Your Weekly Guide to Exclusive Events, the Hottest Bars, Industry News, and Bottles Worth Your Time.

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ISSUE NO. 115 · OCTOBER 22, 2026

22 Agave Tastings and Festivals

Special: Día de los Muertos Events of 2026

Pushing Up Daisies - The Cocktail

A $100 Ghost Story

2026 Agave Awards

Find 100+ agave dinners, tastings, happy hours, and festivals at mezcalculture.com​

FRIDAY — OCT 23

FL: Homestead
​Free Lobos Tequila Tasting​
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NJ: Elizabeth
​Tequila Festival: All You Can Eat and Drink​
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OH: Harpersfield Township
​Agave Anejo Limited Release & Barrel Tasting​
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TX: Houston
​Del Maguey Mezcal Tasting​
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WA: Pasco
​Red Lion Hotel Pasco: Tacos and Tequila Tasting​

SATURDAY — OCT 24

CA: Gilroy
​Free Tequila Tasting​
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CA: Irvine
​SoCal Cocktail & Spirits Fest 2026​
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CA: Oakland
​Mezcal and Tequila Tasting​
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FL: Tampa
​Tacos & Tequila Festival​
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SC: Spartanburg
​Tequila & Cigars Under the Stars​
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TN: Arlington
​Tequila vs Cognac Bonfire Festival​
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TN: Nashville
​Nashville Halloween Tequila Crawl & Costume Contest​
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VA: Arlington
​Tacos & Mezcal Tasting​
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WI: Milwaukee
​Tequila Tasting: Lost Lore​

SUNDAY — OCT 25

PA: West Chester
​Clay & Agave: Paint Your Own Margarita Glass​

TUESDAY — OCT 27

FL: Tampa
​Day of the Dead Tequila Dinner with Mijenta​
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NY: Orchard Park
​Fall Cocktails: From Orchard to Fireside​
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OH: Cleveland
​Day-of-the-Dead Tequila Pairing Dinner at Steak​

WEDNESDAY — OCT 28

CA: Long Beach
​Pumpkins and Palomas Hosted by Tromba Tequila​
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IL: Burr Ridge
​Día de los Muertos Tequila Dinner​
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NY: New York
​Día de los Muertos: An Evening of Mezcal​
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TX: The Colony
​Haunted Spirits: Tequila Dinner & Costume Party​

We're tracking all the Día de los Muertos events and putting them all in one place for you to see. Speical tequila and mezcal dinners are popping up all week. Find one near you!

PUSHING UP DAISIES

If we trace the cocktail family tree back far enough, we find the classic "Daisy". Known as a 19th-century bar staple, a daisy simply combines a base spirit, citrus, sweetener, and a splash of soda water.
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A traditional Daisy leans on orange liqueur for its sweetness, but the pomegranate in this recipe is richer and a little tart. It sits with the smoke instead of fighting it. The club soda stretches the whole thing out and keeps it light, so you still get plenty of agave character without the drink feeling heavy.
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It's simple to make and a great choice for your upcoming Halloween or Dia de Los Muertos celebrations!

THE RECIPE:

THE MEZCAL THAT NEVER MEANT TO GET BIG

This mezcal brand just won VinePair’s Spirits Brand of the Year. Two brothers started it in 2008, driving village-to-village and buying 40 litres at a time. Read more to hear their growth story...
​Source: VinePair​

$100 BUYS AN AGAVE SPIRIT AND A GHOST STORY

Macabre Spirits just dropped a highly anticipated, small-batch agave box set. But they refused to release it until one crucial condition was met. Read more to find out what they were waiting for, and discover the exclusive story hidden inside before these sell out.
​Source: The Spirits Business

50 BOTTLES MADE WITH GOLD LEAF

Just 50 hand-painted ceramic bottles of this spirit exist worldwide. A family of women artisans spent eight days on each one. But there's a major catch regarding where you can actually get your hands on one. Read more to see the stunning design and find out how to secure yours before they vanish forever.
​Source: Retail Times​

2026 AGAVE AWARDS UPDATE

NY WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION: TOP AGAVE PICKS

The Tasting Alliance named its category champions, including Valdré Extra Añejo, Volcan de mi Tierra exclusives and scarce Tobalá mezcals.
​Source: The Tasting Alliance​

IWSC 2026: GOLD MEDAL AGAVE SPIRITS

Top honors went to ancestral mezcals and lightly aged tequilas that favor raw agave over heavy barrel time.
​Source: IWSC​

HEAVEN HILL: MOST AWARDED U.S. DISTILLERY, 3RD YEAR RUNNING

Heaven Hill swept the agave and whiskey categories at the San Francisco competition. Mezcal Vago Espadín Joel Barriga and Mezcal Vago Elote also reached the Triple Still finals.
​Source: Heaven Hill Brands

Know someone who talks about mezcal more than they probably should? The gift shop has hats, tees, stickers, and agave prints made for exactly that person. Maybe you.

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Mezcal Culture & The Mezcal Download