The fervor for mezcal, tequila and different agave spirits has reached a fever pitch in america, and as curiosity within the class continues to speed up, so does the variety of agave-centric bar openings from coast to coast. It’s by no means been simpler to create a mezcalería-style program stateside that includes a lengthy checklist of bottles, however ask any hardcore agave aficionado about how the expansion of the class is threatening its conventional roots, and also you’ll get a lecture sooner than you possibly can say “salt-suck-lime.” The class is mired in political, financial and environmental points, which has prompted some savvy bar homeowners to take a extra aware strategy to acquiring, selling and promoting these spirits to curious drinkers. 

Many bars across the nation are going the additional mile on this quest. At locations like Barcoa in Phoenix, the homeowners and employees journey to Mexico to actively pursue a deeper schooling in regards to the advanced methods that gasoline the class. Cosme in New York Metropolis and Madre in Los Angeles have academic programming baked into back-of-house coaching, and generally this schooling extends to the general public, by way of tastings, menu design, flights, courses and business meet-and-greets. And others, like Bar Sótano in Chicago and Fern Bar in Kansas Metropolis, Missouri, intention to thoughtfully curate backbar collections that assist and promote producers who’re working to maintain heritage practices alive within the face of rising pressures to industrialize. The next 10 mezcal bars verify all of those containers, after which some.