Editorial Reviews

Mr. Nabhan, an ethnobotanist and naturalist, and Mr. Piñera, a restaurateur, serve as guides to the complex making of mezcal and lead readers through various steps in the mezcal-production process, from growing and harvesting to mashing, fermenting and distilling. But they also aim at a far-reaching overview of the precarious place in which mezcal now finds itself after an extended and harried history.--Brian P. Kelly "Wall Street Journal"

[Agave Spirits] offers a deep look at traditional mezcal production and insight into the new generation of makers finding ways to adapt and preserve the historic spirit.-- "Imbibe"

Agave Spirits invites the reader to a place of wonder and learning all at the same time. It is a captivating journey into the past, present, and future of artisanal mezcals. It's a book about Mexican history and archeology, plant botany and climate change, the promises of mezcal and its kindred spirits, with prose that leaps from the page.--Pati Jinich, chef, author, PBS host of La Frontera and Pati's Mexican Table
A thoroughly fascinating dive into all that goes into the spirits, revealing an elaborate web of biological and cultural entanglements, with rich biodiversity in terms of plants, microbes, and even animals, all mediated by skilled human practitioners, carrying out (and refining) cultural traditions. The authors also show how this biodiversity as well as cultural diversity is threatened, concluding with a call to action.--Sandor Ellix Katz, fermentation revivalist and author of Fermentation Journeys, The Art of Fermentation, and Wild Fermentation

The craft of agave spirits is part science and part art, but always about embracing where we come from to understand where we are going. This book, as with David Suro Piñera and Gary Paul Nabhan's life's work, is a true celebration of how a community's respect for its biodiversity can create liquid magic.--José Andrés, chef and owner, José Andrés Group and Oyamel Cocina Mexicana

Talking about agave with Suro Piñera is akin to discussing the Bible with the pope: His knowledge is so deep and intuitive that it draws you in, even if you consider yourself agnostic, or perhaps (shudder) more of a gin drinker.--Maddy Sweitzer-Lammé "Food & Wine"

With agave spirits clearly guiding, Gary Paul Nabhan and David Suro Piñera have blended fascinating science with a loving homage to a mystical plant and the wizards who tend it and extract its juices--and a timely plan for safeguarding its native origins, so we all might keep imbibing.--Alan Weisman, author of The World Without Us

Gary Paul Nabhan and David Suro Piñera combine years of expertise, research, and devotion to capture the artistic intricacies of an ancient drink now threatened by greed. Salud to a remarkable achievement and to the rescue of Mexico's emblematic drink.--Alfredo Corchado, author of Midnight in Mexico, and reporter for Dallas Morning News

Agave Spirits is...an inspiring, encyclopedic read about a complex and beguiling subject.... It does this book a disservice to try and summarize it in a single paragraph; rest assured this is a bravura, capstone work from two giants in their field.--Jay Babcock "Patagonia Regional Times"

A comprehensive, readable exploration of the history and science of tequila, mezcal, and other agave-derived spirits.-- "Kirkus Reviews"