Jorge Báez is on a mission to change the world’s — and specifically Santa Barbara’s — understanding of mezcal. Much of the motivation comes down to his own upbringing in the rather Americanized city of La Paz in Baja California.
“I grew up knowing that mezcal was tequila for the poor people, and if you drink it, you can get blind,” said Baez, who’s leading a tasting at the Museum of Natural History on October 1. “I bought into what I now understand was a bad reputation campaign by the tequila industry to monopolize that category.”
It wasn’t until he went to college in Puebla — on a full-ride as an American football quarterback — that he connected to Mexico’s deeper culture. “I started seeing the indigenous roots of how the community still lives in terms of their food and their drinks,” said Báez. “That was my first approach to mezcal.”
He learned even more by running a juice bar and living with an innovative chef, and got deeply involved in sustainability issues, based first on his architectural education, but quickly moving into food systems. “It was an easy jump to food because it’s also a very destructive industry that needs a lot of solutions,” he said.
But when he threw a festival around Puebla’s water issues, tickets didn’t sell as well as hoped, leaving bands unpaid. Then their juice bar lease wasn’t renewed. Devastated, Báez needed to make quick money to settle debts, and headed here on the advice of a friend.
“I didn’t even google Santa Barbara,” said Báez, who came with his brother in June 2017. “We just got dropped off on State Street with $300 in my pocket. We didn’t have a place to stay.”
He worked in kitchens all around town and helped open the bars at Santo Mezcal and La Paloma Café, where he hosted a number of agave tastings and dinners. Mezcal was taking off as a category, but that triggered exploitation issues and cutting corners in the inherently traditional process.
“Seeing the boom of mezcal and the bad practices that it created within the industry, I felt very called to keep sharing about the good practices,” said Báez. He started Licores Perros — its logo is his two Mexican hairless dogs — with his brother to consult with producers on logistics and sales.
He also launched the California Cocktail Collective as a catering company that uses regional ingredients and keeps bartenders working. “The hospitality industry that Santa Barbara relies on and talks about as the backbone of our community is not so much for the employees,” he said. “When it’s slow season, the first thing that goes is labor. We created this platform to give us some extra gigs throughout the year.”
At the museum, Báez will pour six half-ounce tastes, starting with a high-proof tequila (which is now usually watered back) and moving into a spirit made from the same Agave tequilana, but done differently in Michoacán. Then comes a traditional espadín from Oaxaca, a couple ensembles, which is a mix of agaves, and finishing with a sotol — not actually agave — from Durango. Snacks will be provided by Los Agaves.
Báez is confident that Santa Barbara is prepared for this deeper education, which comes with undercurrents of cultural conservation and environmental responsibility. “Santa Barbara is a strategic place that’s open to the solution. It has the mindset, and the pockets to back it up.”
He’s proud to be our conduit. “I’m happy and honored that I got called for this mission.”
The Natural History of Mezcal and Agave Spirits is at the S.B. Museum of Natural History on Thu., Oct. 1, 6-7:30 p.m. The 21+ event is $55, with VIP tables of 10 for $600. Tickets are at sbnature.org.
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