1 00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: You know reggaeton, but do you know the whole story? 2 00:00:04,680 --> 00:00:04,880 Speaker 2: Hi? 3 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:08,680 Speaker 3: I'm Gini Monzadbo, Senior producer and sound designer of Loud 4 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 3: The History of Reggaeton? 5 00:00:10,440 --> 00:00:12,000 Speaker 1: Did you hear the news? 6 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:15,400 Speaker 3: Loud is back by a popular demand. Listen to all 7 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 3: ten episodes that break down the beats, politics, and power 8 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 3: behind the genre, Hosted by herself Evie Queen. Listen now 9 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:34,800 Speaker 3: only on Spotify. 10 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 4: To make miscutten harvester's first shaved down the spiky leaves 11 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 4: of agaved plants in order to reach its core, turning 12 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:48,600 Speaker 4: a large agavid plant into something that looks more like 13 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 4: around large pineapple. In Mexico's most indigenous state, Waka families 14 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:04,040 Speaker 4: have been producing miscutt like this for generations, but starting 15 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 4: in the twenty tens, US consumers have been wanting more 16 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:13,119 Speaker 4: and more of this traditionally made drink. By twenty twenty one, 17 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:17,479 Speaker 4: Mescale had become the fastest growing spirit in the US, 18 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 4: with a global market estimated to be a half a 19 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 4: billion dollars by twenty twenty eight, and celebrities are cashing in. 20 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 1: This is a bottle of dos ombres. It's mescal. 21 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 3: Yeah, please stop telling us you love our tequila. 22 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:38,400 Speaker 4: It's mescal brands like Dos Ombres created by Breaking Bad 23 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:42,200 Speaker 4: co stars Aaron Paul and Brian Cranston. It was important 24 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 4: for Aaron and I to do this right. Are buying 25 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 4: into the authenticity of the traditionally made spirit and bottling 26 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 4: it up for us consumers. The plant that makes mescale 27 00:01:55,760 --> 00:02:00,080 Speaker 4: actually takes years to grow, and as the popularity of 28 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 4: this guy increases, gaved plants are facing different pressures from 29 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:08,080 Speaker 4: both the climate as well as the challenge of extinction. 30 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:11,359 Speaker 4: So what does it mean to have so much interest 31 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 4: from business people outside of Mexico? Can you in fact 32 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:28,000 Speaker 4: model up qahaka and sell it from Fudurro Media It's 33 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 4: Latino USA. I'm Maria Josa, and today to understand and 34 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 4: to appreciate Misca's production process and how to become a 35 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 4: better consumer of this traditional spirit, We're going to bring 36 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:43,960 Speaker 4: you a story that aired first a few years ago 37 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:46,799 Speaker 4: because there is a lot going on the world right now, 38 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:49,080 Speaker 4: and you may need to come together this week to 39 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:53,480 Speaker 4: be there for each other in some challenging times, but 40 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 4: it's also important to reflect on the positive. So we 41 00:02:57,600 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 4: hope you get to enjoy time with your fa meidia 42 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 4: and be thankful that you aren't together. So if you 43 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:10,640 Speaker 4: raise a glass with some great Mexican mescal for sentences Sally, 44 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:20,960 Speaker 4: there's a saying that goes, barto mal mescale bart dambien, 45 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 4: which essentially says, for everything bad, there's mescal, and for 46 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:30,440 Speaker 4: everything good, there's mescal as well. Although tequila is the 47 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 4: most popular Mexican distilled beverage for a lot of people 48 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:39,080 Speaker 4: outside of Mexico, mescal, it's much older sibling, is proving 49 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 4: to be an international popular cultural sensation in ways that 50 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 4: tequila never was. The way mescal is traditionally made can 51 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:57,800 Speaker 4: put the world's finest wine makers to shame. What you 52 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 4: hear in the background is an agave farmer in the 53 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 4: central valley of Wahaka. He's chopping the prickly leaves from 54 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 4: a nagave plant that will eventually make its way through 55 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 4: the vigorous process of distilling in order to create miscale. 