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:

April 18

8-10am - AGAVE PLANTING AT MISSION GARDEN

Help plant agave at Mission Garden! Learn more about this food’s ancient methods and future possibilities. Come plant agave in our Tomorrow’s Garden, in the style of traditional Hohokam-era agave plantings on nearby Tumamoc Hill. These agave will feed bat pollinators in the garden, then might just be roasted in our pit at a future festival. At the end of the planting, Archaeologist Allen Denoyer will demonstrate the use of a replica agave knife, used for cutting leaves off agaves in preparation for roasting.

Admission: Free

2-4pm - FERMENTED BEVERAGES WORKSHOP

A perennial favorite of festival attendees, the Mexican Fermented Beverage Workshop is a delicious and informative exploration of an often overlooked part of the gastronomic patrimony of Mexico. Exploring fermentations allows us to consider connections between people and place in fresh ways. The “unseen” contributors to ecosystems, in this case microbes like yeast and bacteria, form a fundamental part of foodscapes and diets. An accompanying political and economic dimension of the people-plant-microbe nexus concerns the defense of land and natural patrimony.

Ticket: $40

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5-11pm - MEZCRAWL

Agave rules the night with cocktails, mezcal and culinary delights! Kick off the night with a traditional mezcal toast at the Playground Bar & Lounge and then stroll to any of the over 12 participating Downtown Tucson restaurant and bar locations. Ticket includes veladora (traditional mezcal sipping glass), lanyard, mezcal toast with Mezcal, light bites & mezcal cocktail samples at all 10 locations.

Ticket: $65

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5:30-8pm - SEIS HERITAGE DINNER

Guests will be dining on regional Mexican cuisine from a multi-course menu served with curated agave spirits and cocktail pairings from a featured mezcal producer.

Ticket: $130

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6-9pm - AGAVE CULTURESCAPES & FESTIVAL OPENING RECEPTION

Join Southern Arizona and the University of Arizona Community in celebrating the culture, history, and heritage of the noble agave plant as we dance, sip, talk, laugh, and engage for a night of celebration. The reception includes a presentation by Dr. Luis Coronado of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, performances by Som do Sial as well as the chance to meet many of the agave industry's best and most influential.

Admission: Free

8:30-10pm - NATALIA TOLEDO POETRY READING RECEPTION

Please join Bar Crisol as they host the closing reception for the University of Arizona Hannelore Quander-Rattee Works-in-Translation Reading featuring Natalia Toledo. Our friends from NETA and Ixcateco agave spirits will be on hand pouring a special menu of some of the incredible spirits from Oaxaca in celebration of Natalia’s reading. Produced in the Logoche and Nochixtlan areas of Oaxaca, each one of these wonderful brands is some of the premiere examples of mezcal from their respective regions. Guests who show a physical copy of the Poetry Center calendar get their first mezcal or flight for half-off. 

21+ Only

April 19

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

April 20

8am-12pm - AGAVE ROAST & LEARN AT MISSION GARDEN

Come experience an agave roast and learn about these plants’ many uses! Members of the Hualapai tribe will demonstrate their methods of roasting agave hearts, then share samples of this sweet, unique food. Talk to environmental and cultural organizations from around the region about agave’s unique uses, including how agave fiber can be used for ropes, shoes, and clothes. Experience a panel discussion about how agaves may make a comeback as a crop of the future.

Admission: Free

10am-12:30pm - INTRODUCTION TO MEZCAL COURSE

Designed for amateurs and professionals alike, the Introductory Course is intended to open your window into the vast and diverse world of agave spirits. We’ll learn the basics of how to taste like a spirits sommelier, learning how to identify aromas, flavors, and overall quality. Over the course of 2.5 hours, we’ll explore six different agave spirits, each one with a unique history, production, and taste. You’ll leave this course with the tools to better appreciate agave spirits, and an urge to keep exploring these vast and diverse drinks.

Ticket: $210

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1:15-1:45pm - THE AMAZING AGAVE LECTURE

Known as “The Tree of Wonders”, the agave has been celebrated in native cultures for centuries throughout the American Southwest and Mexico. That tradition continues today in Tucson’s Agave Heritage Festival. Narrated by local naturalist Dan Collins, The Amazing Agave presentation is an intriguing overview of “all things agave”. 

Admission: Free

2-3:30pm - SPIRITS OF NORTHERN MEXICO TASTING & LECTURE

Mexico’s northern states are still not as squarely on the agave spirits map as, say, Oaxaca and Jalisco. Yet the borderlands area presents many distinct traditions and a wealth of mezcal diversity. Join Luis Loya of Lamata, Omhar Acuña of Los Cantiles 1905, and the Encinas family of Batuq to learn about the history, geography, botany, and current production of bacanora, palmilla, lechuguilla, and other distillates in the Mexican North. A tasting will accompany.

Ticket: $40

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7-10pm - AGAVE FIESTA

This annual signature event showcases all things agave with over 50 artisanal and ancestral mezcals and an agave cocktail showcase! Enjoy live music from Mamma Coal and AB Sanchez, delicious food, agave spirit tastings, agave art, and presentations from industry experts. Price includes 4 agave spirit tastes, 1 beer sample, 2 cocktail samples, and paired food from the Cup Café culinary team.

Ticket: $65

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April 21

5-9pm - HOWARD SCOTT GENTRY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD & GALA DINNER

Honoring what is truly special and unique about our region and this festival, we are honored to present the Howard Scott Gentry Lifetime Achievement Award and Gala dinner. Considered the godfather of agave, this dinner celebrates the achievements of the industries best, brightest and most committed to the broader holistic aspect of this unique and noble plant.

Ticket: $220

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6-9pm - CORONET HERITAGE DINNER

Guests will be enchanted as they enter The Coronets' magical 160 year old property where they will be greeted with a signature cocktail, passed appetizers, and a warm welcome from Chef Fleming and Proprietor Sally. The main dinner takes place under the stars, where the guests will enjoy the mezcal neat to truly experience the supreme craftsmanship from the heart of Oaxaca.

Ticket: $229

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6-7:30pm - SOTOL TASTING & LECTURE

Sotol, derived from the Dasylirion genus (aka Desert Spoon), is not an agave spirit. But it neighbors agave spirits in its similar production methods. Sotol’s denomination of origin embraces three Mexican states–Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Durango–but the distillate occurs in other northern states, not least Sonora. It is sometimes called “the spirit of the desert.” In recent years, the rise of sotol in spirits markets has raised questions about its future sustainability. Join sotol activist Sandro Cánovas and Omhar Acuña of Los Cantiles 1905 for a tasting and discussion surrounding Sotol’s heritage and production.

Ticket: $40

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Date: April 18-21, 2024

Location: Various locations in Tucson

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