All images courtesy of Anna Bruce
Life is so full of strange coincidences. When I attended a preview drink for Tequila Fest 2014 - the UK's first tequila and mezcal festival - I didn't realise that the pictures accompanying the invite were taken by the daughter of a good friend. While me and Mat have enjoyed some recent trips to Scotland and France to sample a drink or two, Anna Bruce spent a little longer in Mexico documenting the production of mezcal and tequila.
The photos Anna took have been on show at a number of exhibitions and we've been lucky enough to grab a couple for the blog. They're amazing shots of a process I'm sure not many people are familiar with. Mezcal and tequila are both made from agave, a large, slightly alien looking succulent, closely related to the aloe plants (think aloe vera). Tequila is only made from blue agave, whereas mezcal can be made from any agave - that’s one of the main differences, if you wondered.
The process looks fairly hands-on, I imagine more so than the spirits you find in the UK. Hot, backbreaking work under the Mexican sun. Not really for me! I've always been keen on a trip to Mexico. These photos and the drinks on show at the preview reinforced that. The closest I'm likely to get any time soon is Tequila Fest, London, at the end of November, but perhaps next year Mexico could knock Japan off the top spot as the next destination to visit.
The organisers of Tequila Fest were kind enough to give us a discount on tickets, so you can save about 15% with the code "bucketspades" when you book online.
I hope folks get to visit the festival at least. If you're off to Mexico (or have just been) let us know! We love to hear travel stories, share them @nikspeller. - Nik
The photos Anna took have been on show at a number of exhibitions and we've been lucky enough to grab a couple for the blog. They're amazing shots of a process I'm sure not many people are familiar with. Mezcal and tequila are both made from agave, a large, slightly alien looking succulent, closely related to the aloe plants (think aloe vera). Tequila is only made from blue agave, whereas mezcal can be made from any agave - that’s one of the main differences, if you wondered.
The process looks fairly hands-on, I imagine more so than the spirits you find in the UK. Hot, backbreaking work under the Mexican sun. Not really for me! I've always been keen on a trip to Mexico. These photos and the drinks on show at the preview reinforced that. The closest I'm likely to get any time soon is Tequila Fest, London, at the end of November, but perhaps next year Mexico could knock Japan off the top spot as the next destination to visit.
The organisers of Tequila Fest were kind enough to give us a discount on tickets, so you can save about 15% with the code "bucketspades" when you book online.
I hope folks get to visit the festival at least. If you're off to Mexico (or have just been) let us know! We love to hear travel stories, share them @nikspeller. - Nik
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