56 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 4: The drink is seriously mystical. Its origins are disputed, but 57 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:21,920 Speaker 4: it is nonetheless considered the elixir of the gods of 58 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:26,680 Speaker 4: the sapotech world. Due to the commercialization of tequila and 59 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 4: bureaucracy and the high cost of authenticating a spirit to 60 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:33,880 Speaker 4: governmental standards, mescal was pushed to the shadows and was 61 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:37,920 Speaker 4: left to be a drink of the poor. In fact, 62 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:41,159 Speaker 4: when I first bought mescal in nineteen eighty one, I 63 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 4: got it in a plastic jug because you couldn't get 64 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:47,159 Speaker 4: it in the liquor stores. But now mescal is finding 65 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:50,040 Speaker 4: its way to Instagram feeds and to trendy barkers across 66 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaker 4: the United States, and producers of mescal are trying to 67 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 4: strike a balance between mass commercialization and ethical farming of 68 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:01,120 Speaker 4: the crop that makes miscale. Most importantly, they want to 69 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:04,839 Speaker 4: make sure those in the business and consumers alike understand 70 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 4: and appreciate the culture behind the millinery. 71 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 5: Drink. 72 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:11,760 Speaker 4: Producers Juan Dio Ramirez in New York and Aredi Morales 73 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 4: in Wajaca are gonna tell us more. 74 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:21,560 Speaker 5: It's the beginning of the pandemic. And I found myself 75 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:25,479 Speaker 5: doom scrolling through Instagram. Then a picture published by the 76 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:29,239 Speaker 5: La taco An independent news outlet in La catches my eye. 77 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:33,080 Speaker 5: It was from a protest against ICE, the Immigration and 78 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:38,040 Speaker 5: Customs Enforcement Agency. The post depicted people in support of immigrants. 79 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:41,560 Speaker 5: They held Mexican flags and a woman had a sign 80 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:42,400 Speaker 5: that read. 81 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:44,640 Speaker 6: I drink my orchata warm because fuck Ice. 82 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:49,000 Speaker 5: That is Hilberto Marquez, bartender and global brand ambassador for 83 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:53,640 Speaker 5: Illegal Mescal, a brand with operations in the US and Mexico. 84 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 5: Like me, Hilberto was also bored on Instagram, but I 85 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:01,039 Speaker 5: don't like me. He clicked on the comments and noticed 86 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 5: something that I completely missed. 87 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:05,719 Speaker 6: Towards the top, someone said that it was not fair 88 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:08,479 Speaker 6: to blame Ice because they were just doing their job. 89 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:10,359 Speaker 1: So I was like, WHOA, Who's this? 90 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:12,479 Speaker 5: He clicked on the profile. 91 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 6: And then I just started seeing just all of these 92 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:19,359 Speaker 6: racially charged posts or maybe even on a personal level, triggering. 93 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:21,800 Speaker 5: The person who had made that comment was also in 94 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:25,600 Speaker 5: the liquor business. He was a partner at another Mescale brand. 95 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:27,839 Speaker 6: And so that really hit home for me. I'm like, 96 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:31,360 Speaker 6: what is the deal with someone who doesn't appreciate the 97 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 6: struggle of the immigrant and the culture in general that 98 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:39,599 Speaker 6: wants to consume, sell, and profit from the culture. I 99 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:41,800 Speaker 6: didn't understand it. I don't understand it to this day. 100 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 5: I've always had a close connection to Mescale. After all, 101 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:48,720 Speaker 5: I'm from Whaka, the capital of Mescale, so I'd reached 102 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 5: out to a Li Morales, my friend and freelance journalist 103 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:55,360 Speaker 5: living in Wohaka, to help me understand the Mescale business 104 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:58,240 Speaker 5: culture and its connection to the American market. 