Tequila: A Global History (Edible)
Product ID: 14790617
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With its unique aroma and heady buzz―the perfect accompaniment to even the spiciest tacos―tequila has won its way into drinkers’ hearts worldwide. There are few places on earth besides Mexico that have the climate and terrain to evolve the agave plant that makes tequila―and there are even fewer people who have the patience to wait the seven years or more that it takes “the tree of marvels” to grow. In this book, Ian Williams presents a lively history of this potent and popular drink. Beginning with pulque , the drink fermented by the Mayans, Olmecs, and Aztecs and reserved for pregnant women and priests―and their sacrifices―he traces how the Mexicans distilled tequila and mezcal (mescal) and began its heady surge into global popularity. From twenty-year añejos to giggle-inducing margaritas to the bravado―and regret―of that round of shots, he offers a history as gripping as the drink itself. Williams visits countless tequila producers, distributors, and connoisseurs to tell the story of how tequila started in the agave lands of Mexico, became an icon of youthful inebriation, and developed, today, into a truly artisanal product drawing the most discerning drinkers. Peppered throughout are illustrations that capture tequila’s Mexican heritage and commercial image. Including recipes for tequila-based cocktails, as well as advice on the buying, storing, tasting, and serving of tequila, this history will delight any beverage aficionado or anyone interested in the history of Mexico and its culinary riches. Review: Great book on a drinkable in the Edible series Review: Five Stars - Such a fun read with great history of a beloved spirit. Recommended.
| Best Sellers Rank | #2,195,925 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #1,280 in Alcoholic Spirits #1,414 in Homebrewing, Distilling & Wine Making #2,007 in Gastronomy History (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.2 out of 5 stars 36 Reviews |
S**.
Great book on a drinkable in the Edible series
K**R
Five Stars
Such a fun read with great history of a beloved spirit. Recommended.
M**M
Five Stars
Great read!
L**T
It's a lot more complicated than the worm in the bottle.
This is a fast read, nicely illustrated and one that takes tequila seriously as a topic. People who like drinks might like the book, and anyone interested in Mexico might also find it of interest, given Mexico's predominance (rather like France in the world of wine). Much of the book concerns how what was once a cheap drink has become more and more upscale. This is among other things, a very impressive job of marketing, on the part of several firms and several remarkable risk-takers. These are rather livelier than examples in business school textbooks. Mexico tightly regulates tequila and the closely related mescal, at least in theory. As with other things in Mexico, regulations are sometimes evaded. This is a sizable industry, with close to a billion dollars in Mexican exports to the USA, and more than that elsewhere. Chapter 2 describes marketing and branding, and is as noted a fascinating case study. Chapter 3 describes the agave plant, often thought of and wrongly so as a cactus. It is more closely related to onions than to cactuses. The agave is finely evolved for much of the dry high Mexican terrain. The plant was used for intoxicating drinks by the Aztecs, under stringent conditions. Chapter 4 covers this with a couple of lively illustrations. Chapter 5 looks at the closely related mescal and Chapter 6 on where it is made. Chapter 8 looks at some family dynasties, a lively and complex and competitive social web. After the main text the book has a dozen pages of recipes for drinks (and some foods).
T**Y
Five Stars
Having read an earlier book by the same author on the history of rum this does not dissappoint
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