A new book tells the long history of agave spirits – and it's not just margaritas and tequila shots

By Lauren Gilger
Published: Thursday, September 28, 2023 - 11:34am
Updated: Thursday, September 28, 2023 - 11:51am

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Gary Paul Nabhan, author of “Agave Spirits: The Past, Present, and Future of Mezcals”
Benjamin Drummond, W. W. Norton & Company
Gary Paul Nabhan, author of “Agave Spirits: The Past, Present, and Future of Mezcals”

When you think of tequila, you might think of shots, or college, or maybe a salty margarita by the beach. But Gary Paul Nabhan thinks of centuries of history and tradition and terroir.

Nabhan is an acclaimed ethnobotanist here in Arizona and, in his newest book, “Agave Spirits: The Past, Present, and Future of Mezcals,” he and co-author and restaurateur David Suro Pinera dive deep into the history — and future — of everything from tequilas to mezcals, bacanoras and more.

The Show spoke with Nabhan more about it.

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