105 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 1: Hi Relli Ola Juan Diego. 106 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 5: Really, First of all, Okay, many people know about tequila, 107 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:08,520 Speaker 5: but what exactly is mescale? 108 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 2: Oh, tequila is mescal, but not all mescal can be 109 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 2: considered tequila. 110 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:16,200 Speaker 5: Hmm, what do you mean by that? 111 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:19,080 Speaker 2: Well, like champagne, which can only be made in the 112 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:22,720 Speaker 2: city of Champagne in France, tequila can only be produced 113 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:26,640 Speaker 2: with blue agave in the city of Tequila Northwestern in 114 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:27,360 Speaker 2: the state of Gali. 115 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:27,720 Speaker 4: School. 116 00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:30,880 Speaker 2: Mescal, on the other hand, can be produced using a 117 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 2: variation of agaves in other Mexican states, although most popularly 118 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:36,320 Speaker 2: in Wahaka. 119 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:37,640 Speaker 5: I see. 120 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:43,120 Speaker 2: The main factor is a denomination of origin. The tequila 121 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:47,680 Speaker 2: denomination of origin was created in nineteen seventy four. Mescale 122 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 2: obtained its own denomination only twenty years later, in nineteen 123 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:52,200 Speaker 2: ninety four. 124 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:53,880 Speaker 1: You must have it to. 125 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:57,680 Speaker 2: Sell and export your agave based product as authentic Mescale. 126 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:01,360 Speaker 2: As of today, only nine out of thirty two Mexican 127 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 2: states hold the denomination of origin for mescal. 128 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 5: What about mescale, Where does that term come from? 129 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:10,840 Speaker 2: Well, the term mescale or mescali as it's known in 130 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 2: Naguat the language of the Aztecs, means cocta gabe, and 131 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 2: it was originally a catch all term for any Agab 132 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:18,600 Speaker 2: based looker. 133 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:22,080 Speaker 5: Speaking as a Juahakan, I know mescal is embedded in 134 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:26,560 Speaker 5: our culture and it's as important as corn, beans and squash. 135 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:29,480 Speaker 5: And there's evidence that shows that at least one form 136 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 5: of mescale has been consumed for over ten thousand years. Jahaka, 137 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:37,000 Speaker 5: which is in the southern part of Mexico, produces ninety 138 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:40,000 Speaker 5: percent of all mescal made in the country, and it 139 00:08:40,040 --> 00:08:42,440 Speaker 5: accounts for eighty percent of all exportation. 140 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:50,839 Speaker 4: You brek metal, centro, proactive, little chio. 141 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:54,960 Speaker 1: As parsia. 142 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:58,840 Speaker 2: Well, I've visited many of distilleries or pilenkas as we 143 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:02,120 Speaker 2: call them, and I've spoken to many myros mescalleros who 144 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:04,200 Speaker 2: are the masters of the mescale making process. 145 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:06,160 Speaker 1: They work on every step of. 146 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:10,160 Speaker 2: The production, from farming to the harvesting, cooking and fermenting 147 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:10,840 Speaker 2: to the stilling. 148 00:09:11,559 --> 00:09:13,719 Speaker 7: When the plant is ready, you go to where it is. 149 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 7: It can be the fields of the mountains and then 150 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:19,320 Speaker 7: you shave the leaves off of it. And when you 151 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:21,400 Speaker 7: shave the leaves off of the plant, you just left 152 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 7: with the core of the plant that has the shape 153 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:25,760 Speaker 7: of a pineapple. So that's what they call it pina. 154 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:29,960 Speaker 5: This is a Mara Alonso, more popularly known as Wahaking, 155 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:33,520 Speaker 5: a tour guide and cultural ambassador in Wohacka. I talked 156 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:35,920 Speaker 5: to him about the process of making mescale. 157 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:37,080 Speaker 1: The cooking process. 