Book Review: The Curious Bartender’s Agave Safari

In the latest book in his Curious Bartender series, set to be released on April 8th, award-winning bar owner and bestselling author Tristan Stephenson offers a comprehensive guide to Mexico’s agave spirits.

In the past twenty years, Stephenson has visited over 100 countries and 500 distilleries to hear the stories behind the brands and offer regional perspectives in books focusing on whiskey, rum, gin, and more. He has co-founded eight award-winning bars and restaurants in London, Bristol, and Cornwall and delivered seminars and tastings at every major spirits festival worldwide.

In Agave Safari, Stephenson hits the road with photographer Addie Chin and translator/driver Pancho to explore the story of the spirit of Mexico and how the tradition of distilling agave shapes Mexican culture and binds the community. Stephenson visited 38 agave spirits producers throughout the country to create this book. Broken up into chapters by each agave producing region he visits, you get a sense of each place and its unique geography and landscape. The hardcover is beautifully designed with an attractive bright aqua cover, heavily weighted pages, and full of color photos throughout.

Stephenson starts with the famous Tequila Valley of Jalisco, where he explores five tequila producers, some of which trace their heritage back 150 years. He shares the story of the Sauza and Cuervo brands’ long rivalry and the story of the first organic tequila, 4 Copas. Stephenson and his gang then continue their journey to Los Altos, visiting eight distilleries, including mega-brands like Patron. While in Los Altos, Stephenson shares the back stories of how some of these brands came to power. He travels into distillery cellars and walks through ancestral properties, engaging the reader with descriptive details of the places he explores while pulling you into the story with keen narratives. You also learn about small family-owned distilleries still crafting agave spirits using traditional methods, with one distillery sharing that they didn’t get electricity until 2000.

Of course, there are plenty of tasting experiences to be shared on this journey, and Stephenson does an excellent job describing some of the rare spirits he tasted. While in Jalisco’s Raicilla region, which is west of Guadalajara near the Pacific Coast, Stephenson explores different maturing methods while at Rancho Nuevo, sharing that “maturing agave spirits in glass dramatically changes the spirit’s character and often brings about unexpected fruity and floral aromas.”

One of the most striking stories Stephenson shares involves the challenges that many small spirits makers and agave producers face due to the commercial agave farming by the mega brands.

Learning more in-depth about raicilla, another type of agave spirit similar to mezcal, is fascinating. Stephenson explores this spirit and shares the stories of raicilleros and their artisanal products, which are under no jurisdiction from the El Consejo Mexicano Promotor de la Raicilla (CMPR). So, for now, Stephenson shares that raicilla producers are sticking to their own ancestral traditions.

I especially appreciate the inclusion of so many images from this journey. It is a joy to see some of the ancestral production spaces and the faces of the people Stephenson speaks about. The photos in the book are exciting and draw you in.

Stephenson ends the journey for readers with refreshing and interesting agave cocktail recipes. This 250-page encyclopedic book is a must-read for agave spirits lovers and those curious about Mexico’s native spirits. It is an easy-to-read and fascinating guide that made me feel as though I journeyed with Stephenson and learning to experience each place for myself.

A / $30 [BUY IT NOW FROM AMAZON] 

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