Tales of the Cocktail 2015

Do you know where the complex flavors you love in mezcal and tequila come from? How much do you know about the chemistry that occurs in agave and how that chemistry translates into the agave spirits? Do you know that the sweetness of mezcal is created during cooking via a Maillard Reaction, in a very similar way meat flavor is generated in an oven? Are you keen to sample unique deconstructed flavor fractions obtained from mezcals, agave tissues and pulque? Have you ever wondered what the inside of a 'palenque' tastes like and why agaves are the base of the most complex white spirits on earth?

There is an intense love affair going on between bartenders and agave spirits from hand crafted tequila to smoky Oaxacan mezcal, and other innumerable expressions from all over Mexico, but what do we really know about the subject?

For the first time ever two of the world’s foremost experts on agave, Tomas Estes and Ivan Saldaña, will take the stage with their unparalleled knowledge taken from the academic and practical study of agave spirits. With a PhD in the topic of Biochemistry of the Agave Plant, seminar presenter Iván Saldaña will answer many of the fundamental questions on this special succulent. This seminar will offer rational and scientific explanations that will help to connect raw material, process and spirits made from agave.

You will discover the biological features of Mexico’s most famous plant, how it grows and what flavors are built from it. Subjects like agave plasticity and chemical adaptation (terroir effect), agave evolution and diversity will be covered. We will discuss other sources of flavor in mezcal. You will learn specifically, what impact wild fermentation and artisanal 'palenque' methods can have on the final spirit. You will be guided through the talk with experiential samples that will exemplify the core flavor and aroma groups in this distillate, to bring this detailed information to life in unparalleled depth.