158 00:09:37,120 --> 00:09:41,480 Speaker 7: They call it tapada because they cover it. So it's 159 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:43,800 Speaker 7: usually main in a conic oven that has the shape 160 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:46,520 Speaker 7: of a cone. It's about three to four meters deep. 161 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:50,079 Speaker 7: They throw rocks that they collect from the mountains or 162 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:52,320 Speaker 7: from the rivers. They throw rocks and they at fired 163 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:55,120 Speaker 7: to it and they're gonna let it sit for about 164 00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:58,400 Speaker 7: five to eight hours. They're gonna wait for their rocks 165 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:01,679 Speaker 7: to get red hot. Once the rocks are red hot, 166 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:03,800 Speaker 7: they use fiber of a gave that has. 167 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:05,360 Speaker 1: Been previously distilled. 168 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 7: They put it on top of the rocks and they 169 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:10,040 Speaker 7: wet it. They wet it so the rocks and touched 170 00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:13,480 Speaker 7: the plants, otherwise it's going to burn them. So like 171 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 7: cushion in between rocks and the plants. 172 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:18,120 Speaker 5: They'll then throw the pinas into the pit and add 173 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:21,560 Speaker 5: yet another fiber of agave before covering it with some 174 00:10:21,679 --> 00:10:24,800 Speaker 5: plastic or dirt, forming some sort of mountain. 175 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:27,280 Speaker 7: From the moment you start to clean up the oven 176 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 7: until the moment you're ready to cover it takes about 177 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:31,560 Speaker 7: fifteen to twenty hours. 178 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:35,360 Speaker 5: Then they'll let the agave cook onderground for about five 179 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:38,960 Speaker 5: to six days before removing the dirt and the plastic 180 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:42,200 Speaker 5: to take out the fiber of the agave. After that, 181 00:10:42,520 --> 00:10:45,160 Speaker 5: they'll cook the pinas and let them call off for 182 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:47,520 Speaker 5: a couple of days or a couple of weeks. Even 183 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:50,800 Speaker 5: then comes the process of smashing the cook pina. 184 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 7: Some of them use a tawa, which is the circular 185 00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:56,360 Speaker 7: rock that is pulled by a horse or by a 186 00:10:56,400 --> 00:10:59,400 Speaker 7: donkey and circles, and in other regions they do a 187 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:01,640 Speaker 7: more traditional machin it by hand. 188 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:05,800 Speaker 5: Once that process is complete, they put the fiber and 189 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:09,200 Speaker 5: the juices of the agave into the wooden fermentation tanks 190 00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:13,599 Speaker 5: for approximately five days, and finally they distill it in 191 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:16,560 Speaker 5: clay pods or copper steels twice. 192 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:20,400 Speaker 7: Sometimes you have to wait twenty years for a plant 193 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:22,920 Speaker 7: to be ready, and then you have to dig it out, 194 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:26,160 Speaker 7: take it to the through the whole process, and then 195 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:29,679 Speaker 7: when you drink it, it's like eight hours of these 196 00:11:29,679 --> 00:11:32,520 Speaker 7: guys mashing it by hand, you know, seven days in 197 00:11:32,559 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 7: the fermentation, two days in the tessellation, you know, and 198 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:39,040 Speaker 7: it's like you have learned to appreciate. 199 00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:44,200 Speaker 4: It coming up and let you know usay, we learn 200 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:46,880 Speaker 4: more about the production of escali and now the growing 201 00:11:46,920 --> 00:12:06,880 Speaker 4: demand is in fact in endangering agave. Stay with usas hey, 202 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:11,199 Speaker 4: we're back before the break. We learned about the laborious 203 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:14,760 Speaker 4: process of making escal. Now we're gonna look at what's 204 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:17,400 Speaker 4: at stake with mass production when it comes to the 205 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:21,920 Speaker 4: cultural and environmental impacts. So let's get back to a 206 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:25,400 Speaker 4: piece from our archives by producers Juan die Or Ramirez 207 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:27,439 Speaker 4: and Areli Morales from Waka. 208 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:31,080 Speaker 2: Since before I moved to my family's ancestral land this 209 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:34,840 Speaker 2: past year, I've been critically researching brands and the sustainable 210 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:38,160 Speaker 2: and social impacts of the boomy mescal industry due to 211 00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:40,360 Speaker 2: all of the work and resources that go into the 212 00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:45,240 Speaker 2: production process. For example, espadin agave is the most commonly 213 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:47,000 Speaker 2: used agave plant To produce musca. 