Divided Spirits (eBook)

Tequila, Mezcal, and the Politics of Production

Sarah Bowen (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2015
280 Seiten
University of California Press (Verlag)
978-0-520-96258-3 (ISBN)

Infos

Divided Spirits tells the stories of tequila and mezcal, two of Mexico's most iconic products. In doing so, the book illustrates how neoliberalism influences the production, branding, and regulation of local foods and drinks. It also challenges the strategy of relying on ';alternative' markets to protect food cultures and rural livelihoods. In recent years, as consumers increasingly demand to connect with the people and places that produce their food, the concept of terroirthe taste of placehas become more and more prominent. Tequila and mezcal are both protected by denominations of origin (DOs), legal designations that aim to guarantee a product's authenticity based on its link to terroir. Advocates argue that the DOs expand market opportunities, protect cultural heritage, and ensure the reputation of Mexico's national spirits. Yet this book shows how the institutions that are supposed to guard ';the legacy of all Mexicans' often fail those who are most in need of protection: the small producers, agave farmers, and other workers who have been making tequila and mezcal for generations. The consequencesfor the quality and taste of tequila and mezcal, and for communities throughout Mexicoare stark.Divided Spirits suggests that we must move beyond market-based models if we want to safeguard local products and the people who make them. Instead, we need systems of production, consumption, and oversight that are more democratic, more inclusive, and more participatory. Lasting change is unlikely without the involvement of the state and a sustained commitment to addressing inequality and supporting rural development.

Inhalt

List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations

1. The Promise of Place
2. From the Fields to Your Glass
3. Whose Rules Rule? Creating and Defining Tequila Quality
4. The Heart of the Agave: Farming in Tequila Country
5. Making Mezcal in the Shadow of the Denomination of Origin
6. Hipsters, Hope, and the Future of Artisanal Mezcal
7. Looking Forward

Methodological Appendix
Notes
Works Cited
Index

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 1.10.2015
• Reihe/Serie: California Studies in Food and Culture
• Reihe/Serie: California Studies in Food and Culture
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Essen / Trinken ► Getränke
• Themenwelt: Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Essen / Trinken ► Länderküchen
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften
• Themenwelt: Sozialwissenschaften ► Ethnologie
• Themenwelt: Sozialwissenschaften ► Soziologie
• Schlagworte: Agave • agave tequila • alcohol branding • alcohol industry • alcohol production • booze • branding liquor • denominations of origin • food and agriculture • history of mezcal • history of tequila • liquor production • local food movement • local spirits • making tequila • mexican liquor • mexican mezcal • mexican tequila • mexicos national spirits • Mezcal • mezcal or tequila • production of mezcal • production of tequila • protected food branding • small tequila producers • taste of place • Tequila • Terroir • Wine and Spirits
• ISBN-10: 0-520-96258-3 / 0520962583
• ISBN-13: 978-0-520-96258-3 / 9780520962583