For the last 14 years, the Tucson Agave Heritage Festival has put education at the forefront of this conversation and will continue to lead for years to come because education is key to the future of agave spirits. Keep up the amazing work!
Schedule:
8am-12pm - AGAVE ROAST & LEARN AT MISSION GARDEN
Come experience an agave roast and learn about these plants’ many uses! Members of the Hualapai tribe will demonstrate their methods of roasting agave hearts, then share samples of this sweet, unique food. Talk to environmental and cultural organizations from around the region about agave’s unique uses, including how agave fiber can be used for ropes, shoes, and clothes. Experience a panel discussion about how agaves may make a comeback as a crop of the future.
Admission: Free
10am-12:30pm - INTRODUCTION TO MEZCAL COURSE
Designed for amateurs and professionals alike, the Introductory Course is intended to open your window into the vast and diverse world of agave spirits. We’ll learn the basics of how to taste like a spirits sommelier, learning how to identify aromas, flavors, and overall quality. Over the course of 2.5 hours, we’ll explore six different agave spirits, each one with a unique history, production, and taste. You’ll leave this course with the tools to better appreciate agave spirits, and an urge to keep exploring these vast and diverse drinks.
Ticket: $210
1:15-1:45pm - THE AMAZING AGAVE LECTURE
Known as “The Tree of Wonders”, the agave has been celebrated in native cultures for centuries throughout the American Southwest and Mexico. That tradition continues today in Tucson’s Agave Heritage Festival. Narrated by local naturalist Dan Collins, The Amazing Agave presentation is an intriguing overview of “all things agave”.
Admission: Free
2-3:30pm - SPIRITS OF NORTHERN MEXICO TASTING & LECTURE
Mexico’s northern states are still not as squarely on the agave spirits map as, say, Oaxaca and Jalisco. Yet the borderlands area presents many distinct traditions and a wealth of mezcal diversity. Join Luis Loya of Lamata, Omhar Acuña of Los Cantiles 1905, and the Encinas family of Batuq to learn about the history, geography, botany, and current production of bacanora, palmilla, lechuguilla, and other distillates in the Mexican North. A tasting will accompany.
Ticket: $40
7-10pm - AGAVE FIESTA
This annual signature event showcases all things agave with over 50 artisanal and ancestral mezcals and an agave cocktail showcase! Enjoy live music from Mamma Coal and AB Sanchez, delicious food, agave spirit tastings, agave art, and presentations from industry experts. Price includes 4 agave spirit tastes, 1 beer sample, 2 cocktail samples, and paired food from the Cup Café culinary team.
Ticket: $65
Date: April 18-21, 2024