214 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:49,720 Speaker 1: Espadin only takes about five years to mature. 215 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:54,760 Speaker 2: Compared with let's say agave silvestres or wild agavez, which 216 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:55,559 Speaker 2: can take up to. 217 00:12:55,559 --> 00:12:57,000 Speaker 1: Twenty years to mature. 218 00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:00,600 Speaker 2: Espadina is just one of a handful of agada that 219 00:13:00,679 --> 00:13:03,040 Speaker 2: can be formed, and that's the easiest to make mescale 220 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:06,240 Speaker 2: with and eventually export to the US, the world's number 221 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:07,720 Speaker 2: one international. 222 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:08,040 Speaker 1: Buyer of mescal. 223 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:10,840 Speaker 2: A lot of the rich in distinct flavors and aromas 224 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:14,040 Speaker 2: of mescales depends largely on the type of magae agave 225 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:16,959 Speaker 2: is used, and we are seeing that the over harvesting 226 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:20,679 Speaker 2: and production of agavez silvestrees is leading to scarcity and 227 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:26,679 Speaker 2: even possible extinction of some variations like agaba and fukrea matdugali. 228 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:30,000 Speaker 2: Many of these zagavez are harvested off the sides of 229 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:33,480 Speaker 2: the mountains where they naturally grow. The very few producers 230 00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:37,280 Speaker 2: are reforced in the zagavez. Let's listen to Gonzalo Martinez, 231 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:42,800 Speaker 2: a fourth generation Maro mescalo from Santego, Matatlan, Matatlan, the 232 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:44,320 Speaker 2: world hapital of mescal. 233 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:54,400 Speaker 8: Crouque falta mass mescal qula hinti quamas in masquegesiosis Pola 234 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:57,840 Speaker 8: Parte Economicistas en contra tradition. 235 00:13:58,120 --> 00:13:59,560 Speaker 2: He says that there needs to be more of a 236 00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:03,360 Speaker 2: mescale culture so people understand more so they are more 237 00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:07,040 Speaker 2: passionate producing it. Only for the money goes against the culture. 238 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:12,120 Speaker 8: Those pocos quintin and del minti at vida iste yoia 239 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:17,720 Speaker 8: millenaria sono los qilo as in Nolan mitillos campos loscilo 240 00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:22,920 Speaker 8: producing zinco percento rel mintez. 241 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:28,560 Speaker 2: For Gonzalo, the few who understand this millinery beverage are 242 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:31,800 Speaker 2: those who are in the fields. It's really physically taxing 243 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 2: to make mescal, he says, adding that maybe just five 244 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:38,840 Speaker 2: or ten percent of all producers are really passionate about 245 00:14:38,840 --> 00:14:39,440 Speaker 2: this beverage. 246 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:49,280 Speaker 8: Gabe to the calo no de todos olympia man no 247 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 8: no metemos pesticidas. 248 00:14:51,480 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 2: He says that they grow agabez the same with it. 249 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:59,920 Speaker 2: Their grandparents did everything by hand, never with pesticides. Gonzalo 250 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:03,200 Speaker 2: also highlights another issue, which is water. He says that 251 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:06,640 Speaker 2: ten years ago there were maybe twenty producing distilleries in 252 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:09,960 Speaker 2: San Diego Matatlan, which accounts for more than seventy percent 253 00:15:10,040 --> 00:15:14,320 Speaker 2: of all Wahaka's total mescale production, but virtually every family 254 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:17,600 Speaker 2: in town and many across the Vaya Centrel where Matatlan 255 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:21,040 Speaker 2: is located, live up the production of meska. Driving along 256 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:24,560 Speaker 2: the Ruta Camino de Mescal on International Highway one ninety, 257 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:28,240 Speaker 2: you'll spot hundreds of producers in agave farms. So that 258 00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:32,160 Speaker 2: means that basically everybody is digging to extract water from 259 00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:33,160 Speaker 2: the same vital source. 