By Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host Published Mar 20, 2022 at 9:04 AM

If you’ve ever wanted to know more about mezcal and its more popular sister spirit tequila, this episode is for you. In fact, we traveled all the way to Mexico to get the skinny on these agave-based spirits.

This week we’re talking with Edgar Portilla, the head sommelier for the El Dorado Resorts in Riviera Maya, Mexico, about Mexico’s most famous export, mezcal. During our conversation, Portilla covers all the basics (all tequilas are mezcals, but not all mezcals are tequilas); but he also offers insights into flavor profiles, the rules of agave propagation and the reasons why most mezcal never makes it out of Mexico. We also touch on Mexico’s status as an up and coming wine producer.

 

Find us and love us

The FoodCrush podcast is available via a variety of platforms from iTunes and Google Play to SpotifyStitcher and more. Search for us on your favorite podcast platform, subscribe for notifications about each new episode. Better yet, help us out by sharing the love by writing a review on iTunes. You can also give @FoodCrushPod a follow on FacebookTwitter and Instagram for additional tidbits, live tastings and more.

Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host

Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. 

When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.