A Dark History of Tequila and Mezcal

By Jamie Ryder

Descend into Xibalba. Emerge reborn. A Dark History of Tequila and Mezcal charts the tumultuous history of Mexico's indigenous spirits through the structure of the Maya underworld. Each section becomes a layer of Xibalba, each chapter a trial on the path toward understanding. Like Tezcatlipoca's smoking mirror reflecting both shadow and light, this book reflects mezcal and tequila's complicated story against the full sweep of Mexican history. Navigate the Three Rivers of Mesoamerican cosmology with the mother drink of pulque in the cycle of life and death. Travel the Four Crossroads of colonisation, independence, upheaval and modernisation, where every political tremour reshaped what flowed into Mexico's cups. Face the Lords of Death, visionaries and villains, artists and free spirits, whose lives extended the mythology of tequila and mezcal. Enter the Houses of legendary brands, each one a monument to creativity and complexity. Finally, glimpse the Sixth Sun rising on the horizon, illuminating both the peril and the promise of the agave's future. This is not a cocktail manual or a travelogue. It's a reckoning with uncomfortable truths and a celebration of legacy. By the end of the book, you'll come away with a deeper respect for mezcal and tequila, and the people who bring them to life.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1036148092
• ISBN13: 9781036148096
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Pen and Sword History
• Length: 224 Pages