Episode 145: Tequila Today, with David Suro Piñera

Our March/April 2026 issue is out, and it’s filled with a celebration and exploration of Mexico’s signature spirit, tequila. David Suro Piñera opened his Philadelphia restaurant, Tequilas, in 1986, and since that time he’s become one of the country’s more notable supporters of the spirit. His book, Agave Spirits: The Past, Present, and Future of Mezcals (co-authored with Gary Paul Nabhan), shares some of the promises and challenges facing tequila and other agave spirits; his company, Siembra Spirits, imports tequilas from some of Mexico’s best producers; and the non-profit he founded, the Tequila Interchange Project, continues to work to protect tequila and its culture. For this episode, we talk with Suro Piñera about his own love of tequila and how our understanding of the spirit has changed over the years, and about some of the challenges currently facing this immensely popular spirit. Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In each episode, we dive into liquid culture, exploring the people, places, and flavors of the drinkscape through conversations about cocktails, coffee, beer, spirits, and wine. Keep up with us at imbibemagazine.com, and on Instagram, Threads, and Facebook, and if you're not already a subscriber, we'd love to have you join us—click here to subscribe.