260 00:15:33,800 --> 00:15:40,240 Speaker 8: The start avida, las pilas pus mammals, h yes, loos 261 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:44,080 Speaker 8: Salio or las. 262 00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:46,520 Speaker 2: Gonzalo says that if they don't rain in the mass 263 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:49,560 Speaker 2: production of viscal, it will get out of hand if 264 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:54,720 Speaker 2: it hasn't already, and he's not exaggerating. Water is scarce 265 00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:58,480 Speaker 2: in my municipality, where we have running water only twice 266 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:02,000 Speaker 2: a week. Rain and water are an everyday conversation. Here 267 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:06,800 Speaker 2: Santevo Matatlan and its water rights work under USO's costumbres, 268 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:10,600 Speaker 2: the indigenous system of community governance that's still a stronghold 269 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:12,640 Speaker 2: in many communities. 270 00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:12,520 Speaker 1: In the state. 271 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:17,040 Speaker 2: Each community has its different roles, roles and services. You 272 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:19,520 Speaker 2: basically must be born into the community to share the 273 00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:27,680 Speaker 2: land rights and privileges. In Brizil Scarbonposos, he says that 274 00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:31,320 Speaker 2: water is a very big problem with large companies digging 275 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 2: deep deposits. 276 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:36,720 Speaker 5: And while producing a bottle of mescale consumes all local resources, 277 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:40,680 Speaker 5: gains from its sales do not necessarily stay in Wahaka. 278 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:44,000 Speaker 5: Very few of the brands with the funds to export 279 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:48,040 Speaker 5: to the US are Mexican producers. Many outsourced some, if 280 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:51,720 Speaker 5: not all, of their mescale making, from farming, to distilling, 281 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:56,560 Speaker 5: and even bottling and labeling. Some large companies purchase mescale 282 00:16:56,800 --> 00:17:00,160 Speaker 5: from small producers while they bottle it and label it 283 00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:04,240 Speaker 5: for the US markets and exporters have an increasing pool 284 00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:08,520 Speaker 5: to choose from. Mexico's production of mescal doubled from one 285 00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:12,600 Speaker 5: million liters in twenty fourteen to almost two million liters 286 00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:16,840 Speaker 5: in twenty sixteen, and by twenty nineteen, almost five million 287 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:21,119 Speaker 5: liters were being exported. In twenty twenty alone, seventy percent 288 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:24,080 Speaker 5: of all mescale exports went to the US. 289 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:26,720 Speaker 2: The farmers I've talked to did not want to go 290 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:29,120 Speaker 2: on record to name the brands that they worked for 291 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:33,160 Speaker 2: out of pure financial repercussion. Still, many of them say 292 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:36,520 Speaker 2: that they believe that these companies that distance themselves from 293 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:39,879 Speaker 2: the ancestral earth to bottle process are contributing to the 294 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:42,800 Speaker 2: degradation of not only the way of life, but an 295 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:47,439 Speaker 2: entire ecosystem. Never mind that the rising cost is already 296 00:17:47,480 --> 00:17:55,560 Speaker 2: making mescale more expensive for locals to consume. Many small 297 00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:58,920 Speaker 2: and generational producers do not have the means to regulate 298 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:04,120 Speaker 2: and attain the Official Normal Mexicana, the official Mexican Standard 299 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:09,560 Speaker 2: certification for exportation. The application itself costs over one hundred 300 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:14,080 Speaker 2: and sixty four dollars. That doesn't include marketing, bottling, or regulation, 301 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 2: opening up mescale makers to sometimes predatory investors. So, yeah, 302 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:22,560 Speaker 2: Juan Diego, as you see, there's more to mescale than 303 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:23,960 Speaker 2: just its unique taste. 304 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:36,320 Speaker 4: We'll be right back. Yes, hey, we're back, and Juan 305 00:18:36,359 --> 00:18:39,080 Speaker 4: Diego and Areli are going to finish our story. 306 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:41,679 Speaker 5: Now, okay, realie, So let's go back to where the 307 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:45,480 Speaker 5: story started. How can we explain the journey of mescale 308 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:49,720 Speaker 5: from Wajaka to New York City, Los Angeles, or via 309 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:52,200 Speaker 5: Instagram anywhere in the world for that matter. 