Episode 129: Tequila with Chantal Martineau

Chantal Martineau has written articles about food, drinks, and travel for numerous publications, including Allure, the Atlantic, Decanter, Edible, Islands, Maxim, Redbook, Saveur, Time Out, Village Voice, the Washington Post, Wine Enthusiast, andWomen’s Health. She grew up in Montreal and currently lives in New York City. Chantal spent several years immersing herself in the world of tequila — traveling to visit distillers and agave farmers in Mexico, meeting and tasting with leading experts and mixologists around the United States, and interviewing academics on either side of the border who have studied the spirit. The result is a book that offers readers a glimpse into the social history and ongoing impact of this one-of-a-kind drink. It addresses issues surrounding the sustainability of the limited resource that is agave, the preservation of traditional production methods, and the agave advocacy movement that has grown up alongside the spirit’s swelling popularity. In addition to discussing the culture and politics of Mexico’s most popular export, this book also takes readers on a colorful tour of the country’s Tequila Trail, as well as introducing them to the mother of tequila: mezcal.

“The lime and salt ritual is really an American thing.” [17:30]

“I like my whiskey but when it comes to agave spirits I want the purest expression of the spirit – the blanco” [22:30]

“The tequilas available to Mexicans are not always the same tequilas we’re drinking elsewhere.” [27:30]

–Chantal Martineau on In the Drink

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