Posted on Sep 17, 2023
As Americans drink more tequila, the agave industry in the Southwest grows
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https://www.npr.org/2023/09/03/ [login to see] /as-americans-drink-more-tequila-the-agave-industry-in-the-countrys-southwest-gro
It's hotter than Hades in mid-July down on the Texas border. Combined with the Rio Grande Valley's arid climate, it's a perfect condition to grow the hardy agave, the plant from which we get tequila and its smoky cousin, mezcal.
But two years ago, when Leonardo Sanchez and his partner planted 2,500 sharp-tipped agaves on a plot of land that U.S. border agents patrol for undocumented immigrants and drug smugglers, it didn't bode well for the future of Texas mezcal.
"There are a lot of hogs and javelinas in this area," he said, with a forced chuckle. "And they like a lot these little plants. So they ate thousands of them."
It's hotter than Hades in mid-July down on the Texas border. Combined with the Rio Grande Valley's arid climate, it's a perfect condition to grow the hardy agave, the plant from which we get tequila and its smoky cousin, mezcal.
But two years ago, when Leonardo Sanchez and his partner planted 2,500 sharp-tipped agaves on a plot of land that U.S. border agents patrol for undocumented immigrants and drug smugglers, it didn't bode well for the future of Texas mezcal.
"There are a lot of hogs and javelinas in this area," he said, with a forced chuckle. "And they like a lot these little plants. So they ate thousands of them."
As Americans drink more tequila, the agave industry in the Southwest grows
Posted from npr.org
Alcohol
State of Texas
Mexico
Climate Change
Posted 8 mo ago
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WOW A GOOD THING AND MAYBE A BAD THING AT THE SAME TIME: PO1 William "Chip" Nagel good day Brother William, always informational and of the most interesting. Thanks for sharing, have a blessed day!
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
...""There are a lot of hogs and javelinas in this area," he said, with a forced chuckle. "And they like a lot these little plants. So they ate thousands of them."
Sanchez persevered – and for good reason: Sales of tequila and mezcal in the U.S. have more than tripled in the last decade. The Mexican spirits outsell American whisky. Now growers and distillers in the Southwest are hard at work planting agave, counting on the terroir in U.S. border states to be close enough to that of Oaxaca and Jalisco, the Mexican states where much of the mezcal and tequila are produced.
After the hogs ate his plants, Sanchez brought more baby agaves from his native Mexico. This time, they went into a protected plant nursery. Once he puts them in the ground—and erects a stout hog-proof fence—it will take at least seven years for the plants to mature.
"Of course, we will have to take extra measures to protect them, like electric fencing or maybe we'll have to pay some men with rifles," Sanchez said. "I don't know.""...
...""There are a lot of hogs and javelinas in this area," he said, with a forced chuckle. "And they like a lot these little plants. So they ate thousands of them."
Sanchez persevered – and for good reason: Sales of tequila and mezcal in the U.S. have more than tripled in the last decade. The Mexican spirits outsell American whisky. Now growers and distillers in the Southwest are hard at work planting agave, counting on the terroir in U.S. border states to be close enough to that of Oaxaca and Jalisco, the Mexican states where much of the mezcal and tequila are produced.
After the hogs ate his plants, Sanchez brought more baby agaves from his native Mexico. This time, they went into a protected plant nursery. Once he puts them in the ground—and erects a stout hog-proof fence—it will take at least seven years for the plants to mature.
"Of course, we will have to take extra measures to protect them, like electric fencing or maybe we'll have to pay some men with rifles," Sanchez said. "I don't know.""...
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