Ep 309 - Read Spear: Storytelling With Each Sip

·1 hr 2 min·5 clips

Reed Spear launched his Cuento Cuentos Mezcal in Texas after a sold-out event in Dallas, revealing a journey from obscurity to recognition.

The episode features an interview with Reed Spear, the proprietor of Cuento Cuentos Mezcal, recorded in October 2020. Spear shares his background as an entrepreneur from Pittsburgh who previously sold a nutritional supplements business online. He describes traveling to Oaxaca in 2012 and discovering mezcal, which led him to start his brand. Spear explains how he connected with mezcalero Carlos Mendez to find producers making less than 500-liter batches, such as the Cruz family in El Lazo. He details the production process, including clay distillation and the significance of ancestral versus artisanal designations. Spear discusses the mezcal community's supportive nature and the challenges of educating consumers about the spirit's terroir and sustainability. He recounts personal stories, like a mezcalero using earnings to buy a pickup truck and propose to his wife. The conversation also touches on Spear's method for learning Spanish to communicate with producers and his views on the mezcal industry's growth and regulation. The episode concludes with Spear naming Christopher Hitchens as someone he'd like to share a drink with, highlighting his philosophical interests.

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