Holy Smoke! It's Mezcal!: A Complete Guide from Agave to Zapotec

Holy Smoke! It’s Mezcal! is being acclaimed by leading experts in the mezcal and spirits world: “An amazing accomplishment”, "For those of us that live and love mezcal, we finally have a book", “The best book on this beautiful artisan spirit”, and “A playful yet responsible thesis of the history, lore, and science that infuses every bottle”. Mezcal is finally being counted among the world’s leading beverages for its quality, complexity and authenticity. John McEvoy, the author of the outstanding blog Mezcal PhD (www.mezcalphd.com), pens his first book on this magical elixir. Holy Smoke! It’s Mezcal! is a passionate journey into everything you want to know about mezcal. Among other things, the author explores the history of mezcal and how it differs from tequila, the hand-crafted production process that has been handed down from generation to generation, the wide variety of agaves which are used to make mezcal and how each varietal can alter the flavor, all the mezcal brands found in the U.S., mezcal cocktails with over forty tasty recipes, and the differences between tequila, mezcal, pulque, bacanora, raicilla, sotol and more. Holy Smoke! is rich with photographs, diagrams, charts and details while maintaining a light-hearted and approachable tone throughout. Contributing to the polished style of the book is a top notch team including A-list food and spirits industry photographer Noah Fecks, renowned book designer Patty Fabricant, and former Associated Press editor Dave Ivey. Whether you are just becoming interested in this seductive spirit or are already a convert, this book is for you. Read more