Whether you’re a seasoned mezcal enthusiast or keen to begin exploring the complex world of this ancient spirit, you've come to the right place. Mezcal Academy is about bringing people closer to the rich tradition, flavours, and culture of mezcal. Through tasting and education, whether you are looking to study formally to become a mezcal sommelier, or are simply interested in sampling a range of Mexico's delicious agave spirits amongst friends, you're in the right place to get started.

who am I?

I'm Heidi, founder of Mezcal Academy, and self confessed aficionado of agave spirits. After falling in love with mezcal I set out on a mission to learn as much as I could about it. After trips to Mexico, countless books, hundreds of tastings, meeting producers, I went to Oaxaca to study further to earn the title of 'Master of Agave Spirits' with the Agave Spirits Institute. I now dedicate my time to sharing my knowledge- and my mezcal collection - with others!
In addition to hosting tastings and training workshops I also work as a consultant and am proud to represent the Succulent Spirits portfolio in Spain.

WHAT DO I OFFER?

It is my mission to educate people about Mexico's centuries old spirits with each sip they take. With mezcal academy you can choose how you learn with a choice of tasting experiences or more formal training workshops. The main aim is to share enjoyment of agave with others and share the stories that make agave spirits so special.

Tastings, workshops, pop ups and courses are available online or in person all over Europe. Get in touch to talk to me to start your mezcal education.

TASTINGS

Are you completely new to mezcal? Then why not begin your mezcal journey with a Mezcal 101 workshop to answer all the burning questions while we taste such asWhat is mezcal?
How is it made?
What’s the difference between tequila and mezcal?
Why is there such variation in how different mezcals taste?I regularly host tastings at venues in Spain and the UK. If you'd like to plan a tasting, whether a small family celebration, a get together with friends, or a large team building event, talk to me to make a plan!

Mezcal offers a complex palette of flavours: earthy, floral, fruity, herbal, woody, even funky! For the uninitiated, it’s an exciting world of discovery—a chance to explore a spirit that is as rich in history as it is in flavour.
A tequila or mezcal tasting makes a great activity for birthday celebration or a staff event.

pop up mezcal club

Already have a venue and keen to introduce agave spirits to your guests?
Why not feature a variety of mezcals and other agave spirits on a pop up basis?We can collaborate to offer hand selected mezcal flights to showcase the variety of agave spirits, and rotate brands, agave species and varieties and even spirit types to keep it fresh for your loyal clientele.Prefer to offer a formal ticketed tasting? Let me know what you have in mind and we can get things started.

courses

I am passionate about agave spirits education and want to offer education in a way that suits different ways of learning. Both online courses and in person workshops are available.The Agave Spirits Taster is a live, online introduction to agave spirits — covering the plant, the production process, the culture and history, and how to taste together.
It's designed for bartenders, hospitality and retail professionals, and anyone who simply wants to understand more about what's in the glass. No prior knowledge needed.
BETA launch May 19th
online via Google Meet- founding cohort at introductory price of €39
Book your place on EventbriteFurther dates and a growing course programme are in development. If you'd like to be notified when new dates are added, get in touch or follow agave_alegria on Instagram.

contact me

Brand promotions

Have a mezcal brand you want to promote?Talk to me to find out how I can showcase your brand as part of tasting workshops or events.I currently represent Succulent Spirits in Spain. If you are interested in learning about their portfolio for an event or for your bar, please get in touch.

Understanding what you taste

When I first started tasting different mezcals I wanted to keep a note of everything I tasted and I carried a little notebook around with me. At every event I went to I would write down every single mezcal I tasted. Each new bottle I tried at home or in a bar, I added it to my list, convinced this would become my personal reference guide: a record of what I liked and didn't like, sorted by agave and region.
What I didn’t realise was I was only capturing a fraction of what actually shapes a mezcal's character.
I was capturing the brand name, sometimes the producer’s name and certainly the agave species and the region and I thought that this would help me to remember enough about the character of the drink!
It turned out, unsurprisingly, that wasn't enough to build up a bank of useful information and I needed to try and capture more, such as where exactly in the state the agave was grown,
what time of year it was harvested, whether the agave was crushed with a wooden mallet, a tahona, or a mechanical shredder? Was it distilled in copper or clay? How long did fermentation last, and who made it — because individual producers often have techniques entirely their own, passed down through generations or developed through years of experience.
I decided that what I really needed was not just scribbles in my notebook but a little bit more about the terroir and the production, so that I could start to see which of those influences contributed to flavour profiles that appealed more or less to me and to help me help other people to choose mezcals that they will love.
I've made a little template to help me capture more information and I'm sharing it here in case anyone else wants to try it out. You don't have to fill in every detail on the sheet but I think it can help me make better notes than I used to using this as a reminder!I hope you find it useful too. Please feel free to use, it edit it, download it and share it anyway you would like and please give me your feedback. Let me know if it works for you and let me know how you're using it but most of all enjoy tasting all those mezcals!