My 1st guest is Ron Cooper with his new book “Finding Mezcal – A Journey into the Liquid Soul of Mexico”
In this groundbreaking and deeply personal book, Ron Cooper—a leading voice in the artisanal mezcal movement, and the person largely responsible for popularizing the spirit in the United States—shares everything he knows about this storied, culturally rich, and now hugely in-demand spirit, along with 40 recipes.
In 1990, artist Ron Cooper was collaborating with craftspeople in Oaxaca, Mexico, when he found mezcal—or, as he likes to say, mezcal found him. This traditional spirit was virtually unknown in the United States at the time, and Cooper founded Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal in order to import it.Finding Mezcal recounts Cooper’s love affair with the spirit and the people who make it; its meteoric rise in popularity; and the delicate balance between sharing mezcal with the world and facilitating its preservation. Each chapter introduces a new mezcal, its producer, and its place of origin, while also covering mezcal production methods and the botany of the maguey (aka agave) plant, from which mezcal is distilled. Featuring 40 recipes developed for Del Maguey by chefs and bartenders from around the world, the book is copiously illustrated with photographs, as well as Cooper’s artwork and that of his friend Ken Price, who illustrated Del Maguey’s now-iconic. Follow Ron on Facebook and Del Maguey on Twitter
Ron Cooper began his work, art, and journey with Mezcal in 1970. Around that time, he accidentally came across Oaxaca and fell in love with its people, culture, and overall spirit. After learning and working with locals and having several attempts to bring Mezcal to the world at large, Ron opened Del Maguey as Founder and President in the 1990s. The company has become very successful as of late, as Mezcal is entering the mainstream of American bars, becoming an artisanal or craft ingredient for many creative cocktails. In recent years Ron has done dinner pairings with chefs Jose Andres, and Mary Sue Milliken appeared on CNN with Anthony Bourdain, and recently was awarded the James Beard Award for “Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional.
Check out this cool Forbes article about Ron and Mezcal.
In the second half I’ll be talking to Jeff Sollo, Winemaker and vineyard manager at Grace Hill Winery in beautiful White Water Kansas.
We’ll be talking about the winery, products produced, how you can sign up to help with harvest this year and more importantly the launching of the Cellar Series with an initial release of 4 new wines:
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1) 2017 Rosé of Chambourcin
2) 2015 Crimson Cabernet
3) 2015 Old Vine Chambourcin
4) 2015 Juvenile Chambourcin
The Cellar Series wines will be available exclusively at the winery, 6310 S Grace Hill Rd. Whitewater, Kansas 67154 Get Directions
Good Life Guy’s Wines of the Week:
See ABOVE! 🙂