310 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:55,200 Speaker 2: Well, some people would be surprised to hear that there 311 00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:57,840 Speaker 2: was a time when mescal was looked down on, seeing 312 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 2: as a beverage for the poor, drunk almost exclusively by 313 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:04,520 Speaker 2: the indigenous people who never started drinking it. It was 314 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:08,600 Speaker 2: relatively recent that mescal began experiencing a popularity boom in 315 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:13,760 Speaker 2: Mexico and across borders. Mescale bars and Mescale cocktails are 316 00:19:13,760 --> 00:19:17,359 Speaker 2: found in every city, particularly in the US, thanks in 317 00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:21,240 Speaker 2: part to social media and its horizon mixology. In the 318 00:19:21,240 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 2: city of Long Beach, California, the line for a mescalero 319 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:27,040 Speaker 2: a mescalebar seem to have never died down. 320 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:28,000 Speaker 1: Despite the pandemic. 321 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:37,720 Speaker 2: Las Perlas Madre Nativo in La are some of the 322 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:40,480 Speaker 2: many Mescale bars that pop up in my daily feed. 323 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:43,800 Speaker 2: Mescala has even made it to Hollywood due to those 324 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:48,600 Speaker 2: badin a Mescal brand created by Brian Craston and Aaron Paul, 325 00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:52,160 Speaker 2: the co stars of AMC's hit TV show Breaking Bad. 326 00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:55,679 Speaker 2: But of course, the US connection goes far beyond filtered 327 00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:57,520 Speaker 2: photos on Instagram right. 328 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:00,800 Speaker 5: Many mescalletos and farm workers were for to migrate to 329 00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:04,280 Speaker 5: the US in the eighties and nineties after NAFTA, the 330 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:09,119 Speaker 5: North American Free Trade Agreement, undervalued their agricultural products. This 331 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:12,520 Speaker 5: contributed to the growth of the Mexican and documented population, 332 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:15,280 Speaker 5: which went from one point three million in the nineteen 333 00:20:15,320 --> 00:20:18,440 Speaker 5: eighties to five point seven million in nineteen ninety five. 334 00:20:19,119 --> 00:20:21,639 Speaker 5: It was almost impossible to make a living from the 335 00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 5: production and selling of mescal in Mexico. So when you 336 00:20:25,080 --> 00:20:28,520 Speaker 5: take all this into account, it's easy to argue that 337 00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:31,960 Speaker 5: mescal's popularity in the US is a direct result of 338 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:34,800 Speaker 5: the cultural exchange that came with that migration. 339 00:20:35,160 --> 00:20:38,680 Speaker 9: Yes, of course, my dad grew up in a big family, 340 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:43,480 Speaker 9: ten siblings, and he's one of the oldest. You know, 341 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:47,920 Speaker 9: back then, there weren't many opportunities like there's opportunities right now, 342 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:52,919 Speaker 9: like selling mescal. That mescal wasn't popular. Mescal wasn't like 343 00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:56,560 Speaker 9: something that you could have just sell and make a 344 00:20:56,640 --> 00:21:00,119 Speaker 9: living out of it. So he decided that one day 345 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:03,320 Speaker 9: he wanted a better future. Right in the eighties, he 346 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:06,120 Speaker 9: migrated here in the United States. 347 00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:09,160 Speaker 2: This is a lot for Lopez, who resides in the US. 348 00:21:09,560 --> 00:21:13,320 Speaker 2: He is the US Director of Operations for Lopereal Mescale 349 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:17,600 Speaker 2: in Santa Monica, California. His father, Mario Lopez, was a 350 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:22,600 Speaker 2: Maestro mescallero, the expert mescale maker for Loperreal Mescale until 351 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:26,160 Speaker 2: February of this year, when he unfortunately passed away from 352 00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:29,639 Speaker 2: COVID nineteen. While in the US, the Mario worked in 353 00:21:29,760 --> 00:21:35,399 Speaker 2: La Kitchens, saving to open what eventually became the palenke Loperreal. 354 00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:41,000 Speaker 9: We have our own Agaba plantations, we have our own distillery. 355 00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:46,680 Speaker 9: Everything is within the family. We do not source from 356 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:51,480 Speaker 9: other distilleries, We do not buy from other agavi growers. 357 00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:55,520 Speaker 9: This is completely a family oriented company. 358 00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:59,960 Speaker 2: In recent years, however, he's seen how businesses have exploded. 