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:
10am-2pm -LEVEL I CERTIFIED MEZCAL SPECIALIST
Takes place April 19 & 20. This course is designed for professionals and amateurs interested in developing their organoleptic analysis skills and gaining a deeper theoretical knowledge of the world of mezcal. Students are invited to awaken their olfactory abilities and become experts in everything there is to know about the Denomination of Origin Mezcal and its associated states.
Ticket: $660
10am-1pm - RAÍCES: A MORNING OF CONNECTIONS AND CONVERSATIONS
Raíces, or roots, ground us and connect us to places and each other. Roots are how plants, yes, including agave, nourish themselves, communicate with each other, and share resources. In that spirit. Please join us for this gathering of various stakeholders, academics, and mentors in the agave space as we work to form new connections and share ideas about moving forward and creating a more sustainable and fruitful future. This is an opportunity to learn from mentors, connect with peers, and inspire and energize attendees as we each chart our paths in the agave industry collaboratively and inclusively.
Ticket: $10
4-5:30pm - MESCAL AGAVE USE IN ARIZONA: FOOD, FIBER, AND VESSEL
There are nearly 300 mescal agave species in the world, native to the Southwest United States and Mexico. The agave plant has been used by Native peoples for numerous utilitarian items. Mescal is served as a valuable food source still being harvested and prepared to this day by many Indigenous groups. For millennia people have pit roasted the heart of the plant, yielding a nutritious food staple rich in calcium and zinc. This talk includes the life history of mescal, and the multitude of Tribal uses of this intriguing plant and their long relationship with this plant, from centuries ago to the modern era.
Admission: Free
6-8pm - LAS ALMAS ROTAS TAKES OVER MONSOON ROOM
We loved this event so much from last year’s festival, we decided to run it back! The gang from James Beard Semifinalist bar Las Almas Rotas in Dallas, Texas comes back to the Festival to put their Texas spin on the Agave Heritage Festival! Serving a special menu of agave cocktails, ranch waters and neat pours and a special Texas BBQ-inspired food menu from JoJo’s, this honky tonk takeover will be a damn fine time and a celebration of borderlands culture!
21+ Only
6-9:30pm - MAYNARDS HERITAGE DINNER
Join the Maynards Culinary Collective and special guest chef Dr. Mae Hey for the epicurean experience of the year. Featuring a 6-course menu, mezcal neat pours, cocktails and in-depth remarks from brand experts on the history, culture, and craft around agave spirits. Guests will also receive a traditional tequila sipping glass.
Ticket: $196
7-10pm - FLOR DE TOLOACHE AND SOM DO SISAL
Experience a historic night of both culture and entertainment with the Grammy Award-Winning Mariachi Flor de Toloache. Joined by Som do Sisal a 13-piece Brazilian Youth Orchestra that plays instruments made of repurposed Agave Sisal plants. This concert kicks off the Agave Heritage Festival Weekend in true Tucson style. As a special treat from the Agave Heritage Festival, the first 200 21+ concertgoers are treated to an agave spirit sample courtesy of Mezcal Union.
Ticket: $25-$30
9-11pm - BARKING DOG TAKES OVER TOUGH LUCK CLUB
In Dog We Trust!!! Join our Nordic agave brothers and sisters as the bar fam from Barking Dog in Copenhagen, Denmark drop into the Old Pueblo for a one-night-only takeover of Tough Luck Club! Widely recognized as one of Scandinavia's best cocktail bars, the Dog team will be sharing their love of all things agave with a special menu of delicious cocktails, Ocho & Vago specials, and a curated playlist of their favorite tracks.
21+ Only
Date: April 18-21, 2024
