What cooked agave doesn’t taste like

The rules around Mezcal are so complex that I’m not surprised when someone gets the details wrong — even brand owners. And two brand owners did exactly that on a recent episode of The TequiLadies Show. I used that as a jumping-off point to get into it with Marissa Paragano about some recent clips from her podcast, and then we landed on one in which she talks about what agave tastes like. And what does it taste like? Well, which agave…? Agave Road Trip is a critically acclaimed, award-winning podcast that helps gringx bartenders better understand agave, agave spirits, and rural Mexico. This episode is hosted by Lou Bank with special guest Marissa Paragano (AKA the eye-rolling, not-easily-offended, kind-of-5’2” Tequila Encyclopedia) of The TequiLadies Show and The Tequila That Cares Foundation and added wisdom from Heidi Roach of the Mezcal Academy in Scotland. Episode Notes Marissa is a board member of Tequila That Cares, a philanthropic organization bringing positive change to the agave spirits industry! Check out Heidi’s Mezcal Academy in Scotland, with educational tastings at the end of every month! Join us in Puerto Vallarta this April for the tenth-anniversary celebration of SACRED! Shout outs this episode to Tove Lo, Billy Bragg, Long Island Lou, Eduardo Angeles of Lalocura Mezcal, Tequila Ocho, Chicago pizza, chocolate, tasting wheels, and “So I referenced this helpful tasting wheel, designed by Patrón, to expand my awareness of what to look for and to help better define”.