Book Conversation and Mezcal Tasting
Schedule
Fri, 30 Jan, 2026 at 06:00 pm
UTC-06:00Location
First Light Books | Austin, TX
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LLILAS Alumni Speaker Series -Mezcal in OaxacaRonda Brulotte in conversation with Raj Patel (LBJ School)
Friday, Jan. 30 at 6:00pm
First Light Books
4300 Speedway, Hyde Park.
LLILAS and First Light Books present a spirited evening with author Ronda L. Brulotte, author of Mezcal in Oaxaca: A Craft Spirit for the Global Marketplace, in conversation with Raj Patel (LBJ School of Public Affairs), author and research professor.
The evening will begin with an author reception from 6–6:30 with appetizers catered by First Light. The conversation will begin at 6:30 and include a guided mezcal tasting.
The event is free and open to the public but RSVP is required.
You can choose to pay $34.95 for a copy of the book and reserved seats.
Unreserved seats are available on a first come, first served basis.
https://thethirdplace.is/event/ronda-l-brulotte-mezcal-in-oaxaca/rsvp
About the Book
"An ethnography of mezcal and how it has become a global, 'artisanal' good."
Mezcal is booming. Once considered a peasant drink—the rough, lowbrow cousin of the more refined tequila—the smoky spirit is now prized by connoisseurs the world over. It is also hailed as a savior of Oaxaca, powering a craft industry that can uphold rural economies and Indigenous traditions.
Ronda L. Brulotte traces mezcal’s swift rise and its effects on communities that have distilled and enjoyed the beverage for generations. Only in the late 1990s did mezcal begin to escape its longstanding associations with Indigenous and working-class life, even as these very qualities supply the “authenticity” that elite consumers crave. Through a detailed ethnography of the spirits industry in Oaxaca, Brulotte compares the ideal of the artisanal economy with the reality of participation in global markets. Her findings—focused on tourism-led development and gentrification, the exploitation of women and smallholders, and swelling regional migration pressures—raise troubling questions about the ecological and social sustainability of a new craft imaginary that rebrands rustic products as luxury goods.
Questions? Contact Paloma Díaz. ([email protected])
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Where is it happening?
First Light Books, 4300 Speedway, Austin, TX 78765-2001, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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