359 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:05,199 Speaker 9: Ever since Mescal took this booming, a lot of families 360 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:08,960 Speaker 9: started to produce for a lot of brands. They're outsiders 361 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:12,600 Speaker 9: that go and buy the juice and just battle it 362 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:16,320 Speaker 9: with a different name, with a different brand, with a 363 00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:21,199 Speaker 9: different story. It is good and bad. It's good because 364 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:25,439 Speaker 9: you know, it creates jobs and it creates opportunities. But 365 00:22:25,480 --> 00:22:28,760 Speaker 9: at the same time, it's also a downside because they 366 00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:32,520 Speaker 9: just work for other brands. They just work for other 367 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:34,520 Speaker 9: companies or for several companies. 368 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:37,199 Speaker 1: But being truly independent isn't easy. 369 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:39,600 Speaker 9: It takes a lot of work and a lot of 370 00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:43,200 Speaker 9: effort and a lot of time that goes into creating 371 00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:46,560 Speaker 9: a brand, you know, creating and starting a brand. And 372 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:49,400 Speaker 9: even when you have all of that, then what how 373 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:52,359 Speaker 9: do you sell it? And I think that's very hard, 374 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:54,840 Speaker 9: and a lot of people don't have that opportunity. You know, 375 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:58,359 Speaker 9: it gets expensive along the way with everything that goes 376 00:22:58,400 --> 00:22:58,920 Speaker 9: into it. 377 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:02,760 Speaker 2: My fear, and I think you share this with Mejuan Diego, 378 00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:06,919 Speaker 2: is that the international appreciation of mescale is threatening the 379 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:11,760 Speaker 2: indigenous sovereignty land and people who resilientely kept miscyle living 380 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:16,720 Speaker 2: before it was hit. It's impossible for populations experiencing poverty 381 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:20,480 Speaker 2: to turn down every opportunity that provides on funding now, 382 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:24,720 Speaker 2: regardless of the depletion, pollution, and future repercussions. 383 00:23:25,359 --> 00:23:28,199 Speaker 5: So any what can we do to become better consumers? 384 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:32,439 Speaker 2: Well, you have to drink responsibly, educate yourself. Don't be 385 00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:36,040 Speaker 2: afraid to ask your bartender who produced your miscyle and 386 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:39,919 Speaker 2: where it came from. Rita bottle's label which includes basic 387 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:43,320 Speaker 2: information about the mescal that you're about to drink, like 388 00:23:43,359 --> 00:23:47,080 Speaker 2: the name of the Maestro Mescaleto. Remember that there's more 389 00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:48,720 Speaker 2: to mescale than just the liquid. 390 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:57,479 Speaker 1: It's ancestral knowledge. Stiggish mescale is an inheritance. 391 00:23:57,200 --> 00:24:00,680 Speaker 2: Like the Sypotech language spoken by Maestro mescalleto in Matatlin. 392 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:02,720 Speaker 1: Two s. 393 00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:13,560 Speaker 5: Cheers Salu dishpell that means cheers, and Matt Gspeli gispel ndego. 394 00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:34,080 Speaker 4: This episode, which originally aired in twenty twenty one, was 395 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:38,000 Speaker 4: produced by Juan Dieo Ramirez and Areli Morales. It was 396 00:24:38,119 --> 00:24:41,520 Speaker 4: edited by Andrea Lopez Cruzado and mixed by Lea Sha Damron. 397 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:46,280 Speaker 4: Fernanda Echavari is our managing editor. The Latino USA team 398 00:24:46,359 --> 00:24:52,080 Speaker 4: also includes Roxanna Guire, Julia Caruso, Jessica Ellis, Rebecca Renaldo, 399 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:57,719 Speaker 4: Les Junior, Stephanie Lebo, Luis Luna Lori, mar Marquez, Juvieta Martinelli, 400 00:24:57,800 --> 00:25:02,760 Speaker 4: Monica Morales, Garcia, j j Carubin, Adrianna Rodriguez and Nancy Trujillo. 401 00:25:03,280 --> 00:25:06,880 Speaker 4: Beniei Amidis and I are executive producers. I'm your host 402 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:11,480 Speaker 4: Mariao Hosa. Latino Usa is part of Iheart's Michaela Podcast Network. 403 00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:15,240 Speaker 4: Executive producers at iHeart are Leo Gomez and Arlene Santana. 404 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:18,159 Speaker 4: Join us again on our next episode, Dear Listener. In 405 00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:20,800 Speaker 4: the meantime, I'll see you on all of our social 406 00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:25,840 Speaker 4: media and Dear Listener, don't forget to join Futuro Plus. 407 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:28,879 Speaker 4: It will get you an opportunity to listen to the 408 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:33,200 Speaker 4: episodes like this without any ads, and you get cool 409 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:37,639 Speaker 4: virtual events and bonus content. It's fun, and it's a 410 00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:39,920 Speaker 4: way of supporting futuro media, which we know you love, 411 00:25:40,480 --> 00:25:43,560 Speaker 4: so do it now. 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