A podcast for lovers of wine, beer, liquor (incl. whisky, whiskey, bourbon, gin, vodka, tequila etc) and cocktails, Drinks Adventures hosts wine makers, brewing and distilling experts, sommeliers, bartenders & more.

Mezcal featured in Season 9 of the podcast when we met Grant Collins, who had recently opened the mezcal-focused bar and restaurant Cartel in Sydney.

One of the mezcals I tasted with Grant during that interview was Quiquiriqi.

And the more I read about Quiquiriqui, the more I thought it would be a grand idea to invite its London-based founder, Melanie Symonds, onto the show.

With no background whatsoever in drinks or hospitality, Melanie's path to being a mezcal brand owner was unconventional, to say the least.

She fell in love with the spirit on visiting Mexico in 2011 and returned to London with the pretty half-baked plan – I don’t think Melanie would mind me saying that – of opening a mezcal bar underneath a kebab shop in East London.

Soon after came the Quiquiriqui Mezcal brand, which Melanie makes in direct partnership with families who have been producing mezcal traditionally in their communities for generations.

But I’ll leave it to Melanie to tell you in her own words how Quiquiriqui came to be.

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