My first trip to Oaxaca left a mark on my heart forever. Tune in to hear a MAJOR mezcal update, where I'll be drinking in April and everything I ate, drank and experienced while in Oaxaca in 2023 and what's happening in Oaxaca in 2024.

Links from today's episode:

https://www.instagram.com/itanonioficial/?hl=en

https://www.theworlds50best.com/discovery/Establishments/Mexico/Oaxaca-City/Criollo.html

https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g150801-d19884668-Artisanal_Mezcal_distillery_in_an_authentic_Zapotec_village-Oaxaca_Southern_Mexico.html

https://www.geubeez.com/

https://www.netflix.com/title/81249660

https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g150801-d23784951-Traditional_Cooking_Class_with_Minerva_Lopez-Oaxaca_Southern_Mexico.html

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-03-15/wildfire-devastates-oaxaca-region-famed-for-mezcal

https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/authorities-say-oaxaca-wildfire-is-now-95-under-control/

https://zapotectravel.com/

Hear fromDaniel Rodríguez, Co-Founder and Director of Education at the Agave Spirits Institute. He holds the following certifications: CMS – Certified Sommelier, IWSG – Fine Spirits Sommelier, IWSG – Certified Executive Wine Sommelier, IWSG – Certified Senior Wine & Spirits Instructor.

In this episode, we discuss how he made the shift from wine to agave spirits, the history and cultural significance of protecting agave spirits and why everyone is invited to the table to support the future of agave.

Selected links from the episode:

1. https://www.agavespiritsinstitute.com/

2. https://www.ixtanyc.com/

3. https://www.oxomoconyc.com/

4. https://www.dlenadc.com/

Hear from Rosalinda Mendoza, CEO and co-founder of Mocel Mezcal as she takes us on a journey through growing up in the Pacific Northwest and in Michoacán in Mexico to her pathway from the tech industry to small-batch mezcal brand owner. Mocel is the perfect representation of the magic that can happen when female founders ask “why not us” and take the leap into entrepreneurship.

Selected links from the episode:

1. https://www.mocelmezcal.com/

2. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/underestimated-start-up-founders-the-untapped-opportunity

3. https://daily.sevenfifty.com/examining-industry-efforts-to-elevate-women-in-wine-and-spirits/

4. https://www.tahonabar.com/

In this first episode, meet your host the mezcal-loving mujer Michelle Rivas Notestine, and hear why studying the future of agave-based spirits is something she loves and also something everyone should care about. She'll touch on what makes a perfect night in Chicago, her first experience with mezcal and what to expect this season from guests who are much smarter than she is on the biodiversity, sustainability and history of agave-based spirits. Grab a copita and listen in!