some sort of 355 00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:43,720 Speaker 1: black magic to make her mescal the best of the 356 00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:53,919 Speaker 1: community lab. You can't just have a woman does skill 357 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:58,679 Speaker 1: set sad and really great land. And so there's traditional 358 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:04,200 Speaker 1: mescal are to sino mescal and industrial miscal and so 359 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:09,080 Speaker 1: you can't buy traditional that is what the people of 360 00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:13,040 Speaker 1: the old misscal people. I mean you you can, like 361 00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:15,840 Speaker 1: I bought some there, but like you, there's not for commercial. 362 00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:18,359 Speaker 1: You won't have five. Yeah, you won't have it a 363 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:22,120 Speaker 1: total wine right um. And so if you can find 364 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:24,919 Speaker 1: if you're ever in Mexico and you go to Misscal 365 00:22:25,040 --> 00:22:27,920 Speaker 1: bar asthm, do you have traditional mescal? And they probably 366 00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:30,400 Speaker 1: will say no, or they'll say I have a bottle. 367 00:22:30,680 --> 00:22:34,760 Speaker 1: Because what happens to the traditional mescal makers like her 368 00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:41,000 Speaker 1: don They make enough for their family, enough for the community, 369 00:22:41,119 --> 00:22:44,040 Speaker 1: and if they have any leftover, they sell it. And 370 00:22:44,119 --> 00:22:47,439 Speaker 1: I go, well that's a horrible business model, and she goes, 371 00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:51,960 Speaker 1: why would I need more? Like her? Like my capitalist 372 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:55,399 Speaker 1: mine was like you should sell first and whatever you 373 00:22:55,440 --> 00:22:57,760 Speaker 1: have left over you give to your family and community. 374 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:00,960 Speaker 1: And no, they give away first, and if they have 375 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:04,919 Speaker 1: any leftover after everybody has their Misscal, then they sell it. 376 00:23:05,119 --> 00:23:07,200 Speaker 1: So the only Misscal you can buy from her is 377 00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:09,879 Speaker 1: in her house and she has it like under the 378 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:12,000 Speaker 1: Jesus and the altar, and she's like, here's a bottle. 379 00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:13,679 Speaker 1: You know, you're like, oh my, this is crazy. I 380 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:16,920 Speaker 1: love that because it is the strength that binds generations. 381 00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:20,200 Speaker 1: And she's probably has her family has been making misscal 382 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:24,280 Speaker 1: probably for generations, and they revere it and they want 383 00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:27,359 Speaker 1: to share it and yeah, and they and they don't 384 00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:30,080 Speaker 1: need more. Like she did a feast for us, but 385 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:32,840 Speaker 1: like when I say a feast, a feast of that. 386 00:23:35,960 --> 00:23:40,320 Speaker 1: She made all these and different and she said, I'm 387 00:23:40,359 --> 00:23:43,880 Speaker 1: so sorry I have nothing more to offer, and my 388 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:45,960 Speaker 1: my heart sunk. I was like, are you kidding me? 389 00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:49,800 Speaker 1: Think you just offered this feast your time and your 390 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:52,920 Speaker 1: time and your and your story. Her story was beautiful 391 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:56,280 Speaker 1: and uh and she was like speaking in terms of 392 00:23:56,320 --> 00:23:59,800 Speaker 1: I don't have anything materialistically to give you, and we're like, 393 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:02,560 Speaker 1: it's experience is the gift that we need? It was, 394 00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:08,240 Speaker 1: It was beautiful. There are cycles a gobb goes and 395 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:10,879 Speaker 1: cycles of planting, so you'll see a shortage of a 396 00:24:10,920 --> 00:24:13,080 Speaker 1: gove and an abundance of God. Literally two years ago, 397 00:24:13,119 --> 00:24:14,840 Speaker 1: they're burning a gove because there's just too much. They 398 00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:16,919 Speaker 1: just had too much, and then now there's an a 399 00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:18,760 Speaker 1: gob shortage, and then there's too much, and then there's 400 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:20,240 Speaker 1: too little, and then there's too much. It's just the 401 00:24:20,240 --> 00:24:24,760 Speaker 1: cycle of the soil near gave. But the industrialization of 402 00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:29,359 Speaker 1: a gove and the demand for a gove or tequila, sorry, um, 403 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:32,960 Speaker 1: the demand for tequila has really put pressure on all 404 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:36,440 Speaker 1: these distilleries in Mexico to produce faster, produce more, hurry up, 405 00:24:36,760 --> 00:24:39,040 Speaker 1: and so sometimes they're cutting down these agaves too soon 406 00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:42,280 Speaker 1: and the soil doesn't have time to replenish. And like 407 00:24:42,320 --> 00:24:44,840 Speaker 1: I said, those barrels have the head, the tail, and 408 00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:46,359 Speaker 1: the heart, and you want to get the heart. A 409 00:24:46,359 --> 00:24:48,159 Speaker 1: lot of people just using the whole barrel because they 410 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:52,240 Speaker 1: want more tequila. But more you have you don't have 411 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:53,879 Speaker 1: a good quality. Then you don't have good quality. And 412 00:24:53,880 --> 00:24:56,120 Speaker 1: that's the tequila gives you the hangover. That's the tequila 413 00:24:56,160 --> 00:24:58,520 Speaker 1: doesn't taste good. That's the tequila that burns. And so 414 00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:01,840 Speaker 1: really you can really go down a rabbit hole of 415 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:05,919 Speaker 1: like um, tasting different tiquilas and identifying, oh, this is 416 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:09,320 Speaker 1: really good, this is good and why because they chose 417 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:11,159 Speaker 1: the heart of the barrel as opposed to using the 418 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:15,520 Speaker 1: whole production, and again the heart, the spirit, so poetic, 419 00:25:15,600 --> 00:25:18,680 Speaker 1: it's so poetic. It's so poetic. Well, cheers to our 420 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:29,680 Speaker 1: Bol Mescal and episode salute Salude. Hungry for History is 421 00:25:29,720 --> 00:25:33,840 Speaker 1: an unbelievable entertainment production in partnership with I Hearts Michael 422 00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:37,639 Speaker 1: podcast Network. For more of your favorite shows, visit the 423 00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:40,920 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get 424 00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:41,760 Speaker 1: your podcasts.